Ondřej PejchaView profile
Associate Professor
Assoc. Prof. Ondřej Pejcha is an active researcher at the Institute of Theoretical Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University in Prague. His work focuses on connecting theoretical modeling, observational astronomy, and data science to understand time-domain phenomena in stellar systems, particularly binary stars and their evolution. Dr. Pejcha's research spans computational astrophysics, with emphasis on (radiation)(magneto)hydrodynamics simulations of binary star systems, common envelope evolution, and stellar mergers. His group develops advanced numerical methods to study transients such as stellar mergers and core-collapse supernovae, persistent variable sources including eclipsing binaries and pulsating stars, and stellar dynamics. They combine supercomputer simulations with semi-analytic models and machine learning techniques applied to astronomical data from surveys like ASAS-SN. The analysis of Dr. Pejcha's recent publications reveals a strong focus on computational approaches to binary star evolution, with increasing integration of machine learning methods in the latest works. His research addresses fundamental questions about common envelope evolution, mass transfer processes, and the connection between theoretical models and observational signatures in time-domain astronomy. ERC Consolidator grant for ROGALLO project (developing new simulation methods for binary stars) ERC Starting grant for Cat-In-hAT project (computational methods for binary star mergers) Czech Science Foundation grant for studying mass transfer in binaries Czech-American collaboration grant for ASAS-SN survey participation Primus award PRIMUS/SCI/17 from Charles University Dr. Pejcha actively mentors PhD students and postdocs, with recent advisees including Jakub Cehula and Milan Pešta. His group has secured substantial funding that supports internationally competitive salaries, dedicated computing resources including a specialized cluster with upcoming GPU enhancements, and travel funds. Alumni from his group have successfully obtained competitive postdoctoral positions and national/international fellowships. The group maintains strong international connections, regularly collaborating with institutions including Princeton University, Brown University, MPA Garching, and Warsaw University Observatory.