Karas Vladimír

Prof. RNDr., DrSc.
* 1960

• relativistic astrophysics
• Member of Learned Society since 2024

Vladimír Karas studies methods for measuring the physical parameters of cosmic bodies with very strong gravity - the most extreme examples of these objects are neutron stars and black holes. In the case of supermassive black holes in the cores of galaxies, the work of Vladimír Karas and his colleagues in the Astronomical Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences has led to a much deeper understanding of the mutual interaction between stars orbiting in their close proximity and the gaseous environment around them. This interaction causes the stars to gradually approach the center of the galaxy, where they are eventually torn apart by tidal forces. The interplay of magneto-hydrodynamic phenomena and the emission of gravitational waves plays a significant role in the process.

In 2012-2022, Vladimir served as the director of the Astronomical Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences. He is a member of a number of professional organizations focused on astronomy and astrophysics.