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Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche FakultätAstrophysik I.Physik

Theoretical Astrophysics group Cologne - TAC

Our research deals with the numerical modelling of the star formation process by means of high-performance, 3D, magneto-hydrodynamical (MHD) simulations. The simulations cover large spatial scales from ISM physics on kpc scales over molecular clouds on scales of 10 - 100 pc to star forming filaments on (sub-) pc scales and finally to protostellar discs and jets on scales of 10 - 1000 AU.

In our research group we use several tools like the (M)HD codes FLASH, GADGET, GANDALF, the astrochemical code KROME, 3D-PDR or radiative transport codes like RADMC-3D and POLARIS.

Prof. Dr. Stefanie Walch-Gassner is the head of the SILCC project (SImulating the life Cyle of molecular Clouds), a collaboration of several European astrophysical institutes, which has set the aim to model the formation, evolution, and dispersal of molecular clouds in 3D, MHD simulations with particular focus on a detailed astro-chemical modelling and the inclusion of various feedback processes.

Contact information:

  • Phone: (+49|0) 221 / 470 - 3497
  • Fax: (+49|0) 221 / 470 - 5162
  • Email: walch [at] ph1.uni-koeln.de

Consultation hours

upon agreement in Room 1.14, Building 312 

Monthly Highlight

A toy model of intracluster medium sloshing in galaxy clusters

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  • Figure 1: Time series of temperature slices of the simulations centered on the minimum of gravitational potential. Each quadrant is for a different simulation, clockwise from the top-left: Kick1 (100km/s), Kick2 (250km/s), binary merger, Kick3 (500km/s). Each panel is 2.5 Mpc on a side.
  • Figure 2: Lineplots of the linear best-fit SCF speeds from each simulation, and the speeds predicted by the toy model as a function of SCF number. The solid black line shows the toy model predictions for each SCF’s speed; the solid coloured lines show the linear fit SCF speeds from each of the simulations; and the dash-dotted black line shows a power-law of 1/n1.2.