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.

• Qualification for the national final 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)

• February 26 - 29, 2024:
  87. Jahrestagung der DPG und DPG-Frühjahrstagung
  Greifswald, Germany
   
• February 3 - 10, 2024:
  Matter in Extreme Conditions from MATerial science to PLAnetary physics (MECMATPLA)
  Montgenèvre, France
   
• January 28 - February 2nd, 2024:
  44th International Workshop on High Energy Density Physics with Intense Ion and Laser Beams
  Hirschegg, Austria
   
• September 25 - 27, 2023:
  11th Joint Workshop on High Pressure, Planetary and Plasma Physics (HP4)
  Rostock, Germany
   
• July 23 - 28, 2023:
  28th AIRAPT (International Association for the Advancement of High Pressure Science and Technology) and 60th EHPRG (European High Pressure Research Group)
  Edinburgh, United Kingdom
   
• March 20 - 24, 2023:
  86. Jahrestagung der DPG und DPG-Frühjahrstagung
  Dresden, Germany
   
• January 29 - February 3rd, 2023:
  43th International Workshop on High Energy Density Physics with Intense Ion and Laser Beams
  Hirschegg, Austria
   
• September 28 - 30, 2022:
  10th Joint Workshop on High Pressure, Planetary and Plasma Physics (HP4)
  Brussels, Belgium
   
• September 12 - 14, 2022:
  (Exo)Planet Diversity, Formation and Evolution (PFE)
  Berlin, Germany
   
• July 24 - 29, 2022:
  Strongly Coupled Coulomb Systems (SCCS)
  Görlitz, Germany
   
• March 12 - 19, 2022:
  Matter in Extreme Conditions from MATerial science to PLAnetary physics (MECMATPLA)
  Montgenèvre, France

• 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