Research Group for Clusters of Galaxies and Cosmology at MPE

The research group, led by Hans Böhringer, is conducting observational and theoretical studies on the astronomy and astrophysics of galaxy clusters, and on the assessment of the large-scale structure of the Universe. These studies are undertaken mainly on the basis of the observed galaxy cluster population, and also form the basis for testing cosmological models. The research group is part of the theory division of MPE but also includes members of the X-ray astronomy and optical/interpretative astronomy divisions.

The main research topics of the group are

The structure of galaxy clusters
The physics and chemical composition of the X-ray luminous intra-cluster medium
The galaxy population of galaxy clusters
Galaxy cluster surveys
Study of the cosmic large-scale structure
Tests of cosmological models

The main activities are detailed X-ray studies of galaxy clusters with the satellite observatories XMM-Newton and Chandra, and optical studies, based mainly at the Chilean observatories of ESO and the German-Spanish observatory at Calar Alto. Through detailed data analysis, modeling, and simulations of the physics of galaxy clusters, we can gain insights into their evolution and their role in the large scale structure of the Universe. Our major goal is to contribute to the understanding of the formation of the visible large-scale structure of the Universe, and to develop more and more stringent tests of cosmological models.

Further information on group research projects

XDCP - Project Homepage

Pseudo Pressure Map of a Galaxy Cluster with 20cm Radio Contours Overlaid

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