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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.

HEDEX
GirlsDay_Ps
Wempe_Kamann_SG25932
Sun-magnetic_field_lines
MUSE Ultra Deep Field

A Sea of Light: HETDEX Astronomers Reveal Hidden Structures in the Young Universe

An international research team has used data from the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX) to create the largest and most accurate three-dimensional map to date of what is known as Lyman alpha light—the light emitted by ionized hydrogen in the early universe between 9 and 11 billion years ago.

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Girls’ Day/Future Day Brandenburg 2026

As part of the Girls' Day / Future Day Brandenburg on April 23, 2026, twenty female students can gain exciting insights into the fascinating world of astronomy and the work at an astrophysical research institute.

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AIP awards 2026 Johann Wempe Prize to Dr Sebastian Kamann

On Wednesday, 11 February 2026, the AIP honoured Dr Sebastian Kamann from Liverpool John Moores University for his outstanding research on the formation and evolution of massive globular clusters with the Johann-Wempe Award.

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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
Map of lyman alpha wavelength

A Sea of Light: HETDEX Astronomers Reveal Hidden Structures in the Young Universe
March 3, 2026

An international research team has used data from the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX) to create the largest and most accurate three-dimensional map to date of what is known as Lyman alpha light—the light emitted by ionized hydrogen in the early universe between 9 and 11 billion years ago.

[more]
Girls sitting at a table with crating materials, among them a white board, folding rule, wooden skewers, and star charts

Girls' Day/Future Day Brandenburg 2026
Feb. 27, 2026

As part of the Girls' Day / Future Day Brandenburg on April 23, 2026, girls can gain exciting insights into the fascinating world of astronomy and the work at an astrophysical research institute.

[more]
Detlef Schönberner Photo taken in 2008

Obituary: Prof. Dr. Detlef Schönberner (1943-2026)
Feb. 25, 2026

With great sadness we say goodbye to Prof. Dr. Detlef Schönberner, who played a key role in shaping stellar physics at the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP) for decades and remained closely associated with the institute until the end. He passed away unexpectedly on 4 February 2026, two days before his 83rd birthday.

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Latest Publications

Ginnungagap — A massively parallel cosmological initial conditions generator

Pilipenko, S., Yepes, G., Gottlöber, S., Knollmann, S.
Astronomy and Computing, 55, 101082 – Published April 2026
doi:10.1016/j.ascom.2026.101082, NASA ADS

An objective, automated method to detect and characterize semi-resolved star clusters

Miller, A. E., ... Cioni, M.-R. L., ...
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 546, 3, stag081 – Published March 2026
doi:10.1093/mnras/stag081, NASA ADS

The Major Solar Energetic Particle Event on 2024 May 20: Multispacecraft Observations of a Long-lasting Energetic Particle Reservoir

Lario, D., ... Warmuth, A., ...
The Astrophysical Journal, 998, 2, 260 – Published February 2026
doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ae2ea4, NASA ADS
AIP Research Groups: Solar Physics

Detailed Chemical Abundance Analysis of the Brightest Stars in the Turranburra and Willka Yaku Stellar Streams

Webber, K. B., ... Cullinane, L. R., ...
The Astrophysical Journal, 998, 1, 114 – Published February 2026
doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ae2d59, NASA ADS

On the Use of Field RR Lyrae as Galactic Probes. VIII. Early Formation of the Galactic Spheroid

Bono, G., ... Kwak, S., ...
The Astrophysical Journal, 998, 1, 86 – Published February 2026
doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ae2c60, NASA ADS
AIP Research Groups: Milky Way and the Local Volume

Ancient Relic Moderately Metal-rich Bulge Cluster Tonantzintla 2

Ortolani, S., ... Chiappini, C., ...
The Astrophysical Journal, 998, 1, L8 – Published February 2026
doi:10.3847/2041-8213/ae3b3e, NASA ADS
AIP Research Groups: Milky Way and the Local Volume

Chemodynamics of Boötes I with S5: Revised Velocity Gradient, Dark Matter Density, and Galactic Chemical Evolution Constraints

Sandford, N. R., ... Cullinane, L. R., ...
The Astrophysical Journal, 998, 1, 47 – Published February 2026
doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ae2fe5, NASA ADS

Unveiling the Impact of Cosmic Rays on the Disc Sizes and Outflows from Dwarf Scales to Galaxy Groups

Bieri, R., ... Pfrommer, C., ...
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society – Published February 2026
doi:10.1093/mnras/stag216, NASA ADS

Distance to the globular cluster M 3 from the infrared surface brightness technique applied to RR Lyrae stars

Zgirski, B., ... Storm, J., ...
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 706, A268 – Published February 2026
doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202556144, NASA ADS

Surface image and activity-corrected orbit of the RSCVn binary HR7275: Disentangling activity tracers

Adebali, Ö., Weber, M., Strassmeier, K. G., Ilyin, I. V., Steffen, M., ...
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 706, A179 – Published February 2026
doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202557717, NASA ADS

How supermassive black holes shape central entropies in galaxy clusters

Weinberger, R., Pfrommer, C.
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 706, L13 – Published February 2026
doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202558710, NASA ADS

Does the solar oxygen abundance change over the solar cycle?: An investigation into activity-induced variations in the O I infrared triplet

Pietrow, A. G. M., Baratella, M., Ilyin, I. V., Steffen, M., Strassmeier, K. G.
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 706, L11 – Published February 2026
doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202557598, NASA ADS

Elemental abundance pattern and temperature inversion on the dayside of HAT-P-70b observed with CARMENES and PEPSI

Guo, B., ... Strassmeier, K. G., Ilyin, I., Lesjak, F., ... Poppenhaeger, K., ...
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 706, A126 – Published February 2026
doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202557869, NASA ADS

Radio, X-ray, and extreme ultraviolet signatures of internal and external reconnection of an erupting flux rope

Kašparová, J., ... Schuller, F., ...
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 706, A143 – Published February 2026
doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202557440, NASA ADS
AIP Research Groups: Solar Physics

Infrared spectropolarimetry of a C-class solar flare footpoint plasma: I. Spectral features and forward modelling

Vashalomidze, Z., ... Denker, C., Verma, M., ...
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 706, A116 – Published February 2026
doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202557526, NASA ADS
AIP Research Groups: Solar Physics

Rediscovering the Milky Way with an orbit superposition approach and APOGEE data: IV. The disc growth and history of star formation

Ratcliffe, B., Khoperskov, S., ... Minchev, I., ... Marques, L., Bernaldez, J. P., Krajnović, D., Steinmetz, M.
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 706, A103 – Published February 2026
doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202557057, NASA ADS

The binary ballet: Mapping local expansion around M 81 and M 82

Wagner, J., Benisty, D., Karachentsev, I. D.
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 706, A92 – Published February 2026
doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202557876, NASA ADS

Probing the kinematics of the Local Group with chemically enriched gas in the HESTIA simulations

Biaus, L., ... Richter, P., ... Libeskind, N. I., ...
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 706, A76 – Published February 2026
doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202555861, NASA ADS

An efficient spectral Poisson solver for the NIRVANA-III code: The shearing box case with vertical vacuum boundary conditions

Restrepo, S. R., Gressel, O.
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 706, A65 – Published February 2026
doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202557659, NASA ADS

Peak-intensity energy spectra of intense solar energetic electron events measured with Solar Orbiter in 2020─2022

Fedeli, A., ... Warmuth, A., Schuller, F., ...
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 706, A107 – Published February 2026
doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202555915, NASA ADS
AIP Research Groups: Solar Physics

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

 

Events and dates at AIP

AIP Seminar | Hyoyin Gan (AIP)
03.03.2026, 14:30 – 15:30
Scientific

Speaker: Hyoyin Gan (AIP)
Title: Calibration and analysis of big data from radio interferometers

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Colloquium | Romain Teyssier (Princeton)
05.03.2026, 14:30 – 15:30
Scientific

Speaker: Romain Teyssier (Princeton)
Title: Galaxy Formation at Cosmic Dawn

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Jamboree (ISC)
10.03.2026, 14:30 – 15:30
Internal Event
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External Colloquium | Anna Watts
12.03.2026, 14:30 – 15:30
Scientific

Speaker: Anna Watts (University of Amsterdam | Amsterdam, The Netherlands)
Title: TBD

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37th XMM-SSC Consortium Meeting 2026
17.03.2026 – 19.03.2026
Scientific

The XMM-Newton Survey Science Centre (XMM-SSC) is an international consortium across several countries and was selected by ESA to facilitate exploiting XMM-Newton's survey capacities. The XMM-SSC and ESA teams develop the science analysis software suite and the serendipitous source catalogues. In preparation of the 5th catalogue generation, the 37th consortium meeting convenes consortium members, interested scientists from the consortium institutes, and ESA scientists to discuss XMM-Newton science and developments.

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Career Event (Sydney Barnes)
17.03.2026, 14:30 – 16:00
Scientific
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Babelsberg Starry Night - Live at the campus babelsberg
19.03.2026, 19:15 – 21:00
Public Event

The AIP invites you to a live Babelsberg Starry Night at the Babelsberg campus:

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AIP Seminar | Virginia A. Cúneo (AIP)
24.03.2026, 14:30 – 15:30
Scientific

Speaker: Virginia A. Cúneo (AIP)
Title: TBD

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Special Seminar | Laura Spitler (MPIFR Bonn)
26.03.2026, 14:30 – 15:30
Scientific

Speaker: Laura Spitler (MPIFR Bonn)
Title: TBD

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Observation evening in the Great Refractor
27.03.2026, 19:00 – 20:00
Public Event

The AIP invites to a public observation evening in the Great Refractor at the Telegrafenberg in Potsdam. Prior registration required, see Observation Evenings.

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AIP Seminar | Kaffeerunde (AIP)
14.04.2026, 14:30 – 15:30
Scientific

Speaker: Kaffeerunde (AIP)
Title: Kaffeerunde

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External Colloquium | Giuseppe Lodato
16.04.2026, 14:30 – 15:30
Scientific

Speaker: Giuseppe Lodato (Università degli Studi di Milano Statale | Milan, Italy)
Title: TBD

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Babelsberg Starry Night - Live at the campus babelsberg
16.04.2026, 19:15 – 21:00
Public Event

The AIP invites you to a live Babelsberg Starry Night at the Babelsberg campus:

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Girls' Day / Future Day Brandenburg
23.04.2026
Public Event
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External Colloquium | Heather Cegla (University of Warwick | Coventry, UK)
23.04.2026, 14:30 – 15:30
Scientific

Speaker: Heather Cegla (University of Warwick | Coventry, UK)
Title: TBD

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AIP Seminar | Noam Libeskind (AIP)
28.04.2026, 14:30 – 15:30
Scientific

Speaker: Noam Libeskind (AIP)
Title: History and use of peculiar velocities in cosmology (tbc)

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External Colloquium | Alice Quillen (University of Rochester)
30.04.2026, 14:30 – 15:30
Scientific

Speaker: Alice Quillen (University of Rochester)
Title: Connections and Complexity in Dynamical Astronomy: From Classical to Quantum Chaos

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

Conference at AIP, only for invited participants

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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
- Nur für eingeladenen Teilnehmende -
May 4, 2026 – May 8, 2026
[Website]