Home | Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research

Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research

The research focus of the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research is our cosmic neighborhood: the solar system with its planets and moons, comets and asteroids as well as the sun. The aim of the scientists is to describe the processes in the solar system in models and to simulate them on the computer. In addition, instruments are being developed and built to study these bodies from space. The Institute is involved in numerous space missions.

From Dust Particles to Planets

A new research group has joined the Planetary Science Department at the MPS: as of today, Dr. Joanna Drążkowska heads the group PLANETOIDS - thus adding a new research focus and method to the department. Together with her team, the scientist uses computer simulations to investigate how the building blocks of planets form in the environment surrounding young stars. Over the next five years, the European Research Council (ERC) will support this work with one of its prestigious Starting Grants.

Magnetic Switchback in the Solar Corona

During Solar Orbiter's yet closest flyby of the Sun earlier this year, the coronagraph Metis witnessed a switchback in the solar corona. The phenomenon has been known for decades from solar wind measurements, where it shows up as a brief reversal of the magnetic field. The new data from ESA’s Solar Orbiter together with new computer simulations now make it possible to trace the origin of the phenomenon down to the lower corona.

George Ellery Hale Prize for MPS Director

The American Astronomical Society (AAS) has honored MPS director Prof. Dr. Sami K. Solanki with a high distinction: the AAS Solar Physics Division (SPD) has named the Göttingen researcher this year's recipient of the George Ellery Hale Prize, which distinguishes selected scientists for their long-standing and ground-breaking contributions to solar research. The award ceremony took place yesterday at the Triennial Earth-Sun Summit symposium in Seattle, USA.

Research Departments

Sun and Heliosphere

The focus of this department is the solar interior, the solar atmosphere, the solar magnetic field, the heliosphere, and the interplanetary medium, as well as solar radiation and solar energetic particles. The balloon-mission Sunrise, a balloon-borne solar observatory, is managed by this department. The mission investigates our central star from a height of about 35 km. In addition to several other participations in space missions, the department significantly contributes to the ESA's Solar Orbiter.

Planetary Science Department

This department investigates the interior, the surfaces, atmospheres, ionospheres, and magnetospheres of planets and their moons, as well as comets and asteroids. The department currently contributes or has contributed to important space missions such as the ESA's missions JUICE to the Jovian system, BepiColombo to Mercury and Rosetta to comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko as well as NASA's missions InSight to Mars and Dawn to the asteroid belt.

Solar and Stellar Interiors

Helioseismology and asteroseismology are tools that use the oscillations of the Sun and stars to probe their interior structure and dynamics. This allows us to test and refine the theory of stellar structure and evolution, thereby bringing us closer to understanding solar and stellar magnetism. The department hosts the German Data Center for NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, and is preparing to host the data center of ESA's exoplanet hunting mission, PLATO.

International Office

On the pages of the International Office, new employees and guests will find information for their stay in Göttingen and at the institute.

IMPRS

PhD programme: International Max Planck Research School for Solar System Science at the University of Göttingen.

Staff at the MPS

Staff directory

Restaurant at the End of the Universe

Canteen at the MPS
Mon - Fri 9 - 13
This week's menu

Seminars

IMPRS Defense: Small-scale dynamo in cool-main sequence stars (Tanayveer Singh Bhatia)

Oct 17, 2022 02:00 PM - 03:30 PM (Local Time Germany)

MPS Auditorium