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Roberta Amato, PhD

Postdoctoral researcher in X-ray astronomy, based at the Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie (IRAP), in Toulouse, France.

Lover of books and good food.

Research interests

My research activities are mainly focused on the mechanisms of accretion of matter onto compact objects in X-ray binary systems. I study the X-ray emission coming from those systems, using data from several X-ray satellites. In particular, I have studied high-mass X-ray binaries, such as Vela X-1, and ultraluminous X-ray sources.

During my doctoral studies, I also investigated the impact of low-energy protons at grazing incidence to the background of X-ray satellites, with a special focus on the future ESA’s X-ray mission Athena.

Contact me

Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie (IRAP)

Publications Highlights

  • R. Amato, A. Gúrpide, N. A. Webb, et al., The ultraluminous X-ray source M81 X-6: a weakly magnetised neutron star with a precessing accretion disc?, A&A, 2023, DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/202244576
  • R. Amato, V. Grinberg, et al., Looking through the photoionisation wake: Vela X–1 at φorb≈0.75 with Chandra/HETG, A&A, 2021, DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/202039125
  • R. Amato, S. Diebold, A. Guzman, et al., Scattering efficiencies measurements of soft protons at grazing incidence from an Athena Silicon Pore Optics sample, Exp Astron, 2021, DOI: 10.1007/s10686-021-09806-9