Report 2007-2009 MPE Report 297 Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik Imprint Responsible for contents: R. Genzel Editors and Layout: W. Collmar, E. Collmar, H. Hämmerle and J. Zanker-Smith Print: MPE Printshop (R. Hauner) Text and Figure Contributions: C. Ahlig, M. Ajello, S. Berta, H. Boehringer, M. Brusa, W. Bunk, V. Burwitz, W. Collmar, L. Couedel, N. Drory, R. Diehl, P. Erwin, K. Dodds-Eden, R. Fassbender, N. Foerster Schreiber, R. Genzel, O. Gerhard, S. Gillessen, J. Greiner, F. Haberl, G. Haerendel, R. Heidemann, S. Khochfar, B. Klecker, S. Komossa, D. Lutz, V. Nosenko, N. Nowak, G. Paschmann, W. Pietsch, R. Saglia, A. Sanchez, S. Savaglio, M. Scholer, M. Schwabe, L. Strueder, R. Suetterlin, L. Tacconi, K. Tarantik, M. Thiel, M. Thoma, H. Thomas, E. van Dishoeck, D. Wilman Further Support: R. Mayr-Ihbe, H. Steinle 1. Edition June 2010 Table of Contents PREFACE 5 1 RESEARCH AREAS AND INSTITUTE STRUCTURE 9 2 SCIENTIFIC RESULTS 2.1 Large-Scale Structure and Cosmology 13 2.2 Galaxies and Galaxy Evolution 23 2.3 Massive Black Holes and Active Galactic Nuclei 38 2.4 Stellar Evolution and the ISM 56 2.5 Physics of the Solar System 65 2.6 Complex Plasmas 77 3 EXPERIMENTS AND PROJECTS 3.1 Infrared/Submillimeter Astronomy 94 3.2 Optical and Interpretative Astronomy 102 3.3 High-Energy Astrophysics and MPI HLL 105 Projects in High-Energy Astronomy 105 The MPI Semiconductor Laboratory 110 3.4 Space Physics of the Near-Earth Environment 113 3.5 Complex Plasmas 118 3.6 Technology Transfer 122 4 THE INSTITUTE 4.1 Technical Services 126 4.2 General Services 128 4.3 Vocational Training and Education 129 4.4 Public Outreach 130 4.5 Social Events 132 Preface 5 PREFACE This report summarizes the scientifi c, experimental and project activities at the Max-Planck Institute for Extra- terrestrial Physics (MPE) during the period 2007-2009, and including the fi rst few months of 2010. Following an introduction of the Institute in chapter 1, the second chapter summarizes the scientifi c research in six main research areas and across the Institute’s science groups. In each chapter, we start with an introduction and ex- plain how the research at MPE fi ts into the overall research activities worldwide. This summary is then followed by a few selected highlights of our work during the last 3 years. Naturally, this structure cannot capture all of the many individual research projects and results at the MPE. For this purpose, we refer the readers to the ‘Poster Booklet’ that gives extended Abstracts of the individual activities. For clarity we have left out references in the text of Chapter 2, and we refer to the Poster Booklet for more details. In the case of the work on solar system 'Space Plasmas' at the MPE (section 2.5), this research is coming to an end in the near future, thus completing a superbly successful endeavor over the last forty years. On this occasion, we have decided to provide here a 'closing report' encompassing more than the last three years, and giving the readers an overall account of the accomplishments of MPE research in this fi eld. Chapter 3 covers the experiments, instrumental developments and projects, this time ordered by research groups. The fi nal chapter summarizes the activities of our central technical and administrative groups, as well as our teaching and public outreach. The last three years have been quite successful. On the project side, we saw the fl awless launch of ESA’s far- infrared space telescope HERSCHEL (together with PLANCK), followed by commissioning and fi rst light science of the PACS instrument built at MPE. Outstanding science results on a wide range of science topics are now emerging every day, thus crowning a development that started at MPE about twenty-three years ago. Another milestone was the launch of the FERMI γ-ray satellite (again with signifi cant MPE contributions), a third the con- tinuing series of successful complex-plasma experiments on the International Space Station (PK3-plus, PK4). On the ground, we saw the start of regular science observations with laser guide star adaptive optics at the ESO-VLT with the PARSEC laser system, the beginning of science with the GROND γ-ray burst follow-up experiment and the commissioning and fi rst science with the LUCIFER near-infrared camera/spectrometer on the LBT. MPE has entered the PanSTARRS1 collaboration for the next series of precision studies of the nature of dark energy and the fi rst scientifi c results have been emerging this year. We have also made good progress in preparing the next series of future experiments and projects. eROSITA is now an approved DLR-project and the road is clear for a launch in 2012/2013. The formal technical agreement on the German-Russian collaboration was signed last summer by RosCosmos and DLR. The technical develop- ments of detectors and telescopes for eROSITA are proceeding well. The GRAVITY experiment for the ESO-VLT interferometer, the KMOS multi-integral fi eld unit for the VLT, the HETDEX multi-fi ber spectrograph on the HET, the ARGOS wide-fi eld adaptive optics system for the LBT, and the MICADO study of an astrometric camera for the E-ELT all have successfully gone through major project milestones. The merger between the ESA and NASA studies in the next generation X-ray mission has led to the IXO project, in which MPE hopes to be engaged in the future. MPE is also part of the ongoing ESA feasibility study of EUCLID, a mission to explore the cosmic evolution of the fundamental cosmological parameters as well as of galaxies. On the science side we have seen spectacular new results with SINFONI on the Galactic Center, on nearby mas- sive black holes and on distant galaxy dynamics. HERSCHEL/PACS is delivering new insights on cosmic star formation, in the Milky Way, in nearby external galaxies and in very luminous distant galaxies. The IRAM Plateau de Bure interferometer has given exciting glimpses on the amount and properties of cold gas in forming mas- sive galaxies at high redshift. GROND is discovering the most distant γ-ray bursters seen to date. Our studies of the hot gas, stellar light and stellar dynamics in the intra-cluster medium have given important new insights on the structure and dynamical processes in massive galaxy clusters. Our work on the cosmic evolution of galaxy clusters, as well as the angular distribution of galaxies has yielded new constraints on the nature of dark energy. 6 Preface We are continuing to learn ever more about the properties of accreting massive black holes, their interaction with their host galaxies and beyond, with each other as a result of galaxy mergers, and their cosmic evolution. Our work with FERMI, INTEGRAL and XMM has delivered new insights into the properties and evolution of magne- tars, pulsars, neutron stars, stellar black holes and evolved binaries, as well as the ejection by massive stars of radioactive material into the interstellar medium of the Milky Way. Our studies of complex plasmas under micro- gravity have uncovered a remarkable range of new phenomena, including bubbles and droplets, lane formation in penetrating streams and phonon/soliton excitations. We have also been able to gain important new insights into the microphysics of the melting of plasma-crystals. I am grateful to all my colleagues at the MPE for their inputs and help, which was essential for preparing this tri- annual report. Professor Reinhard Genzel Managing Director Preface 7 Research Areas and Institute Structure 9 1 RESEARCH AREAS AND INSTITUTE STRUCTURE Our research at the Max-Planck-Institut für extraterres- in the development of large software projects and in the trische Physik (MPE), located on the University and Rea- analysis of large amounts of primary data. Key facilities of search Campus in Garching (Fig. 1), addresses topics of the Institute outside of Garching are the X-ray test facility astrophysics and plasma physics. We combine experi- (PANTER) located in Neuried near München (Fig. 2) and ments and instrumental development with observations, the Max-Planck-Instiute Semiconductor Laboratory (MPI- data analysis and theoretical work. The main themes of HLL) on the Siemens campus in München-Neuperlach our work during the period 2007 to 2009 were: (Fig. 3), a collaborative enterprise between MPE and the Max-Planck-Institut für Physik in München. In addition to - Large-Scale Structure and Cosmology several technical central groups in mechanical and elec- - Galaxies and Galaxy Evolution tronic engineering and their associated workshops men- - Massive Black Holes and Active Galaxies tioned above, our administration and technical services - Stellar Evolution and Interstellar Medium team supported our Institute, as well as the neighbouring - Physics of Complex Plasmas Max-Planck-Institut für Astrophysik. - Physics of the Solar System. Know-how transfer from our research into applications is Our experimental work during the last three years focused particularly important in two research areas at MPE. The on astronomy with a number of projects, spanning more theory division transfers know-how in the area of "analy- than twelve decades of the electromagnetic spectrum from sis of complex systems" into applications in medicine, en- millimeter/submillimeter, infrared to optical, X- and Gam- gineering and pharmacology, and new results in plasma ma-ray bands. For the high energies we used satellites and space probes to avoid the atmospheric absorption of the radiation. In the infrared and optical bands we also used ground- based or airborne telescopes. Our investigations are complemented by laboratory experiments. In particular the research fi eld of "Complex Plas- mas" carried out laboratory activities at MPE as well as under microgravi- ty conditions on parabolic fl ights and aboard the International Space Sta- tion.