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Pulsars, Binary Neutron Stars, X-ray Binaries,
Stellar Astrophysics, Supernovae...
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Neutron stars are unique creations in nature. They are formed violently as the remnants of giant stars which undergo a supernova explosion once their nuclear fusion has been exhausted. Neutron stars allow for fundamental studies in all disciplines of physics in the most extreme regimes - conditions which are impossible to imitate in any laboratory on Earth!
Being a rapidly spinning and strongly magnetized neutron star, only 10 km in radius and emitting energy at a rate of 100.000 times that of our own Sun, pulsars constitute an interesting challenge for astrophysicists. Millisecond pulsars are of special interest since they are old neutron stars which have been spun-up to very high rotation frequencies (600 Hz) via accretion of mass and angular momentum in a binary system.
I have a passion for neutron stars in all their aspects. My theoretical research is mainly on the formation and evolution of binary millisecond pulsars as well as X-ray binaries with neutron stars and black holes with applications to detection of gravitational waves. I also simulated the consequences of asymmetric supernova explosions in binaries. Furthermore, I have been working on models for torque decay in isolated neutron stars and a little bit on the beam evolution of pulsars.
Although I mainly work on theory, I have also discovered and observed real pulsars using the
Parkes Radio Telescope
in Australia. My current location at the Max-Planck-Institute for Radio Astronomy in Bonn enables me to participate in exciting
observations again using the 100-meter
Effelsberg Radio Telescope.
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