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Computer simulation reveals similar structures for large and small dark matter halos

Zooming in on Dark Matter

The origin of mysterious fast radio bursts (FRBs) has been debated since their discovery in 2007. A theory developed at Columbia University and MPA suggested that FRBs are emitted by blast waves from flaring magnetars -- neutron stars with ultrastrong magnetic fields. On 28 April 2020, an FRB was detected from SGR 1935+2154, a known magnetar in our Galaxy. A new numerical experiment demonstrates how perturbations can grow in a magnetar and launch a magnetic explosion – and a burst such as the observed one.

Fast Radio Bursts from Magnetars

Astronomers at the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics, using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), have revealed an extremely distant and therefore very young galaxy that looks surprisingly like our Milky Way. The galaxy is so far away its light has taken more than 12 billion years to reach us: we see it as it was when the Universe was just 1.4 billion years old. It is also surprisingly unchaotic, contradicting theories that all galaxies in the early Universe were turbulent and unstable. This unexpected discovery challenges our understanding of how galaxies form, giving new insights into the past of our Universe.

Astronomers find most distant Milky Way look-alike with gravitational lensing

When interstellar gas falls towards a supermassive black hole, it liberates vast amounts of energy - so vast as to be capable of ejecting much of a galaxy’s gaseous reservoir. Ultimately, supermassive black holes may thus deprive themselves of further fuel and bring about the end of their own growth and that of their host galaxies. A new model developed at MPA now makes it possible to simulate winds accelerated by accreting black holes in galaxy evolution simulations in a physically accurate and validated way. By blowing dense gas from the galactic nucleus, and by halting inward flows from the galactic halo, the winds play a vital role in shaping the evolution of the black hole host galaxy.

How black holes power galactic super-winds

Two teams of astronomers have made a compelling case in the 33-year-old mystery surrounding Supernova 1987A. Based on observations with ALMA and a theoretical follow-up study, the scientists provide new insight for the argument that a neutron star is hiding deep inside the remains of the exploded star. This would be the youngest neutron star in our cosmic neighbourhood known to date.

ALMA finds possible sign of neutron star in Supernova 1987A

Recently, in correspondence with the 10th birthday of LOFAR, a core group of researchers including MPA scientists published the most stringent upper limits on the reionization signal from the early Universe. These observations are able to exclude some reionization models and constrain the thermal and ionization state of the intergalactic medium when the Universe was still in its infancy.

Towards a LOFAR detection of the 21cm line from the Epoch of Reionization

Extracting cosmological information from galaxy surveys is a difficult task – one to which MPA researchers are now one step closer. Using a theoretical framework known as effective field theory combined with a novel statistical approach, they were able to correctly recover the input cosmology based on a catalog of simplified simulated galaxies.

Toward robust and optimal cosmology from galaxy clustering

News at MPA

Note due to corona: Contacting MPA

To contain the spread of corona virus infections, the MPA has enacted certain changes to protect its employees. Wherever possible, MPA staff will work from their home offices. For the time being, the MPA will not offer public events, and its staff will not undertake travel or attend conferences. Meetings will be held via video conferencing.
Therefore it might be difficult to reach some staff members by telephone, please use Email instead. Mail continues to be received. Please note, however, that there might be some delays in getting a response.
For information about MPG research on the Corona virus, please see here:

Bessel award winner Dragan Huterer at MPA

September 16, 2020

Prof. Dragan Huterer currently is spending his sabbatical from the University of Michigan in the cosmology group at MPA. Funded through the Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Award of the Humboldt Foundation, he hopes to find new inspiration for studying the expansion history of the universe as well as having the time to write a cosmology textbook.

Holy cow! Sherry Suyu to receive 2021 Berkeley Prize

July 30, 2020

Astrophysicist Sherry H. Suyu will receive the 2021 Lancelot M. Berkeley–New York Community Trust Prize for Meritorious Work in Astronomy. Bestowed annually since 2011 by the American Astronomical Society (AAS) and supported by a grant from the New York Community Trust, the Berkeley prize includes a monetary award and an invitation to give the closing plenary lecture at the AAS winter meeting, the “Super Bowl of Astronomy.” The 237th AAS meeting will be held virtually from 11 to 15 January 2021.

September 2020

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The dynamical evolution of Globular Clusters

from 12:00 to 13:00

What do the neighbours look? A comparative look at the Milky Way and Andromeda dwarf galaxies

from 12:00 to 13:00

Interpreting high spatial resolution line observations of planet-forming disks with gaps and rings: The case of HD 163296

from 10:30 to 11:30

A brief account of the EuroScience Open Forum 2020

from 10:45 to 11:45

The Atmospheres of Exoplanets

from 11:00 to 12:00

The complex chemistry of young stars

from 15:15 to 16:15

Das Rätsel der Neutronensterne

from 19:00 to 20:30

Die Veranstaltung findet online statt.

Upcoming seminars

Radio2020 Symposium and GLOW annual assembly

Registration and abstract submission will close on September 10th

Oct 12, 2020 13:00 - Oct 14, 2020 13:15

online only

Job Offers

PhD in extragalactic astronomy at the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics

August 31, 2020

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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 Directors
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

Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics, Garching
Karl-Schwarzschild-Str. 1
Postfach 1317
D-85741 Garching, Germany

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