22. November 2010
New Special Research Field (SFB 956) in Cologne – researching the formation of stars
A great achievement for Cologne physicists: The German Research Foundation (DFG) has awarded them the status of Special Research Field 956 “Conditions and Consequences of the Formation of Stars – Astrophysics, Instruments and Laboratory”. The spokesman for the project and main funding applicant is Professor Jürgen Stutzki from the Physics Institute I. The special research field will receive funding of around 9 million Euros from the German Research Foundation over the next four years. The goal of the special research field is to gain a much better understanding of the complex physical and chemical conditions which lead to the clustering of interstellar material into dense clouds from which stars are then finally formed. The research program ranges from the development of the formation of stars, and the history of the universe, through to the microphysics of reaction processes. Thus, the program will involve astronomical observations and their astrophysical interpretation, the development of new astronomical instruments, and the investigation of microphysical processes in the laboratory. Furthermore, together with scientists in Switzerland and the USA, the spectral signature of these phenomena is to be examined in the context of submillimeter and infra-red ranges. As well as the University of Cologne, other participants in the project include the University of Bonn, the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in Bonn, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, and the University of Michigan, USA.
The extremely complex formation processes of stars in the interstellar medium, that is the cosmic dark clouds of gas and dust, are currently only partly understood. The basic physical and chemical conditions of the formation are influenced by a huge variety of factors: the retroactive energy of young stars in the surroundings, the chemical composition of the surrounding medium, galaxy collisions, and the interaction of gas jets and central winds in the galactic cores. In order to understand the significance and coactions of these various factors, it is necessary to study the physical and chemical processes all the way from the microphysical level up to the large-scale retroactive effects of the formation of stars on a galaxy.
The study of interstellar dark clouds has been made possible by the intensive development of the so-called far infrared and submillimeter spectroscopy. This involves invisible radiation in the terahertz frequency range. The Cologne team which works with Professor Stutzki is one of the world’s leading teams involved in the development of the technology of Terahertz detectors and instruments. Over the last few years, the Cologne team’s scientific and technical skills have enabled the development and construction of cutting-edge international technology. Thus, the Cologne astrophysicists have been able to take part in many international research projects, often in the context of long-standing collaborations with their colleagues in Bonn: The ESA Satellite “Herschel”, which was successfully launched into space in May last year, is equipped with detectors and spectrometers from Cologne, and the astronomical observation program conducted via Herschel will be a cornerstone of the new special research field. At the beginning of 2011, the flying observatory SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy) will begin its scientific enterprise, equipped with an astronomic instrument which was constructed in Bonn and Cologne.
For further information contact:
Professor Jürgen Stutzki,
phone.:+ 49 (0) 221 – 470-3494,
email: stutzki(at)ph1.uni-koeln.de
