Black holes are bright sources of X-rays. The detected radiation originates from hot gas slowly spiraling into the black hole. However, we do not know what plasma energization mechanism heats the plasma to such a high temperature. In this project, we will use novel radiative plasma simulations to model this process. We will then validate these artificial simulation outputs against real X-ray observations using machine-learning-accelerated data analysis tools. The results help us better understand how matter behaves in extreme conditions close to black hole event horizons.

2026

2028