Annual Report 2011 Max Planck Institute for Astronomy

6 I. General
Credit: MPIA / AMQ
I. General
I.1 Scientific Goals
Scientific Research at the Max Planck Institute for
Astronomy (MPIA, see Fig. I.1.1) is aimed at exploring and
understanding the nature and evolution of planets, stars,
galaxies and the universe as a whole. This is pursued
through the development and operation of telescopes and
their instrumentation, by designing, executing and analysing
observing programs and surveys, and by connecting
the physical nature of the observed phenomena through
theoretical studies and numerical simulations. The MPIA
focuses its observational capabilities on the optical and
infrared spectral regions, taking a leading role in both
groundbased and space-based instrumentation.
The research at the MPIA is organized within two
scientific departments: Planet and Star Formation and
Galaxies and Cosmology.
In addition to the staff in these departments, the
Institute had in 2011 five independent Junior Research
Groups (two Emmy Noether groups supported by the
German Science Foundation DFG, and three groups supported
by the Max Planck Society).
Over the course of the year 2011, there were a total of
about 60 postdoctoral stipend holders, about 90 PhD students,
and 13 diploma and master’s students and student
assistants working at the institute.
Strong ties exist between MPIA and the University
of Heidelberg, with its Center for Astronomy (ZAH),
both in research and teaching, for example through the
International Max Planck Research School (IMPRS) for
Astronomy and Cosmic Physics.
The main research fields of the two departments are
complementary in both scientific and practical terms.
Obviously, star formation is a critical aspect of the formation
and evolution of galaxies, and the instrumentation
capabilities required by both departments share strong
commonalities: e.g. requirements for high spatial resolution,
powerful survey capabilities, and the importance
of access to the infrared and millimeter spectral regions.
Galaxies and Cosmology
The “Realm of Galaxies”
Shortly after the Big Bang, the Universe was rather “simple”
and nearly homogeneous. Now it is beautifully complex,
with rich “hierarchical” structure over a wide range
of physical scales: from the filamentary distribution of gal-
Fig. I.1.1: The main building of the MPIA on the Königstuhl.