The Milky Way in a Cosmological Context

We can observe the overall (sub-)structure of our Milky Way in much greater detail than any other galaxy. That allows us directly to study the sub-structures that were left-over from the hierarchical assembly of our galaxy. We can also see how faint the faintest (satellite) galaxies are, which turns out to be an important probe of dark matter on small scales.

This research is based on SDSS/Segue, PS1 and the LBT.

Recent results:

Tracing the Evolution of Galaxies

We can map the evolution of galaxies directly through observations of the distant universe, which provide us with snapshots of the galaxy population at earlier epochs. Practical challenges involve measuring the physical properties of the very faint targets, such as their stellar mass and star formation rate. The most interesting scientific and conceptual issues are how to relate the observed snapshots to the actual evolutionary fates of the galaxies.

Large ground-based (VLT, APEX) and space-based (HST and Spitzer) surveys form the basis of these analyses, in particular GEMS, STAGES, and a new survey with HAWK-I at the VLT.

Recent Results:

Why do Galaxies look the Way they Do?

The properties of the nearby (and hence present-day) galaxies are remarkably regular. We're studying the detailed structure of galaxies to understand why.

Recent results:

Making Maps of the Universe

Much recent progress in astrophysics has been driven by new panoptik surveys. The SDSS survey, in which MPIA was the first European partner institute, has been the most successful ground-based project in decades. MPIA is closely involved in the planning and exploitation of the just-started PS1 survey.

These surveys have both imaging and spectroscopy components.