Welcome!

I am a theoretical astrophysicist. Since November 2025, I have been working as a postdoctoral researcher at Tartu Observatory, University of Tartu, Estonia, under the guidance of Indrek Vurm. Since October 2025, I have also held a position as a research scientist at the Astronomical Institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences in the Tatra Mountains.

Broadly speaking, I am interested in high-energy and stellar astrophysics. My research has focused on modeling relativistic eruptions from highly magnetized neutron stars, known as magnetar giant flares, and on mass transfer between stars in binary systems. My work on magnetar giant flares has contributed to understanding the origins of heavy elements formed via the rapid neutron-capture process (r-process), such as gold and platinum (see, for example, this press release). 

In September 2025, I defended my PhD thesis “Theory of stellar mass loss: from binary stars to magnetars” under the supervision of Ondřej Pejcha at Charles University in Prague. Before moving into astrophysics, I worked in the field of continuum mechanics under the supervision of Vít Průša.

If you would like to get in touch, please contact me at jakub[dot]cehula[at]ut[dot]ee or jcehula[at]ta3[dot]sk