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Rather than trying to study special regions in large-volume simulations, scientists at MPA have used the IllustrisTNG model to create whole separate universes with a modified cosmology. Their study of these separate universes shows that when the baryon density (the density of ordinary matter) changes, the number of galaxies can increase or decrease depending on how this number is measured. Also, the large-scale distribution of matter is affected by the effects of baryons, with various measures reacting differently.

Galaxy formation in separate universes

Galactic fountains and carousels

Quasars are amongst the brightest non-transient sources in the sky. Thanks to their high luminosity, they can be observed even at early cosmic times, where – surprisingly – these first quasars appear as already evolved systems: with black holes with masses exceeding one billion solar masses hosted by massive and heavily star forming galaxies. To explain such rapid growth, theorists believe these systems must reside in peculiarly dense environments, where huge gas reservoirs favour efficient inflow of material onto seed super-massive black holes. An international team of astronomers has recently found the first clear observational evidence that this is indeed the case. The new “panoramic” spectrograph called MUSE unveiled, for the first time, the almost ubiquitous presence of large amounts of cool gas in close proximity to the first quasars. This pristine fuel will fall on the primordial galaxies and sustain their growth in both stellar and black hole mass.

Cool dense hydrogen gas around the first quasars

Globular clusters are the densest gravitationally bound stellar systems in the Universe. They are found in all galaxy types, even low mass dwarf galaxies and they can be almost as old as the Universe. The formation mechanisms of these enigmatic systems are not yet understood. Scientist at MPA and the University of Helsinki, together with international collaborators, have now presented the first hydro-dynamical simulation at sub-parsec resolution following the entire formation history of spatially resolved globular cluster candidates in merging dwarf galaxies. This provides a general model for the formation of metal-poor globular clusters in chemically unevolved starbursting environments of low-mass galaxies at high redshifts.

Globular cluster formation deciphered

Simulation, originally developed for cosmology, shows that a strong magnetic field is indeed produced in the merger of two stars

An irresistible pull – when massive stars collide

The expansion rate of the Universe today is described by the so-called Hubble constant and different techniques have come to inconsistent results about how fast our Universe actually does expand. An international team led by the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics (MPA) has now used two gravitational lenses as new tools to calibrate the distances to hundreds of observed supernovae and thus measure a fairly high value for the Hubble constant. While the uncertainty is still relatively large, this is higher than that inferred from the cosmic microwave background.

High value for Hubble constant from two gravitational lenses

News at MPA

New research group to study multiple star systems at MPA

November 11, 2019

In September 2019 a new Max Planck Research Group started at MPA: Adrian Hamers joined the institute and is currently building up his group to research multiple star systems. Such systems are of high importance in astrophysics, since they may lead to violent astrophysical phenomena such as Type Ia supernovae and gravitational wave events. The main goal is to use both fast and detailed modeling to make statistical predictions for observations of supernovae and gravitational waves.

A crisis in cosmology

Keck Press Release: A group of astronomers led by UC Davis with contributions from MPA scientists has obtained new data that suggest the universe is expanding more rapidly than predicted. The team’s new measurement of the Hubble Constant is based on observations of three gravitationally-lensed systems: Sherry Suyu worked closely with her previous student and first author Geoff Chih-Fan Chen on modeling the mass distribution of the lenses, which is necessary for inferring the Hubble constant. Stefan Hilbert quantified mass structures along the line of sight to the lens systems and their effect on H₀. Simona Vegetti is a core member of the SHARP team in acquiring the Keck AO imaging data on which the analysis is based. Inh Jee investigated the effect of anisotropy of stellar orbits on the lensing distance measurements that are used to infer H₀.

MPG Advent Calendar

Our online science advent calendar is back! Each day until December 24, we will open a door of our advent calender for you to dazzle you with images from science and provide the scientific background to the image. Enjoy!

This year's background image of our advent calendar takes us far north. Nowhere else is climate change so starkly visible: the Arctic sea ice is melting faster than ever before, and by the end of this century, the North Pole could be completely free of ice in the summer.

December 2019

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LTI - Basics (part II) and science highlights

from 10:45 to 11:45

When observations challenge models: musings on the dust properties during the early phases of star disk (and planets?) formation

from 14:00 to 15:00

Ohne Unschärfe: Quantenmechanik

from 19:00 to 20:30

ALMACAL

from 10:45 to 11:45

Constraining supernova ejecta from radioactive decay lines and infrared iron lines

from 15:30 to 16:30

"Meet the speaker''

from 16:00 to 17:00

Life, the universe and everything

from 17:15 to 18:30

AI in new generation of radio observations

from 11:00 to 12:00

Molecular gas in compact groups

from 12:00 to 13:00

TBA

from 16:15 to 17:15

Probing dark matter with cosmic-ray antiprotons

from 16:30 to 17:30

Hunting the unknowns!

from 11:00 to 12:00

The Higgs and Cosmology

from 14:00 to 15:00

First results from the KATRIN experiment and the search for sterile neutrinos

from 15:15 to 16:00

A Deep Learning Approach to Galaxy Cluster X-ray Masses

from 14:00 to 15:00

Upcoming seminars

Hunting the unknowns!

Dec 12, 2019 11:00 - 12:00

Max-Planck-Institut für Physik / MPP, (Werner-Heisenberg-Institut), Föhringer Ring 6, 80805 München , Room: Seminar Room 313

The Higgs and Cosmology

Dec 12, 2019 14:00 - 15:00

TUM Physics Department, Garching, Room: HS 3

First results from the KATRIN experiment and the search for sterile neutrinos

Dec 12, 2019 15:15 - 16:00

ESO, Room: Auditorium "Eridanus"

A Deep Learning Approach to Galaxy Cluster X-ray Masses

Dec 13, 2019 14:00 - 15:00

MPE, Room: X5, 1.4.12

Aus dem Gleichgewicht – wie Wärmeflüsse dem frühen Leben auf die Sprünge halfen

Jan 14, 2020 19:00 - 20:30

Muffatwerk, Zellstr. 4 (S-Bahn, Isartor / Rosenheimer Platz)

All news

About MPA

Structure

Managing Director
Prof. Dr. Volker Springel

Scientific Members, Kollegium, Directors
Prof. Dr. Guinevere Kauffmann
Prof. Dr. Eiichiro Komatsu
Prof. Dr. Volker Springel

Emeritus Scientific Members
Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Hillebrandt
Prof. Dr. Rashid Sunyaev
Prof. Dr. Simon White

External Scientific Members
Prof. Dr. Martin Asplund
Prof. Dr. Rolf-Peter Kudritzki
Prof. Dr. Werner Tscharnuter

Head of the administration
Hendrik Wanger

Contact

Press and Public Relations
Dr. Hannelore Haemmerle
Phone: 089 30000-3980
Cornelia Rickl
Phone: 089 30000-2201
Dr. Hans-Thomas Janka
Phone: 089 30000-2228

email: pr@mpa-garching.mpg.de