Astrophysical Institute Potsdam

Founded 1992 after the reunification the history of the AIP goes back to 1700 ac. The main site of the AIP is situated in the beautiful landscape garden of Babelsberg Castle, whereas its two most famous historical attractions, the Einsteintower and the Great Refractor, can be explored at Albert Einstein Research Park at the Telegrafenberg.

The AIP conducts basic astrophysical research with experimental and theoetical techniques in two main directions:
- Cosmic magnetic fields, Solar and Stellar Activity and
- Extragalactic Astrophysics and Cosmology.

Both directions are closely connected with each other through the use of joint mathematical and physical methods, as well as the joint development of innovative astronomical instrumentation. Astrophysical research at the beginning of the 21th century is aimed at answering three of the basic questions of mankind: When and how did the universe form? Is there life on other worlds? What is the fate of the stars and the Sun? Practically the whole of modern astrophysics is condensed in these three questions. One possible approach is a hierachial investigation, i.e. to study the formation and evolution of clusters of galaxies, single galaxies, stars, and finally planets. According to this scheme, the AIP conducts research on scales from the universe as a whole, to atomic pocesses at nanometer level. While one branch of the AIP concentrates on cosmic magnetic fields and their dominant role in various objects like, e.g., neutron stars or solar-type strs including, of course, our Sun, the other branch studies either the universe as a whole or focuses on objects an processes that could impact the evolution of galaxies, thus processes that are mostly driven by gravity.

Astrophysical Institute Potsdam
An der Sternwarte 16
14482 Potsdam
Tel: +49 (0)331 / 74 99 - 0
Fax: +49 (0)331 / 74 99 - 200

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Further Information: www.aip.de/