Extraordinary paths into Astrophysics

From industry to science - Interview with Robert Kamlah

Not every career path into astrophysics is the same. Some people take a diversion via another profession. One of these people is Robert Kamlah. He is currently an approaching astrophysicist studying for a doctorate at the AIP. But before he embarked on a career in science, he trained as a craftsman and worked in industry for several years. In this interview, he tells us how he moved from industry to science.

What did you do before/earlier in your studies?

As I had the urge to finally earn some money, I finished secondary school in my home state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern at the age of 16 and then started and completed an apprenticeship as a cutting machine operator in Hamburg. However, I only worked in this profession for just under six months as I spontaneously decided to move to Berlin. The only job I quickly found there was as a machine operator through a temporary employment agency. They ended up hiring me out to a paper company that produced paper for cigarettes and chocolate packaging, for example.

When did you realize you wanted to change careers?

I realized relatively quickly that the job as a machine operator was not as exciting and challenging as that of a cutting machine operator. However, finding a job as a cutting machine operator wasn't that easy either. When I was turned down as a shift supervisor in the paper plant, I asked myself whether I wanted to do this for the rest of my life, as there were no opportunities for promotion in this job. I decided against it without further ado and started looking for new prospects.

How did you decide to become an astrophysicist?

When I was working as a machine operator, all you had to do was watch and stand next to the machine, which quickly became boring. However, this in turn benefited me, as I started to get more and more involved with physics alongside work and in my free time. Among other things, I read Stephen Hawking's book ‘A Brief History of Time’, which finally awakened my interest in astrophysics.

What happened after you decided to make a fresh start?

A good friend recommended that I go to university. An idea I would never have thought of myself. In my search for universities where you can study without an Abitur or Fachabitur, I only found two in the whole of Germany. One of them was the Brandenburg University of Applied Sciences, which I finally decided in favour of. The requirements were a completed apprenticeship in a technical profession plus five years of professional experience. I was accepted onto the bachelor's degree programme in ‘Optical Technologies and Microsystems Engineering’. After my bachelor's degree, I did a cooperative master's degree in photonics at the TH Brandenburg and TH Wildau. The TH Wildau also had a cooperation opportunity with the Tor Vergata University in Rome with the prospect of a double degree. I also took advantage of this opportunity and obtained a Master of Engineering in Photonics and a Master of Science in Material Science. At the moment I'm still studying for my doctorate in astrophysics at the University of Potsdam, which I expect to finish next year in February.

How was the transition from the world of work to studying?

When I started my studies, my school days were already ten years ago. I first had to get used to studying again and put a lot of time and work into my degree programme. As a result, I sometimes invested 14-15 hours a day in my studies at the beginning and studied until I was completely exhausted. However, I had fantastic professors and fellow students who always had an open ear for me and with whom I could discuss what I had learnt. That was a huge help to me and helped me progress.

What was the most difficult hurdle you had to overcome?

For me, the transition from working to studying was very difficult. I had been earning good money as a machine operator in Berlin and suddenly had to switch to student loans, which was a tough adjustment. As a result, I only had about a quarter or a fifth of what I had before.

How did you come to the AIP?

A good friend reminded me that I had started studying because of astrophysics and told me about the possibility of having my thesis supervised at the AIP. She was also the one who encouraged me to apply to the AIP. I took this advice to heart and put it into practice. Professor Carsten Denker then replied to me relatively quickly and agreed to supervise my Bachelor's thesis. I then also wrote my Master's thesis at the AIP. During my Master's degree, my current supervisor Dr Meetu Verma offered me the opportunity to write my doctoral thesis here at the AIP. The offer was of course far too good not to accept. Since then, I have been employed as a doctoral student at the AIP.

What is the topic of your doctoral thesis?

In my doctoral thesis, I am investigating the structures on the sun that are created by strong magnetic fields, such as sunspots or pores, and how the emergence, evolution and decay of these affect plasma currents and magnetic fields. I am focusing on the solar surface, the so-called photosphere and the layer above it, which is called the chromosphere. I expect to graduate in February 2025.

Why did you choose the field of solar physics?

When you think of astrophysics, you naturally think of galaxies, black holes and everything else out there, rather than the sun. However, I already realized during my bachelor's degree that I find the field of solar physics extremely interesting.

What are you doing besides writing your doctoral thesis?

I am often involved in observations of the Gregor solar telescope at the Observatory del Teide on Tenerife. I recently had the opportunity to help with two instruments designed by Professor Carsten Denker. One is called HiFi+, a six-camera system on the Gregor Telescope, and the other instrument is called FaMuLUS and is a four-camera system that we are currently connecting to the spectrograph of the VTT (Vacuum Tower Telescope on Tenerife). I am also occasionally assigned as an observation assistant on Tenerife. This means that once or twice a year I support other scientists in their observations on Tenerife.

What is your favourite task?

What surprised me most about myself is that I really enjoy programming. The first time I came into contact with programming was during my apprenticeship as a cutting machine operator. I was able to programme the CNC machines, for example, using a completely different programming language to the one I use today. But I also really enjoy the practical experience with the telescopes.

What are important qualities for becoming an astrophysicist?

In my opinion, the most important thing is interest. If you have a really strong interest in something, then you put enough work into it to achieve your goals.

What advice would you give to others interested in becoming an astrophysicist?

Just follow your interest. You come up against obstacles here and there that set you back or make you feel like you don't understand something. But you should never let this discourage you and always stay on the ball. If you are really stuck, you should put the task or topic aside for a few days and concentrate on something else. That can help in many situations.

What are your plans for the future?

I would look for a suitable postdoc position. I have little interest in working in industry again. I like scientific work much better. And then, of course, I'll have to see where in the world I can get a job.

We thank Robert Kamlah for the interview.