Emmy Noether Research Group on Stellar Atmospheres and Mass Loss

Vorlesung / Übung / Seminar (MVAstro2)

Stellar Astrophysics

Wintersemester 2023/24 (Block Course)

Most of the light we observe in astrophysics stems from stars, whether they are in the Milky Way or beyond. With their nuclear fusion and their complex interaction with their environment, stars are the engines of the cosmos. In this lecture, we will introduce the physical concepts to describe and understand stars. It will provide an overview of the structure, life, and death of different types of stars, introduce the concepts of their interaction and feedback, and cover the main aspects to describe and model their spectral appearance.

Target audience: Master students with an interest in astrophysics

Detailed Course Information

Master-Pflichtseminar (MVSem)

From Light to Darkness: How Radiative Processes pave the way to Gravitational Waves

Sommersemester 2023 (together with Maria Bergemann)

While eventually no light escapes from them, the life of the stars that eventually become black holes is governed by light. In this seminar, we take a look at the various stages stars pass through on their way to core collapse and the role radiative processes play in this journey. Covering cool and hot stars, silent and eruptive stages, as well as the resulting chemical evolution and gravitational wave events, the seminar uses scientific seminal and review papers to takes you on a journey from light to darkness.

Target audience: Master students with an interest in astrophysics

Detailed Course Information

Stellar Winds and Mass Loss

Sternwinde und Massenverlust, MVSpec

Sommersemester 2025
Sommersemester 2024
Sommersemester 2023
Sommersemester 2022

The mass is a fundamental quantity of stars that decides their life and fate. In the last decades, it has become clear that the mass of a star is not only set by its initial conditions, but can significantly change during the life of the star. In this lecture, which will be intertwined with some instructive excercises, we will discuss why stars can lose mass and which mechanisms play are role here. A particular focus will be to provide an overview of the various types of stellar winds we find in different types of stars and their physical origin. After exploring the different wind regimes (solar wind, hot stars, cool stars), the lecture will also cover the consequences of strong mass outflow on the evolution and environment of stars.

Target audience: Master students with at least a basic knowledge about astrophysics and an interest in stellar winds and their impact.

What is the situation at the forefront of research? In this special seminar, we discuss and presentat current papers and ongoing research projects in the field of hot stars.

Target audience: PhD students and postdocs working in the field of hot stars, as well as Bachelor and Master students writing their thesis in this field