Roberta Amato, PhD
Postdoctoral researcher in X-ray astronomy at INAF, Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma (OAR), Italy.
Research Interests
My research activities involve the physics of accretion of matter onto compact objects in X-ray binary systems. I use observational data from several X-ray satellites to model the X-ray emission coming from those sources. In particular, I focus on the brightest and most extreme binary systems in the Universe, known as Ultraluminous X-ray Sources (ULXs): extragalactic X-ray binaries with luminosities higher than the Eddington limit for a black hole of 10 solar masses.
During my doctoral studies, I also studied high-mass X-ray binaries, such as Vela X-1, and 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 NewAthena.
Publication Highlights
- Pinciroli Vago, N. O., Amato, R., et al., The hunt for new pulsating ultraluminous X-ray sources: A clustering approach, 2025, A&A, 701, A96, doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202553739
- Amato, R., et al., The population of hyper-luminous X-ray sources as seen by XMM-Newton, 2025, A&A, 701, A7. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202555122
- Veresvarska, M., Imbrogno, M., Amato, R., et al.,. Wobbling around the clock: magnetically-driven quasi-periodic oscillations in pulsating ultraluminous X-ray sources, 2025, MNRAS.tmp. doi:10.1093/mnras/staf1183
- Kovlakas, K., Misra, D., Amato, R., Israel G.L., Populations of neutron star ultraluminous X-ray sources: Mind your bs and Bs, 2025, A&A, 694, L9, doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202453274
- Israel, G.L., Amato, R., et al., Beyond Accretion Limits: The Rise of Pulsating Gems, 2025, AN, 346, e20240102. doi:10.1002/asna.20240102
- Amato, R., et al., Investigating the nature of the 2.4 h-period eclipsing cataclysmic variable W2 in 47 Tuc, 2024, A&A, 689, A176, doi: 10.1051/0004-6361/202450034
- Amato, R., et al., The ultraluminous X-ray source M81 X-6: a weakly magnetised neutron star with a precessing accretion disc?, 2023, A&A, 669, A130, doi: 10.1051/0004-6361/202244576
- Amato, R., et al., Looking through the photoionisation wake: Vela X–1 at φorb≈0.75 with Chandra/HETG, 2021, A&A, 648, A105, doi: 10.1051/0004-6361/202039125
- Amato, R., et al., Scattering efficiencies measurements of soft protons at grazing incidence from an Athena Silicon Pore Optics sample, 2021, Exp. Astron., Vol.52, Issue 1-2, doi: 10.1007/s10686-021-09806-9
Contact me
INAF Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma
Via Frascati 33, 00078, Monte Porzio Catone (RM)
Dr. Roberta Amato 