The Young Stars & Star Formation group at the Observatory of the University Munich is lead by Prof. Thomas Preibisch. We perform, analyze, and interpret observations of individual young stars and whole star forming regions at optical, infrared, X-ray, and sub-mm wavelengths. The main areas of research are currently:

Stellar Populations and Triggered Star Formation in OB Associations

Most stars form in large clusters and associations, close to massive OB stars, which affect their environment by ionizing radiation, stellar winds, and, finally, supernova explosions. Studies of the stellar populations and the star formation history in OB associations provide important insights into interactions and feedback effects.

X-ray Studies of Young Stars

The very strong X-ray emission from young stars has far-reaching implications for the formation of planetary systems, and the evolution of protoplanetary atmospheres. X-ray observations are also an important tool for the investigation of the stellar populations of star-forming regions.

Infrared Interferometry

This relatively new technique can provide an extremely high angular resolution of down to 0.001 arcsec. This allows, for example, to directly study, for the first time, the innermost regions in protoplanetary disks around young stars, where terrestrial planets are thought to form.