Thematic Area Matter and Universe
On this page, we bring together the expertise of a large number of scientists in Bonn who are working on the fundamental questions of matter and the secrets of the universe. Here you will find information on joint research projects and our infrastructure, which is available for innovative research in the field of matter and astronomy. In addition, we present joint educational programs aimed at promoting young talents in astronomy and physics.
As one of eleven German Universities of Excellence, the University of Bonn is one of the strongest research universities in Europe. It is known for its internationally networked top-level research, which is based on a collaborative, innovative and international research culture.
Joint research projects (funded by the DFG, BMBF, NRW) and collaborations with one or more BORA members since 2018 on the topic of matter and the universe are presented here.
Research Projects
Speaker: Isabelle Breloy, University of Cologne
Summary
Massive stars, due to their short lifetime and high energy output, drive the evolution of galaxies across cosmic time. Hence, they substantially contribute to shaping the present-day Universe. The proposed new Collaborative Research Centre (CRC) will unravel the “habitats of massive stars across cosmic time”. “Habitats” are the gaseous environments within which massive stars are born and which they interact with via their feedback. Over the anticipated 12-year lifetime of this new CRC initiative, we aim to connect the physical processes that govern the habitats of massive stars across the full range of environments hosting massive stars – from sub-parsec to mega-parsec scales and from the Milky Way to the high-redshift Universe, where massive stars leave their cosmological fingerprint by driving cosmic reionisation.
Participating Institutions
I. Physics Institute, University of Cologne (PH1)
Argelander Institute for Astronomy, University of Bonn (AIfA)
Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy (MPIfR)
Forschungszentrum Jülich (FZJ)
Regional Computing Center Cologne (RRZK)
Duration
10.2023 - 06.2027 (1. Funding Period)
Subproject leader University of Bonn
Prof. Dr. Frank Bertoldi
Argelander Institute for Astronomy
On the hill 71
53121 Bonn
Summary
The SFB 956 "Conditions and Effects of Star Formation - Astrophysics, Instrumentation and Laboratory Research" combines the unique expertise of the astrophysics groups with respect to three goals: On the scientific side, the SFB takes advantage of the new astronomical observational opportunities now available due to the opening of the sub-mm and far-infrared spectral regions and interferometric techniques with respect to the highest spatial resolution from the radio to the infrared spectral region. The scientific question aims at understanding the fundamental processes and their dependence on the physical and chemical conditions in interstellar space that cause interstellar matter to cluster into dense clouds and eventually form new stars. These conditions for star formation are significantly influenced by the energetic feedback of young stars and the chemical composition of the interstellar medium due to element synthesis in earlier stellar generations, and also by external factors such as galaxy collisions leading to star formation bursts and interactions of interstellar matter with jets and central winds in active galactic cores. The limited insight to date into the mechanisms controlling the star formation process in different environments has shown that physical processes are relevant and need to be understood on broad scales, from the large-scale propagation of radiation and shock waves to the microphysics of reaction processes. The complexity of the phenomena leads to an astonishing richness in chemical composition and to small-scale variations in the interstellar medium. Both in turn affect the energy balance, but in particular they allow very specific diagnostic capabilities through spectrally and spatially highest resolution observations compared to detailed models. The spectral signature of these phenomena can best be studied in the sub mm and infrared spectral regions. The astrophysical research program of the SFB aims at investigating these questions, taking advantage of the leading role of the SFB partner institutes in sub mm to infrared instrumentation. The strategic goal of SFB 956 is to establish, through coordination of research at the participating institutes in the four areas of experimental astrophysics, theoretical analysis and modeling, laboratory astrophysics, and detector and instrumentation development, a collaborative effort that is competitive at both the national and international levels and that can keep pace with the rapid developments in this research field due to sufficient resources and a well-organized infrastructure. Astronomical observatories and their instrumentation have reached a size that can only be sustained and efficiently exploited by large consortia and in international partnership. Successful participation in these collaborations and adequate representation of the interests of the participating local scientific community is only possible on a highly qualified and efficient basis, exploiting synergies and offering stable perspectives for research work in the medium to long term, as enabled by a SFB. As an equally important goal, the SFB 956 aims to create a challenging and excellent environment for the education of students and young scientists. The attractive research environment of this SFB, which allows early contact with current research and outstanding instrumental methods in the laboratory and astronomical observatories, and especially the diverse national and international collaborations and competitive scientific exchange as cultivated in this SFB, provide the best conditions for this.
Participating Institutions
University of Cologne (speaker university)
Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy (MPIfR), Bonn
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETHZ)
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA
Duration
2011-2022
Bonn's scientific landscape has a strong research infrastructure in various specialist and subject areas. Many of these have been developed in cooperation or are accessible to external parties. These infrastructures on the subject of matter and the universe are collected here and listed by type.
Research Infrastructure
- Research and Technology Center for Detector Physics (University of Bonn)
The Research and Technology Center for Detector Physics (FTD) provides its users with highly technical infrastructure and measurement laboratories for the development of modern detectors for experimental particle physics and beyond on an area of about 3000 square meters. - Cyclotron / Isotope Separator (University of Bonn, HISKP)
The accelerator facilities of the HISKP comprise the isochronous cyclotron and the isotope separator. At the isotope separator, impure radioactive isotopes are ionised and accelerated, then separated in the separator magnet with regard to their different charge and mass, and a purified isotope beam is implanted into a target. - QBiG Cluster (University of Bonn)
The QBiG GPU cluster is funded by the DFG in the framework of the CRC 110. It consists of two parts. The most recent one QBiG-II consists of 5 nodes with 8 NVIDIA P100 cards each. It has a peak performance of about 180 TFlops in double and about 373 TFlops in single precision. QBiG-I has a peak performance of 56 TFlops in double and 168 TFlops in single precision on 48 K20m GPUs. - Fiber Lab (University of Bonn)
In quantum optics and quantum electro dynamics one is interested in the study of strong interactions between light and matter. To do so one has to build an interface, between the light field and the piece of matter, that enhances the interaction probability. - CCAT-prime (University of Bonn)
The Cerro Chajnantor Atacama Telescope CCAT-p (pronounced "see-cat-prime") is a 6-m aperture submillimeter (submm) to millimeter (mm) wave telescope under construction at an altitude of 5600 m near the summit of Cerro Chajnantor in northern Chile, Atacama Desert. Using CCAT-p, scientists hope to gain unique insights into the birth of stars and galaxies. They are trying to unravel the mystery of how the cosmos was formed and how so-called dark matter and dark energy have influenced the expansion of the universe. - Electron accelerator ELSA (University of Bonn)
The electron accelerator ELSA is operated by the university of Bonn in Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. It consists of three stages (injector LINACs, booster synchrotron and stretcher ring) and delivers a beam of polarized or unpolarized electrons with variable energy of max. 3.5 GeV. The main research topic is hadron physics. For this purpose a beam of up to several nA can be extratced and transfered to the different experimental areas. - Radio Telescope Effelsberg (MPIfR)
With a diameter of 100 meters, the Radio Telescope Effelsberg is one of the largest fully steerable radio telescopes on earth. Its inauguration took place on May 12, 1971. Since the full start of operations in 1972, the technology has been continually improved (i.e. new surface for the antenna-dish, better reception of high-quality data, extremely low noise electronics) making it one of the most advanced modern telescopes worldwide.
External use possible. - SOFIA, the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy and GREAT, the German Receiver for Astronomy at Terahertz Frequencies (MPIfR)
SOFIA, the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, is a joint project of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR; German Aerospace Centre). GREAT, the German Receiver for Astronomy at Terahertz Frequencies, is a receiver for spectroscopic observations in the far infrared spectral regime at frequencies between 0,5 and 5 terahertz (wavelengths of 60 to 600 microns), which are not accessible from the ground due to absorption by water vapor in the atmosphere. It is developed and maintained by the Max-Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy (MPIfR).
- PUNCH4NFDI (MPIfR and University of Bonn)
PUNCH4NFDI is the NFDI consortium of particle, astro-, astroparticle, hadron and nuclear physics, representing about 9.000 scientists with a Ph.D. in Germany, from universities, the Max Planck society, the Leibniz Association, and the Helmholtz Association. PUNCH physics addresses the fundamental constituents of matter and their interactions, as well as their role for the development of the largest structures in the universe - stars and galaxies. | Broad-based services available.
Building Blocks of Matter and Fundamental Interactions (TRA Matter)
The six Transdisciplinary Research Areas (TRAs) at the University of Bonn offer spaces for innovation in research and teaching. Scientific networks of chemists, physicists, biologists, pharmacists, geologists, and many more address highly challenging questions by exploring nature at all relevant distance scales. Even though the investigations are largely driven by curiosity to understand the inner workings of nature, they also lead to numerous spin-offs for technology and society such as detector technologies, first steps toward quantum technology, image analysis and rational molecular design.
The University of Bonn and the members of BORA cooperate in teaching, e.g. through joint professorships and in-depth courses. The cooperation is particularly multifaceted in the qualification of young scientists. In the field of astronomy and physics, there are three doctoral programs.
Education Programs
The Bonn-Cologne Graduate School for Physics and Astronomy BCGS is a joint program of graduate studies between the universities of Bonn and Cologne. The program leads students with a bachelor's degree through an MSc phase to doctoral studies. Students with MSc degrees are admitted directly to the PhD stage.
The BCGS provides mentoring and research internships, scholarships and travel funds, and a vibrant research environment at the forefront of modern physics. Research areas at the two departments of Bonn and Cologne span almost the entire range of current physics; from astrophysics, biophysics and condensed matter research to particle physics, quantum optics and string theory.
The BCGS was funded from 2007 to 2019 by the German Excellence Initiative and the Universities of Bonn and Cologne. Since 2020 the funding comes from the two universities.
Involved BORA Institutions
Max Planck Institute for Radioastronomy (MPIfR)
The school offers a broad spectrum of topics in observational and theoretical, galactic and extragalactic astrophysics, observational and theoretical cosmology, fundamental physics with astronomical tools and instrumentation. In addition to the main expertise in radio and (sub-) mm astronomy of the MPIfR, there are PhD topics in a broad range of contemporary astrophysics, techniques, methods and energy bands.
The partner institutions within the IMPRS are the Max Planck Institute for Radioastronomy (MPIfR) in Bonn, the Argelander Institute for Astronomy (AIfA) of the University of Bonn and the 1st Physics Institute of the University of Cologne.
Involved BORA Institutions
Max Planck Institute for Radioastronomy (MPIfR)
Over the last few decades, computer hardware has become smaller and smaller, but their technology remains more or less the same. Slowly, this development is reaching its limits.Thus, we need new technologies that satisfy our growing hunger for even more powerful hardware.
Quantum physics could be a solution.
Together with the University of Cologne and the RWTH Aachen, Bonn researchers want to work on making this new technology usable. To achieve this, quantum bits or even qubits - the quantum counterpart to our previous bits - quantum communication channels that build networks and error correction methods have to be explored from the ground up. As part of the Excellence Initiative, the Bonn-Cologne Graduate School of Physics and Astronomy (BCGS) offers a doctoral program with an integrated honors program.
Involved BORA Institutions
Max Planck Institute for Radioastronomy (MPIfR)
Learn more
Argelander-Institute for Astronomy (AIfA)
Research groups focus on various areas of theoretical and observational astronomy - from stars to cosmology in national and international collaborations with other research institutions and large-scale astronomical projects.
Astronomical Walks at Effelsberg
Three astronomical walks with target descriptions at the different stations have been built in the vicinity of the Effelsberg Radio Telescope: Planetary Walk, Milky Way Walk and Galaxy Walk.
Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy (MPIfR)
Radio astronomy is the main area of research. The activities of the institute encompass the whole area of astronomical observations throughout the electromagnetic spectrum. Theoretical Astrophysics is an additional research field.