AIP

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.

Dark sky with a brighter spot in the centre, which consists of many stars

Virtual lecture: Babelsberg Starry Night on 18th September 2025

At the next virtual Babelsberg Starry Night of the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP), Dr Marcel Pawlowski answers questions about his lectures on satellite galaxies and MOND – alternative theories of gravity. The video will be broadcast on the YouTube channel ‘Urknall, Weltall und das Leben’ (Big Bang, Universe and Life) from 18 September 2025.

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Bessel Award for Dr. Alexis Rouillard

The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation has awarded the prestigious Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Award to Dr. Alexis Rouillard, researcher at the Astrophysics and Planetology Research Institute in Toulouse to deepen his research on solar winds at AIP.

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Solar Orbiter traces superfast electrons back to Sun

A newly published study led by scientists from the AIP presents a comprehensive catalogue of solar energetic electron events and shows that the apparent delay between solar eruptions and the detection of electrons in space is not due to late release, but to their turbulent journey through the solar wind.

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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

Virtual lecture: Babelsberg Starry Night on 18th September 2025

Sept. 17, 2025

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Bessel Award for Dr. Alexis Rouillard

Sept. 4, 2025

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The AIP joins the Long Night of Astronomy 2025

Sept. 3, 2025

The Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP) will once again take part at the nationwide Long Night of Astronomy on 13 September 2025.

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[To all News]

Have you heard?

The Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP) has suspended communication on its X account (formerly Twitter). The decision reflects concerns about the current direction of the platform, which is seen as inconsistent with our values like openness, scientific integrity, transparency and democratic discourse. AIP will continue to share news via its website and other social media platforms, such as Mastodon and Bluesky.

Latest Publications

Tracing stellar rotation in young massive LMC clusters

Kamann, S., ... Niederhofer, F., ...

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 542, 4, 2768 – Published October 2025

doi:10.1093/mnras/staf1371, NASA ADS

AIP sections/groups: Dwarf Galaxies and the Galactic Halo

The impact of faint AGN discovered by JWST on reionization

Asthana, S., ... Puchwein, E.

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 542, 4, 2968 – Published October 2025

doi:10.1093/mnras/staf1387, NASA ADS

AIP sections/groups: Cosmology and High-Energy Astrophysics

Dynamics of Low-mass Black Hole Seeds in the BRAHMA Simulations Using Subgrid Dynamical Friction: Impact on Merger-driven Black Hole Growth in the High-redshift Universe

Bhowmick, A. K., ... Weinberger, R., ...

The Astrophysical Journal, 991, 1, 81 – Published September 2025

doi:10.3847/1538-4357/adf96b, NASA ADS

AIP sections/groups: Cosmology and High-Energy Astrophysics

Weakened Magnetic Braking Signals the Collapse of the Global Stellar Dynamo

Metcalfe, T. S., ... Ilyin, I. V., Strassmeier, K. G.

The Astrophysical Journal, 991, 1, L17 – Published September 2025

doi:10.3847/2041-8213/ae03bc, NASA ADS

AIP sections/groups: High-resolution Spectroscopy and Polarimetry, Stellar Activity

Kinematical Modeling of the Resolved Stellar Outskirts of M32: Constraints on Tidal Stripping Scenarios

Escala, I., ... Cullinane, L. R., ...

The Astrophysical Journal, 991, 1, 31 – Published September 2025

doi:10.3847/1538-4357/adf63c, NASA ADS

AIP sections/groups: Dwarf Galaxies and the Galactic Halo

Observational Biases on Rotation Curves from Integral Field Unit Data at Cosmic Noon

Araujo-Carvalho, A. E., Gonçalves, T. S., Krajnović, D., Menéndez-Delmestre, K., de Isídio, N.

The Astrophysical Journal, 991, 1, 3 – Published September 2025

doi:10.3847/1538-4357/adef06, NASA ADS

AIP sections/groups: Galaxies and Quasars

A Galactic Self-portrait: Density Structure and Integrated Properties of the Milky Way Disk

Imig, J., ... Minchev, I., ...

The Astrophysical Journal, 990, 2, 203 – Published September 2025

doi:10.3847/1538-4357/adf723, NASA ADS

AIP sections/groups: Milky Way and the Local Volume

MISTRAL: a model for AGN winds from radiatively efficient accretion in cosmological simulations

Farcy, M., ... Weinberger, R., ...

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society – Published September 2025

doi:10.1093/mnras/staf1464, NASA ADS

AIP sections/groups: Cosmology and High-Energy Astrophysics

High-resolution Optical IFU Spectroscopy of the Complex Galaxy Merger II Zw 096

Riesco, C., ... Tubín-Arenas, D., ...

The Astrophysical Journal, 990, 2, 136 – Published September 2025

doi:10.3847/1538-4357/adee18, NASA ADS

AIP sections/groups: X-ray Astronomy

Automatic Detection of Ellerman Bombs in the Hα Line

Faryad, A., Pietrow, A. G. M., Verma, M., Denker, C.

Solar Physics, 300, 9, 127 – Published September 2025

doi:10.1007/s11207-025-02534-9, NASA ADS

AIP sections/groups: Solar Physics

A new Bowen fluorescence flare and extreme coronal line emitter discovered by SRG/eROSITA

Baldini, P., ... Tubín-Arenas, D., ... Bahic, S., Homan, D., Krumpe, M., ...

Astronomy and Astrophysics, 701, A224 – Published September 2025

doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202554812, NASA ADS

AIP sections/groups: X-ray Astronomy

ATREIDES: I. Embarking on a trek across the exo-Neptunian landscape with the TOI-421 system

Bourrier, V., ... Poppenhaeger, K., ... Pietrow, A. G. M.

Astronomy and Astrophysics, 701, A190 – Published September 2025

doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202554856, NASA ADS

AIP sections/groups: Stellar Physics and Exoplanets, Solar Physics

Magnetic dynamos in galaxy clusters: The crucial role of galaxy formation physics at high redshifts

Tevlin, L., Berlok, T., Pfrommer, C., ... Whittingham, J., Puchwein, E., ... Weinberger, R., ...

Astronomy and Astrophysics, 701, A114 – Published September 2025

doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202452823, NASA ADS

AIP sections/groups: Cosmology and High-Energy Astrophysics

Four decades of photometry of XX Trianguli, 'the most spotted star' in the sky

Kővári, Z., Strassmeier, K. G., ...

Astronomy and Astrophysics, 701, A103 – Published September 2025

doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202555542, NASA ADS

AIP sections/groups: Stellar Activity

Bar-spiral interaction induces radial migration and star formation bursts

Marques, L., Minchev, I., Ratcliffe, B., Khoperskov, S., Steinmetz, M., ...

Astronomy and Astrophysics, 701, A88 – Published September 2025

doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202554020, NASA ADS

AIP sections/groups: Milky Way and the Local Volume

Prospects for studying million-degree gas in the Milky Way halo using the forbidden optical [Fe X] and [Fe XIV] intersystem lines

Richter, P., ... Libeskind, N., Steinmetz, M., de Jong, R.

Astronomy and Astrophysics, 701, A76 – Published September 2025

doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202555773, NASA ADS

AIP sections/groups: Cosmography and Large-Scale Structure, Milky Way and the Local Volume

Active galactic nuclei with massive black holes have closer galactic neighbors: k-nearest-neighbor statistics of an unbiased sample at z ∼ 0.03

Mhatre, A., Powell, M. C., ...

Astronomy and Astrophysics, 701, A45 – Published September 2025

doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202555295, NASA ADS

AIP sections/groups: Galaxies and Quasars

CoSEE-Cat: A Comprehensive Solar Energetic Electron event Catalogue obtained from combined in situ and remote-sensing observations from Solar Orbiter: Catalogue description and first statistical results

Warmuth, A., Schuller, F., ... Tan, S., ... Mitchell, J. A. J., ... Riebe, K., Galkin, A., Makan, K., Reusch, S., ...

Astronomy and Astrophysics, 701, A20 – Published September 2025

doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202554830, NASA ADS

AIP sections/groups: Solar Physics, Public Relations, Supercomputing and E-Science

The CosmoVerse White Paper: Addressing observational tensions in cosmology with systematics and fundamental physics

Di Valentino, E., ... Benisty, D., ...

Physics of the Dark Universe, 49, 101965 – Published September 2025

doi:10.1016/j.dark.2025.101965, NASA ADS

AIP sections/groups: Cosmography and Large-Scale Structure

BASS. LIII. The Eddington Ratio as the Primary Regulator of the Fraction of X-Ray Emission in Active Galactic Nuclei

Gupta, K. K., ... Powell, M. C., ...

The Astrophysical Journal, 990, 1, 86 – Published September 2025

doi:10.3847/1538-4357/adf0f8, NASA ADS

AIP sections/groups: Galaxies and Quasars

Wide Separation Planets in Time (WISPIT): Discovery of a Gap Hα Protoplanet WISPIT 2b with MagAO-X

Close, L. M., ... Ilyin, I., ...

The Astrophysical Journal, 990, 1, L9 – Published September 2025

doi:10.3847/2041-8213/adf7a5, NASA ADS

AIP sections/groups: High-resolution Spectroscopy and Polarimetry

FEAST: Probing the Stellar Population of the Starburst Dwarf Galaxy NGC 4449 with JWST/NIRCam

Correnti, M., ... Sacchi, E., ...

The Astrophysical Journal, 990, 1, 72 – Published September 2025

doi:10.3847/1538-4357/adec74, NASA ADS

AIP sections/groups: Supercomputing and E-Science

Current Helicity in Response to Coronal Mass Ejections

Sun, Z., ... Hou, Y., ...

The Astrophysical Journal, 990, 1, 45 – Published September 2025

doi:10.3847/1538-4357/adf18b, NASA ADS

AIP sections/groups: Stellar Physics and Exoplanets

How Early Could the Milky Way's Disk Form?

Semenov, V. A., Conroy, C., Smith, A., Puchwein, E., Hernquist, L.

The Astrophysical Journal, 990, 1, 7 – Published September 2025

doi:10.3847/1538-4357/addf48, NASA ADS

AIP sections/groups: Cosmology and High-Energy Astrophysics

Predictions for dispersion measures of fast radio bursts through the epoch of reionization using CoDa II

Ziegler, J. J., ... Sorce, J. G., ... Gottlöber, S.

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 542, 2, 1518 – Published September 2025

doi:10.1093/mnras/staf1308, NASA ADS

AIP sections/groups: Cosmology and High-Energy Astrophysics

NGC 663 as a laboratory for massive star evolution

Marco, A., Negueruela, I., Castro, N., Simón-Díaz, S.

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 542, 2, 703 – Published September 2025

doi:10.1093/mnras/staf1195, NASA ADS

AIP sections/groups: Astrophotonics (innoFSPEC)

Testing and Combining Transient Spectral Classification Tools on 4MOST-like Blended Spectra

Milligan, A., ... Storm, J., ...

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society – Published August 2025

doi:10.1093/mnras/staf1419, NASA ADS

AIP sections/groups: Dwarf Galaxies and the Galactic Halo

Revealing the Chemical Structure of the Magellanic Clouds with APOGEE. II. Abundance Gradients of the Large Magellanic Cloud

Povick, J. T., ... Cioni, M.-R. L., ...

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society – Published August 2025

doi:10.1093/mnras/staf1428, NASA ADS

AIP sections/groups: Dwarf Galaxies and the Galactic Halo

Constraints on Primordial Magnetic Fields from the Lyman-α Forest

Pavičević, M., ... Puchwein, E., ...

Physical Review Letters, 135, 7, 071001 – Published August 2025

doi:10.1103/77rd-vkpz, NASA ADS

AIP sections/groups: Cosmology and High-Energy Astrophysics

Ion-rich Acceleration during an Eruptive Flux Rope Event in a Multiple Null-point Configuration

Pesce-Rollins, M., ... Warmuth, A., ...

The Astrophysical Journal, 989, 2, 148 – Published August 2025

30.09.2025 – 01.10.2025

Internal Event

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House Colloquium | Ramona Augustin (AIP)

02.10.2025, 14:30 – 15:30

Scientific

Speaker: Ramona Augustin (AIP)
Title: TBD

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External Colloquium | Emre Işık (Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research)

09.10.2025, 14:30 – 15:30

Scientific

Speaker: Emre Işık (Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research)
Title: From Sun to Stars: Unraveling the Physics of Magnetic Activity

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Babelsberg Starry Night - Live at the campus babelsberg

14.10.2025, 19:15 – 21:00

Public Event

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

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External Colloquium | Francesca Fragkoudi (Durham, UK)

16.10.2025, 14:30 – 15:30

Scientific

Speaker: Francesca Fragkoudi (Durham, UK)
Title: TBD

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Public Event

Scientific

Internal Event

Holidays

Conferences

Bows and bubbles that are caused by stellar feedback and galactic winds

The role of feedback in galaxy formation: from small-scale winds to galactic outflows

18th Potsdam Thinkshop

July 14, 2025 – July 18, 2025

[Website]