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

Galaxies and Quasars

Scientific Staff

3D and Multi Object Spectroscopy

Scientific Staff

Office: LH/0-22
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

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:

MUSE crowded field 3D spectroscopy in NGC 300. IV. Planetary nebula luminosity function

Soemitro, A. A., Roth, M. M., Weilbacher, P. M., ... Castro, N., Micheva, G., 2023
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 671, A142; published March 2023

doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202244597, NASA ADS

Participating AIP sections and groups: Astrophotonics (innoFSPEC), Astrophotonics (innoFSPEC) / Astrophotonics, Galaxies and Quasars, 3D and Multi Object Spectroscopy, Milky Way and the Local Volume, Project Management

Kinematic differences between multiple populations in Galactic globular clusters

Martens, S., ... Krajnović, D., ... Weilbacher, P. M., 2023
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 671, A106; published March 2023

doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202244787, NASA ADS

Participating AIP sections and groups: Galaxies and Quasars, 3D and Multi Object Spectroscopy

The MUSE Hubble Ultra Deep Field surveys: Data release II

Bacon, R., ... Wendt, M., ... Weilbacher, P. M., Krajnović, D., ... Roth, M., ... Steinmetz, M., ... Urrutia, T., ... Wisotzki, L., ..., 2023
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 670, A4; published February 2023

doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202244187, NASA ADS

Participating AIP sections and groups: Galaxies and Quasars, 3D and Multi Object Spectroscopy, Astrophotonics (innoFSPEC)

MUSE crowded field 3D spectroscopy in NGC 300. III. Characterizing extremely faint HII regions and diffuse ionized gas

Micheva, G., Roth, M. M., Weilbacher, P. M., ... Castro, N., ... Soemitro, A. A., ... Steinmetz, M., ..., 2022
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 668, A74; published December 2022

doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202244017, NASA ADS

Participating AIP sections and groups: Milky Way and the Local Volume, Project Management, Galaxies and Quasars, 3D and Multi Object Spectroscopy, Astrophotonics (innoFSPEC)

The UV 2175Å attenuation bump and its correlation with PAH emission at z 2

Shivaei, I., ... Weilbacher, P. M., 2022
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 514, 2, 1886; published August 2022

doi:10.1093/mnras/stac1313, NASA ADS

Participating AIP sections and groups: Galaxies and Quasars, 3D and Multi Object Spectroscopy

Warm ionized gas in the blue compact galaxy Haro 14 viewed by MUSE. The diverse ionization mechanisms acting in low-mass starbursts

Cairós, L. M., González-Pérez, J. N., Weilbacher, P. M., Manso Sainz, R., 2022
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 664, A144; published August 2022

doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202243028, NASA ADS

Participating AIP sections and groups: Galaxies and Quasars, 3D and Multi Object Spectroscopy

Cross-checking SMBH mass estimates in NGC 6958 - I. Stellar dynamics from adaptive optics-assisted MUSE observations

Thater, S., Krajnović, D., Weilbacher, P. M., ..., 2022
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 509, 4, 5416; published February 2022

doi:10.1093/mnras/stab3210, NASA ADS

Participating AIP sections and groups: Galaxies and Quasars, 3D and Multi Object Spectroscopy

Central kinematics of the Galactic globular cluster M80

Göttgens, F., ... den Brok, M., ... Krajnovic, D., Weilbacher, P. M., 2021
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 507, 4, 4788; published November 2021

doi:10.1093/mnras/stab2449, NASA ADS

Participating AIP sections and groups: Galaxies and Quasars, 3D and Multi Object Spectroscopy

MUSE observations of the blue compact dwarf galaxy Haro 14. Data analysis and first results on morphology and stellar populations

Cairós, L. M., González-Pérez, J. N., Weilbacher, P. M., Manso Sainz, R., 2021
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 654, A142; published October 2021

doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202140396, NASA ADS

Participating AIP sections and groups: Galaxies and Quasars, 3D and Multi Object Spectroscopy

Toward Precision Cosmology with Improved PNLF Distances Using VLT-MUSEI. Methodology and Tests

Roth, M. M., ... Weilbacher, P. M., 2021
The Astrophysical Journal, 916, 1, 21; published July 2021

doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ac02ca, NASA ADS

Participating AIP sections and groups: Galaxies and Quasars, 3D and Multi Object Spectroscopy