Welcome to AIfA!
Welcome to the AIfA! The Argelander-Institut für Astronomie (AIfA) is an
academic, research and educational institute that is part of the
Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Bonn, Germany.
We conduct cutting-edge research over a broad range of theoretical and
observational topics from stars to cosmology, as you can see from our
Research page. Many national and international collaborations
have partners in the AIfA, for example we have a close relationship with
our neighbour, the Max-Planck Institut fuer Radioastronomie (MPIfR).
News
-
Observations challenge cosmological theories
04.10.2018A study from the University of Bonn examines how well current measurements match the predictions of the standard model of cosmology. Recent observations create a puzzle for astrophysicists: since the big bang, less galaxy clusters have formed over time than was actually expected. Physicists from the university of Bonn have now confirmed this phenomenon. For the next three years, the researchers will analyze their data in even greater detail. This will put them in a position to confirm whether the theories considered valid today need to be reworked. The study is part of a series of 20 publications which appear in the professional journal "Astronomy and Astrophysics".
read article -
The majority of hydrogen-rich Supernovae is covered in thick clouds of circumstellar material
04.09.2018A survey of the early lightcurves of hydrogen-rich Supernovae (type II SNe) and the analysis of their shapes revealed that the majority of SN progenitors shed vast amounts of material into their surroundings just before they die. This surprising result has been published by a large international team including scientists from the Argelander Institute for Astronomy.
read article -
Öffentlicher Vortrag über die Astronomie in Bonn nach dem 2. Weltkrieg
04.09.2018von M. Geffert am 7. September um 19 Uhr in Hörsaal 0.03
read article -
A galactic test will clarify the existence of dark matter
25.06.2018A new study found a way to determine whether the mysterious “star putty” really exists. Researchers at the University of Bonn and the University of California at Irvine used sophisticated computer simulations to devise a test that could answer a burning question in astrophysics: is there really dark matter? Or does Newton's gravitational law need to be modified? The new study, now published in the Physical Review Letters, shows that the answer is hidden in the motion of the stars within small satellite galaxies swirling around the Milky Way.
read article -
Is the cosmic colossus RCS2J2327 heavier than allowed?
15.01.2018An international team of scientists led by researchers from the Argelander Institute for Astronomy has mapped the mass distribution in a distant galaxy cluster (RCS2J2327) by studying its weak gravitational lensing effect.
read article