Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik

- Optical & Interpretative Astronomy -

MPE

Opt. & Int. Astronomy

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Opt. & Int. Astronomy

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Research - Opinas

1. Black Holes We measure stellar velocities in the nuclei of galaxies with SINFONI, and model them to constrain the masses of the nuclear black holes. Where do these giant black holes come from? What are their seeds? How do they grow?	2. Dark Matter We determine the dark matter distribution in elliptical galaxies through dynamical modeling and we weigh dark matter halos also through their lensing effect. We also analyze the lensing effect of clusters of galaxies and large scale structure.	3. Galaxy Evolution The study of the galaxy properties as a function of redshifts is an obvious observational tool to constrain galaxy formation and evolution models.
Credit: N. Nowak (MPE)	Credit: NASA, ESA, Richard Ellis (Caltech) and Jean-Paul Kneib (Observatoire Midi-Pyrenees, France) Acknowledgment: NASA, A. Fruchter and the ERO Team (STScI and ST-ECF)	Credit: Drory & Fisher, 2007, ApJ, 664, 640, Fig 1.
4. Dark Energy and Large Scale Structure We are executing surveys to measure the power spectrum of the galaxy distributions at high (z = 1-2) redshifts as a tool to constrain the redshift evolution of the equation of state of Dark Energy.	5. Search for Extrasolar Planets We search for planets, especially rocky ones around cool, small stars, using the transit method and study their physical properties through spectroscopic follow-up.	6. Hardware and Software We design and build instruments for ESO, the HET telescope, the Wendelstein Observatory. We develop software for the HETDEX experiment, the PanSTARRS1 project. We participate to the proposal for ESA EUCLID satellite mission.
Credit: SDSS-III	Credit: with permission from the RoPACS network at the University of Hertfordshire	Credit: M. Fabricius (MPE)

Independent Research Groups associated with OPINAS

1. Dynamics Group	2. TMoX Group
We study the dynamics and evolution of galaxies including our own Milky Way, concentrating recently on their luminous and dark matter halos and the kinematics and origin of intracluster light in galaxy clusters.	We work on numerical simulations and semi-analytic models of galaxy formation. Focusing on various aspects of the high-redshift universe and early-type galaxies.
Credit: Doherty et al. 2009, AA, 502, 771

last update: 04/2010, editor of this page: Roberto Philip Saglia

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