Multiwavelength Astronomy

Astronomy and Astrophysics are one of the few fields in science, in which the study of basic science questions, here mainly those of Physics, is combined with that of phenomena in nature on the largest possible range of scales, i.e., from tiny particles to the entire Universe. Astronomical objects in the Milky Way and nearby galaxies are ideal laboratories to study different phenomena in extreme conditions like gravity, collision and emission processes, ionization, particle acceleration, shock waves, high-energy plasma, etc. From the cosmological perspective, these processes already played a major role in the formation of the first structures. The study of the present Universe will thus shed light on the latest stages of cosmic evolution.

By studying galaxies and their components, we aim to improve our understanding of the galactic matter cycle from the stellar death to the new generation of stars and thus the evolution of galaxies in our Universe. To this end we study stellar endpoints like neutron stars, black holes, supernova remnants, and the interstellar medium. In order to get the whole picture of these objects and their physics, we carry out multiwavelength observations.

Large Magellanic Cloud seen in HI (left, Kim et al., 1998), Optical (middle, Magellanic Cloud Emission Line Survey, credit: Ch. Smith, S. Points, F. Winkler, CTIO), and X-rays (credit: ROSAT, MPE, and XMM-Newton, F. Haberl, MPE)

Also visit the web page of the research unit eRO-STEP (FOR2990) funded by the DFG to read about our research.

In March 2018, we hosted a workshop on ISM research in Bamberg.