RUB » AIRUB » Chair of Astronomy

Welcome to the Chair of Astronomy

Prof. Dr. Ralf-Jürgen Dettmar


Our research follows a multi-wavelength approach, where we collect and evaluate data from different wavelength regimes (especially soft X-ray, ultraviolet, optical, near infrared, as well as long wavelength radio emission). The key is that we analyze these data together, which gives us much better access to many astrophysical phenomena than a single-wavelength observation can do.

Overview of our main research topics:


  • Structure and evolution of galaxies
    • Starbursts, galactic winds, galaxy halos, bulges, SFH, disk structure
  • Galaxies in their environment
    • Galaxy groups, interacting and merging galaxies, stellar streams, satellite galaxies
  • Structure of the Insterstellar Medium (ISM)
    • Massive stars, transients , stellar feedback, circumstellar nebulae, (super-) bubbles, DIG, HIM
  • Stellar physics
    • Massive stars, LBVs, stellar transients, circumstellar nebulae, runaway stars, resolved stellar populations
  • Distant universe
    • Starbursts at medium/high redshift, metal-poor galaxies, galaxy formation, AGN-Populations, IGM
  • Instruments / Astro informatics
    • LOFAR, LUCI, 3D-NTT, OMEGACAM, MONET
    • Data mining, machine learning