Research Topics
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.
Recent Topics
News
- 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)
Conferences
- November 26 to 28, 2025:
Workshop "Theory meets XFELs 2025"
Schenefeld and Hamburg
- September 22 to 24, 2025:
12th Joint Workshop on High Pressure, Planetary and Plasma Physics (HP4)
Schenefeld
- August 5 to 8, 2025:
Z Fundamental Science Program Workshop
Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
- Juli 27 to August 1, 2025:
Strongly Coupled Coulomb Systems (SCCS)
Lake Tahoe, Nevada, USA
- March 31 to April 4, 2025:
88. Jahrestagung der DPG und DPG-Frühjahrstagung
Göttingen
Seminars
- during the semester on Tuesday 2pm:
Seminar of all workgroups of the physics institute
Physics Lecture Hall III, Universität Rostock

