Ester Aranzana

Hello! Welcome to my personal website.
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Who am I

I am a graduate student working with Elmar Körding in Radboud University in Nijmegen, The Netherlands. I did my degree in Physics in the Universidad Complutense de Madrid and one year in the Université Pierre et Marie Curie in Paris. After that I did a master in Astrophysics at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. While finishing my degree I was a trainee in European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC/ESA), where I also did a master thesis project with Celia Sánchez-Fernandez and Erik Kuulkers.
My main hobbies are traveling and dancing. I love climbing, acrobatics and jogging. I also enjoy reading, cooking and painting.

Research

The aim of my research is to better understand the physical processes and geometry of accretion discs around compact objects by studying its variability properties. I am mainly focussed on cataclysmic variables (CVs), which are close binaries consisting of a white dwarf and a solar-like companion that transfers material through Roche Lobe overflow. These systems emit most of its light in the optical, they are nearby and very bright objects making them unique systems to study accretion discs. Furthermore, they are not subjected to strong gravitational effects like in X-ray binaries containing neutron stars or black holes. In my research group we compare the observational similarities of cataclysmic variables with X-ray binaries (XRBs) and also with active galactic nuclei (AGN). In particular I am focussed on the timing properties of these systems in the optical domain, by applying X-ray timing techinques extensively applied in XRBs and AGN.

Cataclysmic variables (CVs)

Power spectrum, coherence, phase/time lags, rms--flux relation using optical observations performed with ULTRACAM mounted in 4.2-m William Herschel Telescope in La Palma and 8.2-m Very Large Telescope in Chile.

Active galactic nuclei (AGN)

Optical variability of a sample of > 200 AGN using Kepler observations at 30 min cadence.

X-ray bursts

Study of time scales and energetics of X-ray bursts from GS 0836-429 with INTEGRAL JEM-X and ISGRI detectors.

CV

Download CV

Get in touch

You can drop me an e-mail.