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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.

Beobachtungsabende_2024_Ankuendigung_Kreis
fire ring around two stars
MilkyWay_25J14_40KPC_Top_D53_5K_HighContrast
Sun-magnetic_field_lines
MUSE Ultra Deep Field

Visiting the Great Refractor

The next observation evening, where those who are interested can take a look through the fourth largest refracting telescope in the world, will take place on April 3.

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Virtual lectures: Babelsberg Starry Night on 20.03.2025

The next talk of the Virtual Babelsberg Starry Nights of the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP) on the topic "Stars in the computer tomograph" (German) by Dr. Axel Schwope will be broadcast on the YouTube channel “Urknall, Weltall und das Leben” (Big Bang, Universe and Life) from Thursday, 20.03.2025.

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Last starlight for ground-breaking Gaia

The European Space Agency’s Milky Way-mapper Gaia has completed the sky-scanning phase of its mission, racking up more than three trillion observations over the last decade to revolutionise the view of our home galaxy and cosmic neighbourhood.

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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
fire ring around two stars

Virtual lecture: Babelsberg Starry Night on 20th March 2025
March 19, 2025

The next talk of the Virtual Babelsberg Starry Nights of the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP) on the topic "Stars in the Computer tomograph" (German) by Dr. Axel Schwope will be broadcast on the YouTube channel “Urknall, Weltall und das Leben” (Big Bang, Universe and Life) from Thursday, 20.03.2025.

[more]
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Partial Solar eclipse on March 29, 2025
March 17, 2025

See the partial solar eclipse on the AIP campus in Potsdam-Babelsberg

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MUSE_HUDF_eso1738a

Live Babelsberg Starry Night at 18th March 2025
March 4, 2025

On Tuesday, 18 March 2025, from 7.15 pm, the AIP invites you to a Babelsberg Starry Night live on the Babelsberg campus. Dr Tanya Urrutia will give a lecture on the topic ‘Hubble & Webb Deep Fields – Images of the Young Universe’.

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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

Hydrodynamic Predictions for the Next Outburst of T Coronae Borealis: It Will Be the Brightest Classical or Recurrent Nova Ever Observed in X-Rays

Starrfield, S., ... Ilyin, I., ...
The Astrophysical Journal, 982, 2, 89 – Published April 2025
doi:10.3847/1538-4357/adb8ed, NASA ADS

Contemporaneous optical-radio observations of a fast radio burst in a close galaxy pair

Hanmer, K. Y., ... Brink, J., ...
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 538, 3, 1800 – Published April 2025
doi:10.1093/mnras/staf289, NASA ADS
AIP sections/groups: X-ray Astronomy

Modeling the Cosmic Dispersion Measure in the D < 120 Mpc Local Universe

Huang, Y., ... Libeskind, N. I., ...
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society – Published March 2025
doi:10.1093/mnras/staf417, NASA ADS

Quasiperiodic Super-Alfvénic Slippage along Flare Ribbons Observed by the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph

Zhang, Y., ... Sun, Z., ...
The Astrophysical Journal, 982, 1, L9 – Published March 2025
doi:10.3847/2041-8213/adbb6e, NASA ADS
AIP sections/groups: Stellar Physics and Exoplanets

DDO 68-C: HST Confirms Yet Another Companion of the Isolated Dwarf Galaxy DDO 68

Correnti, M., ... Sacchi, E., ...
The Astrophysical Journal, 982, 1, 31 – Published March 2025
doi:10.3847/1538-4357/adb7e6, NASA ADS
AIP sections/groups: Supercomputing and E-Science

Spatially Resolved Oscillations of a Flare Looptop X-Ray Source

Shi, F., Warmuth, A., ... Tan, S., Schuller, F., Mitchell, J. A. J.
The Astrophysical Journal, 982, 1, L6 – Published March 2025
doi:10.3847/2041-8213/adb9e0, NASA ADS
AIP sections/groups: Solar Physics

Andromeda XXXV: The Faintest Dwarf Satellite of the Andromeda Galaxy

Arias, J. M., ... de Jong, R. S.
The Astrophysical Journal, 982, 1, L3 – Published March 2025
doi:10.3847/2041-8213/adb433, NASA ADS
AIP sections/groups: Milky Way and the Local Volume

Measuring the Interstellar Medium Content of Nearby, Luminous, Type 1 and Type 2 QSOs through CO and [C II]

Luo, Y., ... Urrutia, T.
The Astrophysical Journal, 981, 2, 194 – Published March 2025
doi:10.3847/1538-4357/adb13b, NASA ADS

You Shall Not Pass! The Propagation of Low-/Moderate-powered Jets Through a Turbulent Interstellar Medium

Borodina, O., ... Weinberger, R., ...
The Astrophysical Journal, 981, 2, 149 – Published March 2025
doi:10.3847/1538-4357/adb016, NASA ADS

Rediscovering the Milky Way with an orbit superposition approach and APOGEE data: I. Method validation

Khoperskov, S., ... Steinmetz, M., Ratcliffe, B., Minchev, I., Krajnović, D., ... Kacharov, N., Marques, L., Valentini, M., de Jong, R. S.
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 695, A220 – Published March 2025
doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202453304, NASA ADS

Exploring coronal abundances of M dwarfs at moderate activity levels

Chebly, J. J., Poppenhäger, K., Alvarado-Gómez, J. D., Wood, B. E.
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 695, A165 – Published March 2025
doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202450209, NASA ADS
AIP sections/groups: Stellar Physics and Exoplanets

Detecting galaxy groups populating the local Universe in the eROSITA era (Corrigendum)

Marini, I., ... Lamer, G., ...
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 695, C1 – Published March 2025
doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202553853e, NASA ADS
AIP sections/groups: X-ray Astronomy

The reason for the widespread energetic storm particle event of 13 March 2023

Dresing, N., ... Warmuth, A., ...
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 695, A127 – Published March 2025
doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202453596, NASA ADS
AIP sections/groups: Solar Physics

First Doppler image and starspot-corrected orbit for λ Andromedae: A multifaceted activity analysis

Adebali, Ö., Strassmeier, K. G., Ilyin, I. V., Weber, M., Gruner, D., ...
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 695, A89 – Published March 2025
doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202453073, NASA ADS

Constraints on the X-ray-to-radio fluence ratio of FRB 20240114A

Eppel, F., Krumpe, M., ...
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 695, L10 – Published March 2025
doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202453563, NASA ADS
AIP sections/groups: X-ray Astronomy

Resolving spatial and temporal shock structures using LOFAR observations of type II radio bursts

Morosan, D. E., ... Vocks, C., ...
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 695, A70 – Published March 2025
doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202452775, NASA ADS
AIP sections/groups: Solar Physics

Active Galactic Nucleus Feedback in Quiescent Galaxies at Cosmic Noon Traced by Ionized Gas Emission

Bugiani, L., ... Weinberger, R.
The Astrophysical Journal, 981, 1, 25 – Published March 2025
doi:10.3847/1538-4357/adaeaf, NASA ADS

Automatic Machine Learning Framework to Study Morphological Parameters of AGN Host Galaxies within z < 1.4 in the Hyper Supreme-Cam Wide Survey

Tian, C., ... Powell, M. C., ...
The Astrophysical Journal, 981, 1, 5 – Published March 2025
doi:10.3847/1538-4357/adaec0, NASA ADS
AIP sections/groups: Galaxies and Quasars

Signatures of black hole seeding in the local Universe: predictions from the BRAHMA cosmological simulations

Bhowmick, A. K., ... Weinberger, R., ...
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 538, 1, 518 – Published March 2025
doi:10.1093/mnras/staf269, NASA ADS

Precise and Accurate Mass and Radius Measurements of Fifteen Galactic Red Giants in Detached Eclipsing Binaries

Rowan, D. M., ... Ilyin, I., ...
The Open Journal of Astrophysics, 8, 18 – Published February 2025
doi:10.33232/001c.129962, NASA ADS

Asymmetries and Circumstellar Interaction in the Type II SN 2024bch

Andrews, J. E., ... Ilyin, I., ...
The Astrophysical Journal, 980, 1, 37 – Published February 2025
doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ada555, NASA ADS

ASTRAEUS: X. Indications of a top-heavy initial mass function in highly star-forming galaxies from JWST observations at z > 10

Hutter, A., ... Gottlöber, S., ...
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 694, A254 – Published February 2025
doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202452460, NASA ADS

Detecting clusters and groups of galaxies populating the local Universe in large optical spectroscopic surveys

Marini, I., ... Lamer, G., ...
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 694, A207 – Published February 2025
doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202452028, NASA ADS
AIP sections/groups: X-ray Astronomy

Planetary inward migration as the potential cause of GJ 504's fast rotation and bright X-ray luminosity: New constraints from eROSITA

Pezzotti, C., ... Poppenhaeger, K.
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 694, A179 – Published February 2025
doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202452580, NASA ADS
AIP sections/groups: Stellar Physics and Exoplanets

Magnetic connectivity of coronal loops and flare-accelerated electrons in a B-class flare: Based on X-ray, EUV (DEM analysis), and type-III radio burst observations

Bröse, M., Vocks, C., Warmuth, A., Mann, G., ...
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 694, A188 – Published February 2025
doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202449289, NASA ADS
AIP sections/groups: Solar Physics

A multi-wavelength view of the isolated neutron star eRASSU J065715.3+260428

Kurpas, J., Pires, A. M., Schwope, A. D., ... Traulsen, I.
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 694, A160 – Published February 2025
doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202452353, NASA ADS
AIP sections/groups: X-ray Astronomy

Transit-timing variations in the AU Mic system observed with CHEOPS

Boldog, Á., ... Poppenhaeger, K., ...
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 694, A137 – Published February 2025
doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202452699, NASA ADS
AIP sections/groups: Stellar Physics and Exoplanets

The MUSE eXtremely Deep Field: Classifying the spectral shapes of Lyα-emitting galaxies

Vitte, E., ... Pharo, J., ...
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 694, A100 – Published February 2025
doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202450426, NASA ADS
AIP sections/groups: Galaxies and Quasars

State-dependent signatures of jets and winds in the optical and infrared spectrum of the black hole transient GX 339–4

Ambrifi, A., ... Cúneo, V. A., ...
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 694, A109 – Published February 2025
doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202451024, NASA ADS
AIP sections/groups: X-ray Astronomy

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.
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 694, A67 – Published February 2025
doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202451093, NASA ADS

[List of AIP publications] [AIP publications in ADS]

 

Events and dates at AIP

Girls' Day/Zukunftstag Brandenburg 2025
03.04.2025, 8:30 – 13:30
Public Event

Only for registered participants

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Housecolloquium - Rouven Lemmerz
03.04.2025, 14:30 – 15:30
Scientific
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Observation evening at the Great Refractor
03.04.2025, 20:00 – 21:00
Public Event

The AIP invites to a public observation evening in the Great Refractor at the Telegrafenberg in Potsdam.

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External Colloquium | Lyndsay Fletcher (U. of Glasgow)
10.04.2025, 14:00 – 16:00
Scientific

TBD

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External Colloquium | Antonino Francesco Lanza (INAF | Catania)
08.05.2025, 14:00 – 16:00
Scientific

Late-type stars and their close-by planets: aspects of their magnetic interactions

Stars interact with their close-by planets through the gravitational and the magnetic fields as well as with their radiation. After a brief introduction to those different kinds of interactions, I shall review some observational clues of magnetic star-planet interactions considering data obtained in the optical, X-ray, and radio domains. Some analytical models, based on a stellar force-free coronal field or the excitation of Alfven waves by an orbiting planet, will be presented to explore the energetics of the interactions. Some numerical models will be discussed to show their advantages and drawbacks in predicting the interactions. A selection of preliminary results on the impact of star-planet magnetic interactions on the future direct imaging of exoplanets will be presented.

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Babelsberg Starry Night - Live at the campus babelsberg
23.05.2025, 19:15 – 21:00
Public Event

In the frame of the "Bohemian Days in Babelsberg", the AIP invites you to a live Babelsberg Starry Night at the Babelsberg campus:

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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]