Dr. Mirko Krumpe
Research Interests:
- What does the Universe look like in X-rays?
- How do supermassive black holes in the center of Galaxies change over time?
- How are supermassive black holes distributed in the Universe?
- What do we learn about supermassive black holes if we observe them in different wavelength ranges?
Briefly about me:
Since 2015, I have been consistently acquiring my own research grants (DFG+DLR) to fund my research projects at the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP). Previously, I was a postdoc at the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics and a fellow at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) in Garching. My initial research as a postdoc was conducted at the University of California, San Diego. I received my PhD degree at the University of Potsdam and studied physics both there and at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
Phone: +49 331 7499 334
mkrumpe@aip.de
Leibniz-Institut
für Astrophysik Potsdam (AIP)
An der Sternwarte 16
14482 Potsdam
Team Members: Changing-state AGN
Over the last few years, I raised several soft money funds to establish my own research team at the AIP. We are conducting research aimed at understanding an extraordinary subpopulation of supermassive black holes: changing-state/changing-look AGN. This particular subject is generating rapidly growing interest in the research community:
| Name | Position | Research Project | Funding agency |
| Dr. Mirko Krumpe | Postdoc | Studies of highly X-ray variable AGN with XMM-Newton | DLR/2 years |
| Dr. David Homan | Postdoc | Follow-up observations of significantly changing AGN with XMM-Newton | DLR/3 years |
| M. Sc. Tathagata Saha | PhD Student | Studies of the changing-look AGN Mrk 1018 with XMM-Newton and Hubble | DLR/3 years |
| M. Sc. Dusán Tubín Arenas | PhD Student | Confirming SMBH binaries with XMM-Newton | DLR/3 years |
| Sabina Bahic | Master Student/Student Research Assistant | Statistical studies of changing-state AGN with eROSITA | |
| Silvia Carolina Rueda Vargas | Master Student | Properties of the X-ray absorber in type II AGN | |
| Dominic Taylor | Visiting Master Student | Search for changing-state AGN with XMM-Newton |
| former group members | |||
| M. Sc. Roisín Brogan | PhD Student | Studies of the changing-look AGN Mrk 1018 with XMM-Newton and Hubble | DLR/3 years |
| Nico Manthey | Master Student/Student Research Assistant | Image classification with machine learning techniques and automatic web searches |
Beside my astrophysical research, I am actively engaged in the public outreach activities of our institute and in educating the next generation of scientists. You will most likely meet me when I am giving a tour over our campus or leading a public observation on one of our impressive historical telescopes. These events are not to be missed!
More recently, I have had the pleasure of supervising a large number of high school students. I take a great interest in inspiring the younger generation to get involved with astrophysics astrophysics and the fascinating research projects we are doing at the institute. I have also been involved in science communication work; trying to explain newsworthy and complex astrophysical processes in an accessible manner in numerous radio interviews and newspaper articles.
Publications
Latest refereed publications, retrieved from NASA ADS:The Astrophysical Journal, 989, 1, 13; published August 2025
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 700, A61; published August 2025
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 699, A205; published July 2025
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 698, A192; published June 2025
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 698, A132; published June 2025
Nature Astronomy, 9, 895; published June 2025
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 697, A159; published May 2025
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 695, L10; published March 2025
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 693, A212; published January 2025
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 693, A62; published January 2025