I Contents

I General 5

The MPIA’s Research Goals – Yesterday, Today
and Tomorrow 5

Some Important Questions 7

Galactical Research 8

Extragalactical Research 9

The Solar System 10

 

 

II Highlights 11

 

II.1 ALFA – The Atmosphere is Outwitted 11

The Principle of Adaptive Optics 11

ALFA at the Calar Alto Observatory 14

The Laser Guide Star 15

ALFA in Use 16

 

II.2 CADIS – Searching for the Protogalaxies 18

The Strategy 18

Protogalaxies 20

Quasars, Galaxies and Stars 21

 

II.3 ISOPHOT – A Celestial Explorer in the IR 23

Infrared Astronomy 23

ISO, the Infrared Space Observatory 23

ISOPHOT 24

The ISOPHOT Data Centre 25

Highlights in 1997 25

Dust in Coma Galaxy Cluster 26

The NGC 6090 Starburst Galaxy 27

Random Sampling in the Far Infrared Range 29

 

 

III Development of Instruments 33 

CAFOS2.2 – Calar Alto Focal Reduktor System

for the 2.2-Metre Telescope 33

MOSCA, Multi-Objekt-Spectrograph

for Calar Alto 34

OMEGA-Prime – a Camera for the Near Infrared 35

OMEGA-Cass – Spectrometer and Camera

for the Near Infrared 37

CONICA – Coudé Near-Infrared Camera

for the VLT 38

MIDI – Mid-infrared Interferometry Instrument

for the VLT 39

PACS – IR Camera for FIRST,

the Far Infrared Space Telescope 40

IV Scientific Studies 43

 

IV.1 Galactic Astronomy 43

The Bipolar Phase – Jets of Young Stars 43

The Influence of Magnetic Fields 48

Double and Multiple Systems in Young Stars 49

T Tauri Stars 49

Herbig Ae/Be Douple Stars 51

Luminous Blue Variables –

Precursors of Type-II Supernovae? 52

Theoretical Studies 54

The Formation of Stars 54

The Collaps of Molecular Clouds 55

Fragmentation of a Molecular Cloud 56

The Formation and Evolution of Protostars

and Multiple Systems 59

 

IV.2 Extragalactical Astronomy 64

Jets from Galaxies and Quasars 64

The Jets 65

The Hot Spots 66

X-Ray Imaging of the Jets 67

Galaxies in the Environment of Quasars

and the Gravitational Lens Effect 68

Optical Identification of a Gamma Ray Burst 70

Theoretical Work 71

The Shinning Arms of Spiral Galaxies 71

Dark Matter in Spiral Galaxies 73

 

IV.3 Solar System 75

Striae in the tail of comet Hale-Bopp 75

 

 

Staff 77 

In Heidelberg 77

Calar Alto/Almeria 77

Guests 77

Working Groups

and Scientific Collaboration 78

 

Collaboration with Industrial Firms 81

Teaching and Public Lectures 83 

Conferences 84 

Participation in Committees 84 

Invited Talks at Conferences 84 

Publications 85