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Owing to the size of the cosmos and the objects within, it is rarely possible to emulate cosmic conditions in terrestrial labs, let alone performing physical experiments with astrophysical objects. Observations take over the role of experiments. Astrophysicists observe the sky mostly using a small number of very large telescopes which are placed on sites with nearly optimum atmospheric conditions, like in Arizona, Chile or the Antarctica, or in space. Astrophysics continually pushes the limits of technological feasibility. In addition to observations, computer simulations are taking over the role of experiments by simulating the behaviour of astrophysical objects under varying, well defined conditions. As astrophysical systems are very complex, the demands on the available computer hardware and software are extreme, and astrophysicists have always been amongst the power users of national and international supercomputer centres. The scientists at the AIP have developed considerable expertise in the areas of “Telescope Control and Robotics”, “High-Resolution Spectroscopy and Polarimetry”, “3D spectroscopy” and “Supercomputing and E-Science” on international level. |
