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Welcome!

The Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP) is dedicated to astrophysical questions ranging from the exploration of our Sun to the evolution of the cosmos. It focuses on the study of stellar, solar and exoplanetary physics, extragalactic astrophysics and the development of research technologies in the fields of spectroscopy, robotic telescopes and E-science.

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MUSE Ultra Deep Field

Milky Way Meeting explores the Legacy and Future of Large Surveys

The Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP) will host a major international workshop, ‘The Legacy and Future of Large Surveys: The Milky Way in Context’ starting May the 4th. The five-day meeting brings together leading experts in stellar surveys, galactic dynamics, chemo-dynamical modeling, and cosmological simulations to explore how our understanding of the Milky Way is being transformed by large-scale data.

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Our Place at the Universe – The AIP Participates the Potsdam Science Day 2026

At the information stand of the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP) at the 2026 Potsdam Science Day, we will take visitors on a journey through space.

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New Leibniz ScienceCampus SCALES advances innovative modelling approaches in astrophysics and climate physics

With the approval of the new Leibniz ScienceCampus “Multiscale Challenges: from Astrophysics to Climate Models,” the Leibniz Association is launching an ambitious initiative to bring together leading expertise from astrophysics, climate science, and applied mathematics. At the same time, the funding marks a milestone for Brandenburg.

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Research Area I: Stellar, Solar and Exoplanetary Physics

Cosmic events are determined by two natural forces: gravity and magnetic fields. The magnetic field research at the AIP is mainly focused on magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations, the magnetically induced activities on the Sun and the stars, solar coronaphysics as well as space weather in our solar system and on planets around other stars.

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Research Area II: Extragalactic Astrophysics

Galaxies are fundamental cosmic building blocks. At the largest scales, they serve as markers to study the distribution of matter in the universe - active galaxies and quasars are particularly important because of their intrinsic brightness. Nearby objects can be spatially resolved and consist of populations with very different patterns of motion, star formation histories and chemical abundances.

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Latest News
PTDW2026-Banner-1200x1200px

Our Place at the Universe – The AIP Participates the Potsdam Science Day 2026
May 6, 2026

At the information stand of the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP) at the 2026 Potsdam Science Day, we will take visitors on a journey through space.

[more]
Person in front of a starry background

Milky Way Meeting explores the Legacy and Future of Large Surveys
May 4, 2026

The Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP) will host a major international workshop, ‘The Legacy and Future of Large Surveys: The Milky Way in Context’ starting May the 4th. The five-day meeting brings together leading experts in stellar surveys, galactic dynamics, chemo-dynamical modeling, and cosmological simulations to explore how our understanding of the Milky Way is being transformed by large-scale data.

[more]
Orion nebula

Collaboration led by the German Center for Astrophysics (DZA) joins the ZTF partnership
April 16, 2026

A collaboration consisting of the German Center for Astrophysics in Goerlitz, the Leibniz-Institute for Astrophysics (AIP), Potsdam and the German Electron Synchrotron DESY is officially joining the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) partnership, expanding our scientific collaborative network in Europe and growing the team of world-class researchers and students.

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Latest Publications

Structural Parameters of the Globular Cluster M15

Petkova, M. V., Petrov, G. P., Kacharov, N. M., Nedialkov, P. L.
Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics, 26, 6, 065020 – Published June 2026
doi:10.1088/1674-4527/ae52c0, NASA ADS
AIP Research Groups: Milky Way and the Local Volume

Confirmation of Fe I on MASCARA-5 b's Dayside Observed With EXPRES

Sikora, J. T., ... Désert, J.-M., ...
The Astronomical Journal, 171, 5, 322 – Published May 2026
doi:10.3847/1538-3881/ae5a29, NASA ADS
AIP Research Groups: Exoplanets and their Atmospheres

Changing-look Active Galactic Nuclei in SDSS-V: Host-galaxy Properties and Black Hole Scaling Relations

Zeltyn, G., ... Krumpe, M., ...
The Astrophysical Journal, 1002, 1, 61 – Published May 2026
doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ae5495, NASA ADS
AIP Research Groups: X-ray Astronomy

Emission-line Variable Active Galactic Nuclei at Cosmic Noon from HETDEX

Liu, C., ... Krumpe, M., ... Powell, M. C., ...
The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series, 284, 1, 12 – Published May 2026
doi:10.3847/1538-4365/ae5803, NASA ADS
AIP Research Groups: X-ray Astronomy, Galaxies and Quasars

Antisolar Differential Rotation May Have Revived Magnetic Braking in the Subgiant 31 Aquilae

Metcalfe, T. S., ... Ilyin, I. V., ... Strassmeier, K. G.
The Astronomical Journal, 171, 5, 287 – Published May 2026
doi:10.3847/1538-3881/ae5484, NASA ADS

A striking excess of red quasars with steep radio spectral slopes: a dusty blow-out phase revealed through AGN-driven shocks?

Sargent, C. L., ... Meenakshi, M., ...
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 548, 2, stag597 – Published May 2026
doi:10.1093/mnras/stag597, NASA ADS

The THESAN-ZOOM project: mystery N/O more ─ uncovering the origin of peculiar chemical abundances and a not-so-fundamental metallicity relation at 3 < z < 12

McClymont, W., ... Puchwein, E., ...
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 548, 1, stag016 – Published May 2026
doi:10.1093/mnras/stag016, NASA ADS

Nitrogen enrichment through stellar chemical feedback at parsec scale in NGC 5253 as seen with MUSE-NFM

Pruijt, B. G. A., ... Weilbacher, P. M., ... Soemitro, A. A., ...
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society – Published April 2026
doi:10.1093/mnras/stag794, NASA ADS

STEP survey: III. STEPping stones between the clouds: the star formation history of the Magellanic Bridge

Ficara, F., ... Cioni, M. R., ...
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 709, A10 – Published April 2026
doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202557076, NASA ADS

Sifting for a Stream: The Morphology of the 300 S Stellar Stream

Cohen, B., ... Cullinane, L. R., ...
The Open Journal of Astrophysics, 9, 61089 – Published April 2026
doi:10.33232/001c.161089, NASA ADS

C IV wind properties of the SDSS-V X-ray selected quasars: strong optical-to-UV emission is key regardless of X-ray strength

Rankine, A. L., Homan, D., ... Krumpe, M., Lamer, G., ... Tubín-Arenas, D., ...
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society – Published April 2026
doi:10.1093/mnras/stag734, NASA ADS
AIP Research Groups: X-ray Astronomy

Untangling the Sources of Abundance Dispersion in Low-metallicity Stars. II. Neutron Capture Elements

Griffith, E. J., ... Ilyin, I., Strassmeier, K. G.
The Astrophysical Journal, 1001, 2, 193 – Published April 2026
doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ae4e24, NASA ADS

Metallicity Gradients in Modern Cosmological Simulations. II. The Role of Bursty versus Smooth Feedback at High Redshift

Garcia, A. M., ... Puchwein, E., ...
The Astrophysical Journal, 1001, 2, 188 – Published April 2026
doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ae561e, NASA ADS

Steady-State or Not? The Evolution of Cosmic Ray Electron Spectra in Galaxies

Werhahn, M., Pfrommer, C., Whittingham, J., Jlassi, L., ...
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society – Published April 2026
doi:10.1093/mnras/stag682, NASA ADS

Chemical Radial Gradients for the Bulge Bar Stellar Populations from the APOGEE Survey

Sales-Silva, J. V., ... Chiappini, C., Minchev, I., ...
The Astrophysical Journal, 1001, 1, 79 – Published April 2026
doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ae505e, NASA ADS
AIP Research Groups: Milky Way and the Local Volume

From Flux Emergence to Decay—A High-resolution Study of Sunspots

Kamlah, R.
Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 138, 4, 047001 – Published April 2026
doi:10.1088/1538-3873/ae5a04, NASA ADS
AIP Research Groups: Solar Physics

Nuclear Physics in Astrophysics: Editorial preface to the Topical Collection

Bemmerer, D., ... Steffen, M.
European Physical Journal A, 62, 3, 69 – Published April 2026
doi:10.1140/epja/s10050-026-01842-3, NASA ADS
AIP Research Groups: Stellar Physics and Exoplanets

Catalogue and statistics of > 100 MeV solar proton events during solar cycles 23─25 from SOHO/ERNE observations

Jarry, M., ... Rouillard, A. P., ...
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 708, A368 – Published April 2026
doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202557965, NASA ADS
AIP Research Groups: Solar Physics

Chromospheric and photospheric properties of sunspots as inferred from Stokes inversions under magnetohydrostatic and non-local thermodynamic equilibrium

Vicente Arévalo, A., ... Kontogiannis, I., Pietrow, A. G. M.
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 708, A351 – Published April 2026
doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202659286, NASA ADS
AIP Research Groups: Solar Physics

No country for old stars: Spectroscopic confirmation of the first intermediate-age RR Lyrae in the open cluster Trumpler 5

D’Orazi, V., ... Ilyn, I., ...
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 708, L22 – Published April 2026
doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202660253, NASA ADS

[List of AIP publications] [AIP publications in ADS]

 

Events and dates at AIP

The Legacy and Future of Large Surveys: The Milky Way in Context
04.05.2026 – 08.05.2026
Scientific

Conference at AIP

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Potsdam Day of Sciences 2026
09.05.2026, 12:00 – 17:00
Public Event
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Special Seminar | Dr. Sebastian Kamann (Liverpool John Moores University)
12.05.2026, 14:30 – 15:00
Scientific

Speaker: Dr. Sebastian Kamann (Liverpool John Moores University)
Title: Wempe lecture 3 “Young massive star clusters: Treasure chests of stellar evolution”

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AIP Seminar | Matthias Steinmetz (AIP)
19.05.2026, 14:30 – 15:30
Scientific

Speaker: Matthias Steinmetz (AIP)
Title: TBD (DZA)

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Colloquium | Alessandro Morbidelli
21.05.2026, 14:30 – 15:30
Scientific

Speaker: Alessandro Morbidelli (Observatoire de la Cote d'Azur | Nice, France)
Title: Formation and evolution of a protoplanetary disk: combining observations, simulations and cosmochemical constraints

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Virtual Babelsberg Starry Night
21.05.2026, 20:00 – 21:00
Public Event

Talk (in German): Licht lesbar machen (Daniel Sablowski)

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4MOST All Hands Meeting
01.06.2026 – 05.06.2026
Scientific
[more]

Colloquium | Eric F. Bell (University of Michigan)
04.06.2026, 14:30 – 15:30
Scientific

Speaker: Eric F. Bell (University of Michigan)
Title: TBD

[more]

Songs under the Starry Sky
05.06.2026, 19:30 – 22:00
Public Event

Beneficial concert in the Great Refractor on Telegrafenberg with Axel Schwope as solist. Adminission only after prior registration.

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AIP Seminar | Junais (AIP)
09.06.2026, 14:30 – 15:30
Scientific

Speaker: Junais (AIP)
Title: Identification and characterisation of dwarf galaxies from Euclid observations using foundation models

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Jamboree of the AIP bodies (ISC)
16.06.2026, 14:30 – 15:30
Internal Event
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Colloquium | Serena Criscuoli
18.06.2026, 14:30 – 15:30
Scientific

Speaker: Serena Criscuoli (National Solar Observatory | Boulder, CO, USA)
Title: TBD

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Colloquium | Paul Groot (UCT/SAAO and Radboud University)
25.06.2026, 14:30 – 15:30
Scientific

Speaker: Paul Groot (UCT/SAAO and Radboud University)
Title: Ultra-compact binaries and gravitational-wave progenitors

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SOLER User Workshop
30.06.2026 – 02.07.2026
Scientific
[more]

AIP Summer Party (internal)
01.07.2026, 15:00 – 18:00
Internal Event
[more]
Public Event
Scientific
Internal Event
Holidays

Conferences
Banner XMM Newton SSC

37th XMM-SSC Consortium Meeting 2026
March 17, 2026 – March 19, 2026
[Website]
Cosmic web with filaments and voids

The Legacy and Future of Large Surveys: The Milky Way in Context
May 4, 2026 – May 8, 2026
[Website]