Stellar Astrophysics
From the death of normal stars to the climate change
Observational stellar astrophysics of the late stages of stellar evolution, In these stages a large part of the light elements are produced. Carbon and isotope ratios are particularly important here - so this is the decisive phase of the basic building block of our life on Earth. For this we also need new methods, including the correction of modification by the atmosphere. The latter leads us to analyses of chemical changes and the water vapor content at high altitudes - and thus to studies of climate change.
Our research interests include:
- We work the investigation of the late stages of stellar evolution of normal stars (0.8 to 8.0 solar masses).
- We study the effects of the Earth's atmosphere on astrophysical observations (distortions). As a spin-off, we obtain the byproduct of detailed time-resolved geophysical structure information.
- We develop spectroscopic instruments including software and methods for the OCM observatory (Warsaw & ESO project) in Chile and a new observatory above the town at the Hafelekar.
Stefan Kimeswenger
Associate Professor for Astrophysics
PhD 1990, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany
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Affiliations
Institute of Astro- and Particle Physics, Univ. Innsbruck
Instituto de Astronomia, Universidad Catolica del Norte
Observational astrophysicist in broad areas of the late stellar stages and the interstellar medium with a penchant for computational physics. Head of negotiations of the in-kind Austrian ESO accession (2009) and later head of the project. Austrian representative in the ESO Science and Technology Committee. Collaborations in the field of climate with Alain Smette (ESO), Stefan Noll (DLR) and John M. C. Plane (Leeds). Head of the collaboration agreement LFUI-PANK (2019-) in the field of instruments and methods with Grzegorz Pietrzyński (Warsaw, PANK)