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Extragalactic astrophysics and cosmology is one of the fastest progressing fields in present day astrophysical research. Its goal is to understand how small inhomogeneities in the early cosmos, manifested in the cosmic microwave background radiation as temperature fluctuations at a level of a one hundred thousandth of a degree, lead to the formation of planetary systems, stars, galaxies and galaxy clusters, all embedded in the filamentary structure of the cosmic web. The research branch “Extragalactic Astrophysics” is participating in the international development of the field with contributions in observational as well as theoretical astrophysics. In particular, it endeavours to integrate expertise in the fields of star formation, interstellar medium, formation and evolution of galaxies as well as cosmology and large-scale structure. The mysterious dark matter and dark energy are of particular importance for these investigations. |
