Related papers: Constraining the KRZ deformation parameters I: lim…
We analyze the post-Newtonian orbit of stars around a deformed Kerr black hole. The deformation we consider is a class of disformal transformations of a nontrivial Kerr solution in scalar-tensor theory which are labeled via the disformal…
Observations of the black hole shadow of supermassive black holes, such as Sagittarius A* at the center of our Milky Way galaxy, allow us to study the properties of black holes and the nature of strong-field gravity. According to the Kerr…
We discuss constraints on the physics of the inner accretion disk, as well as the properties of the black hole itself, that can be derived by a detailed examination of the relativistically broadened spectral features (especially the…
Black hole spectroscopy is a clean and powerful tool to test gravity in the strong-field regime and to probe the nature of compact objects. Next-generation ground-based detectors, such as the Einstein Telescope and Cosmic Explorer, will…
X-ray reflection spectroscopy is a powerful tool to study the strong gravity region of black holes. The next generation of astrophysical X-ray missions promises to provide unprecedented high-quality data, which could permit us to get very…
The fundamental process of detecting and examining the polarization modes of gravitational waves plays a pivotal role in enhancing our grasp on the precise mechanisms behind their generation. A thorough investigation is essential for…
Kaluza-Klein theory is a popular alternative theory of gravity, with both non-rotating and rotating black hole solutions known. This allows for the possibility that the theory could be observationally tested. We present a model which…
The fundamental parameters describing the coronal spectrum of an accreting black hole are the slope $\Gamma$ of the power-law continuum and the energy $E_{cut}$ at which it rolls over. Remarkably, this parameter can be accurately measured…
In a previous paper, we presented an extension of our reflection model RELXILL_NK to include the finite thickness of the accretion disk following the prescription in Taylor & Reynolds (2018). In this paper, we apply our model to fit the…
We consider a black hole mimicker given by an exact solution of the stationary and axially symmetric field equations in vacuum known as the $\delta$-Kerr metric. We study its optical properties based on a ray-tracing code for photon motion…
The Kerr solution is the cornerstone of General Relativity (GR) for modelling astrophysical rotating black holes and for testing GR through gravitational-wave observations and black hole imaging. Understanding how the Kerr geometry is…
Despite its success in the weak gravity regime, General Relativity (GR) has yet to be verified in the regime of strong gravity. In this paper, we present the results of detailed ray tracing simulations aiming at clarifying if the combined…
Astrophysical black holes are ideal laboratories for testing Einstein's theory of general relativity in the strong field regime. In this manuscript, we present an analysis of Suzaku and NuSTAR spectra of the black hole binary Cygnus X-1…
In this thesis a computational tool for modelling spectral features of X-ray sources in a strong gravitational field is developed. Six transfer functions, the gravitational and Doppler shift, lensing, emission angle, relative time delay,…
Rapidly rotating black hole solutions in theories beyond general relativity play a key role in experimental gravity, as they allow us to compute observables in extreme spacetimes that deviate from the predictions of general relativity. Such…
Broad, skewed iron K$\alpha$ emission lines in the X-ray spectra of accreting black holes encode key information about the spacetime geometry of the innermost disk. While the Kerr metric is standard for spin measurements, horizonless…
The X-ray emission of neutron stars and black holes presents a rich phenomenology that can lead us to a better understanding of their nature and to address more general physics questions: Does general relativity apply in the strong gravity…
By using the relativistic precession model, we have studied frequencies of quasi-periodic oscillations in the spacetime of a disformal Kerr black hole. This black hole owns an extra disformal parameter and belongs to a class of non-stealth…
The Event Horizon Telescope, a global submillimeter wavelength very long baseline interferometry array, produced the first image of supermassive black hole M87* showing a ring of diameter $\theta_d= 42\pm 3\,\mu$as, inferred a black hole…
In the context of f(R) modified gravity theories, we study the Kerr-Newman black-hole solutions. We study non-zero constant scalar curvature solutions and discuss the metric tensor that satisfies the modified field equations. We determine…