University of Potsdam—Astrophysics

Astrophysics at the University of Potsdam

The University of Potsdam, founded in 1991, is the largest university in the Federal State of Brandenburg. It offers an excellent environment for teaching and conducting internationally recognized research in one of Germany’s most densely populated research landscapes. Astrophysics is one of the key areas of competence at the University of Potsdam’s Faculty of Science.

There are two chairs of astrophysics at the University of Potsdam at present, covering stellar astrophysics and extragalactic astrophysics. Research focuses primarily on massive stars and their stellar winds, and the intergalactic and circumgalactic medium. Research on astrophysics is supplemented at both chairs by seven jointly appointed professors—with the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP) and with DESY (Deutsches Elektronen-Synchroton). These professors explore the areas of cosmology, galaxy evolution, cosmic magnetic fields, astronomical instrumentation, astroparticle physics, and plasma astrophysics. Independent working groups at the university also conduct research on planetology and solar physics.

At the University of Potsdam, astrophysics can be taken as part of the Bachelor and Master’s programs in Physics and within teacher training. The University of Potsdam has launched its own English-language Master’s program in Astrophysics since the 2016/2017 winter semester. A structured PhD program is available for doctoral students of astrophysics.

Contact

Web: http://www.astro.physik.uni-potsdam.de/

Email: office@astro.physik.uni-potsdam.de

Department of Astrophysics/­contact persons:

  • Chair of Astrophysics II and Academic Advisor: Professor Dr. Philipp Richter
  • Chair of Astrophysics I: Professor Dr. Stephan Geier
  • Press and Public Relations Officer, Coordinator for Young Scholars: Dr. Barbara Eckardt