We research matter under extreme conditions, such as those found in astrophysical objects. Our investigations cover a temperature and density range which includes conditions in the atmospheres of inflated gas giants to the interior of brown dwarfs. We also accompany experiments on warm density matter, a state of matter with a temperature range between 0.1 and a few 10 eV, and densities in the range of solids.

We use density functional theory for an efficient description of strongly correlated matter and employ the results for modeling (exo-)planets as well as for diagnostics of high pressure experiments.

• Advances in simulating dense quantum plasmas: New methods and insights
   
• Founding of the High-Energy Density Initiative (HEDI)
   
• 3rd place at the national finals of “Jugend Forscht” for a pupil supported by the Statistical Physics Working Group
   
• Qualification for the national finals of the "Jugend forscht" competition of a group supported by members of the Statistical Physic Working Group
   
• Members of the group for statistical physics and high energy density win at the Hochschulwettbewerb (university competition) 2023
   
• Summary of our current knowledge on the behavior of hydrogen and helium under extreme conditions
   
• Observation of ultrafast melting of gold with electron scattering
  Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC)
   
• Shedding Light on Enigmatic Brown Dwarfs
  National Ignition Facility & Photon Science (NIF), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL)

• November 26 to 28, 2025:
  Workshop "Theory meets XFELs 2025"
  Schenefeld and Hamburg

• during the semester on Tuesday 2pm:
  Seminar of all workgroups of the physics institute
  Physics Lecture Hall III, Universität Rostock

• Presentation of bachelor thesis topics