The interstellar medium is the dominant reservoir of mass in galaxies, and research into it contributes to our understanding of star and planet formation, as well as the physical and chemical evolution of galaxies.
The MA-LAB group’s research focuses on a detailed description of star formation across a wide range of masses and on determining the influence of the environment’s physicochemical properties on the course and efficiency of this process.
To determine the physical and chemical conditions in star-forming regions, the team uses observations of molecules, more than 300 types of which have already been detected in space. Using their knowledge of these molecules’ properties and collision rates, they create models that provide insights into, for instance, the processes of matter accretion onto a forming protostar and the associated ejection of matter in the form of jets. The research falls within the field of molecular astrophysics (also known as astrochemistry), which is one of the fastest-growing branches of astrophysics.
The MA-LAB team conducts astronomical observations of both star-forming regions near the Sun and those at the outskirts of our Milky Way and in nearby galaxies. To this end, they use ground-based telescopes and antenna arrays operating in the submillimeter range (APEX, IRAM 30m, NOEMA, ALMA) as well as space-based infrared telescopes (JWST, Herschel), which provide observations uncontaminated by the Earth’s atmosphere.
