Dr. Peter Weilbacher

Scientific Interests
I work with integral field spectroscopy and use this method to analyze various types of objects:
- Starburst Galaxies
- Interacting and Merging Galaxies
- Dwarf Galaxies
- Galaxy Evolution
Regarding instrument development I am interested in
- Integral Field / 3D Spectroscopy
- Data reduction methods and software
- Data Visualization
Phone: +49 331 7499 667
pweilbacher @aip.de
Leibniz-Institut
für Astrophysik Potsdam (AIP)
An der Sternwarte 16
14482 Potsdam

I was involved in the development of the MUSE spectrograph, and designed its data reduction software, for which I also wrote and tested most of the code. In one of the early publications of this instrument I wrote about the Orion Nebula (M42). The corresponding datacube is still one of the largest contiguous datasets in existence, it was visualized in form a short movie by Kristin Riebe. Further publications of mine are related to the Antennae Galaxy.

I will also be take part in the development of the BlueMUSE spectrograph and of the MOSAIC instrument.
Press releases
- A Curious Cosmic Collision
- Stars and galaxies with MUSE - extra clear
- Neptune closer than ever: Super Sharp Pictures form the Edge of our Solar System
- Nova rediscovered after more than 2,000 years
- Three supermassive black holes at the core of NGC 6240
- MUSE discovers cosmic web filaments in the Hubble Ultra-Deep Field
Pictures

Ionised hydrogen in the center (left) and the southern tidal tail (right) of the Antennae Galaxy (NGC 4038/39), observed with MUSE.
Credit: Peter Weilbacher (AIP)Publications
Publications at NASA ADS: ADS libraryPublications at ArXiv: ArXiv link
Latest refereed publications, retrieved from NASA ADS:
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 671, A142; published March 2023
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 671, A106; published March 2023
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 670, A4; published February 2023
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 668, A74; published December 2022
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 514, 2, 1886; published August 2022
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 664, A144; published August 2022
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 509, 4, 5416; published February 2022
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 507, 4, 4788; published November 2021
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 654, A142; published October 2021
The Astrophysical Journal, 916, 1, 21; published July 2021