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Dr. Peter Weilbacher

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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
Galaxies and Quasars
Scientific Staff
3D and Multi Object Spectroscopy
Scientific Staff
Office: LH/0-22
Phone: +49 331 7499 667
pweilbachernothing@aip.de

Leibniz-Institut
für Astrophysik Potsdam (AIP)
An der Sternwarte 16
14482 Potsdam
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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.

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My main concern currently is AIP's contribution to the development of the BlueMUSE integral-field spectrograph.

I am also contributing to commission the 4MOST spectrograph and am helping with a study for the Wide-Field Spectroscopic Telescope.

 

Press releases

 

Pictures

Maps of the ionised hydrogen in the Antennae Galaxy

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 library
Publications at ArXiv: ArXiv link

Latest refereed publications, retrieved from NASA ADS:

Double-peaked Ca II traces a relativistic broad-line region disk in NGC 4593
Ochmann, M. W., Weilbacher, P. M., ..., 2025
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 697, L5; published May 2025
doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202554800, NASA ADS
Participating AIP sections and groups: Galaxies and Quasars, 3D and Multi Object Spectroscopy
Mapping the diffuse interstellar bands λ5780 and λ6284 in the luminous infrared galaxy merger NGC 6240
van Erp, C. D., Monreal-Ibero, A., Stroo, J. C., Weilbacher, P. M., Smoker, J. V., 2025
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 697, A151; published May 2025
doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202553947, NASA ADS
Participating AIP sections and groups: Galaxies and Quasars, 3D and Multi Object Spectroscopy
MusE GAs FLOw and Wind (MEGAFLOW): XII. Rationale and design of a Mg II survey of the cool circum-galactic medium with MUSE and UVES: The MEGAFLOW Survey
Bouché, N. F., ... Wisotzki, L., ... Weilbacher, P. M., 2025
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 694, A67; published February 2025
doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202451093, NASA ADS
Participating AIP sections and groups: Galaxies and Quasars, 3D and Multi Object Spectroscopy
First Detection of Molecular Gas in the Giant Low Surface Brightness Galaxy Malin 1
Galaz, G., ... Weilbacher, P. M., ..., 2024
The Astrophysical Journal, 975, 2, L26; published November 2024
doi:10.3847/2041-8213/ad8656, NASA ADS
Participating AIP sections and groups: Galaxies and Quasars, 3D and Multi Object Spectroscopy
Outflow from the very massive Wolf-Rayet binary Melnick 34
Castro, N., Weilbacher, P. M., Roth, M. M., ... Micheva, G., 2024
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 691, A346; published November 2024
doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202450208, NASA ADS
A MUSE view of the core of the giant low-surface-brightness galaxy Malin 1
Johnston, E. J., ... Weilbacher, P. M., 2024
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 686, A247; published June 2024
doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202348587, NASA ADS
Participating AIP sections and groups: Galaxies and Quasars, 3D and Multi Object Spectroscopy
Recovery of the low- and high-mass end slopes of the IMF in massive early-type galaxies using detailed elemental abundances
den Brok, M., Krajnović, D., ... Steinmetz, M., Weilbacher, P. M., 2024
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 530, 3, 3278; published May 2024
doi:10.1093/mnras/stae912, NASA ADS
Participating AIP sections and groups: Galaxies and Quasars, 3D and Multi Object Spectroscopy
Toward Precision Cosmology with Improved Planetary Nebula Luminosity Function Distances Using VLT-MUSE. II. A Test Sample from Archival Data
Jacoby, G. H., Ciardullo, R., Roth, M. M., Arnaboldi, M., Weilbacher, P. M., 2024
The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series, 271, 2, 40; published April 2024
doi:10.3847/1538-4365/ad2166, NASA ADS
ω Centauri: a MUSE discovery of a counter-rotating core
Pechetti, R., ... Krajnović, D., ... Weilbacher, P. M., ..., 2024
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 528, 3, 4941; published March 2024
doi:10.1093/mnras/stae294, NASA ADS
Participating AIP sections and groups: Galaxies and Quasars, 3D and Multi Object Spectroscopy
MAGIC: MUSE gAlaxy Groups In COSMOS - A survey to probe the impact of environment on galaxy evolution over the last 8 Gyr
Epinat, B., ... Krajnović, D., ... Urrutia, T., Weilbacher, P. M., 2024
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 683, A205; published March 2024
doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202348038, NASA ADS
Participating AIP sections and groups: Galaxies and Quasars, 3D and Multi Object Spectroscopy