Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
Deparment of Theoretical Physics

Astrophysics and Cosmology

Currently, the Astrophysics Group consists of 4 permanent professors (A. I. Díaz, R. Domínguez-Tenreiro, C. Eiroa, and G. Yepes), 6 Ramón y Cajal researchers, and about 20 postdoctoral researchers and Ph.D. students. Other members of the Department of Theoretical Physics and the IFT (e.g. Prof. J. García-Bellido, D. García-Cerdeño, B. Gavela, and C. Muñoz, among others) often carry out activities and expeditions towards cosmology and astroparticle physics, and several scientists from other institutions collaborate with the Group on a regular basis.

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Star formation and exoplanets

Star formation, planetary systems and planet are all links in the same chain: the gravititory collapse of a fragment of a molecular cloud, which leads to star formation and then to circumstellar disks where the planets will be formed. There are several running projects regarding this evolutive chain: i) Protostars and young star objects; ii) Evolution of protoplanetary disks into planetary disks; iii) Kuiper belts and exozodiacal light in mature stars of the solar vicinity; iv) Detection and characterization of earth-like planets in near stars.
This departmental research takes place in the framework of large international consortia (i.e. DUNES and GASPS related to the space telescope Herschel or ARENA).

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Extragalactic Astrophysics

It has been understood that the chemical evolution of the different systems in the Universe provide key elements to identify the processes leading to galaxy formation. The subgroup of extragalactic astrophysics studies these processes, both from a theoretical -modelling- point of view and through observations, devising methodologies for the determination of chemical abundances in the interstellar gas and in star populations.
The team also studies the “activity” (high-energy radiation emission) in galaxy nuclei and its connection with violent star formation. This group is leader in the study of star formation in that type of environments.

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Computational Astrophysics

This subgroup develops simulations of visible structures in the Universe at different astronomical scales: from the largest – of order of billion light-years -, to the smallest, e.g. galaxies such as the Milky Way. The gravitational effects of the dark matter and dark energy components are taken into account and explored, as well as gas-dynamic effects. These simulations are a virtual laboratory which serves to test and verify theories and astrophysical and cosmological models; it is also a tool to design future observational and instrumental strategies.
The team participates in large international collaborations on Universe simulations (i.e. DEISA consortium, http://www.deisa.org), and some of them, as Mare Nostrum Universe, are still the biggest simulations in the world that simultaneously include gas and dark matter.

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Astroparticle Physics and Cosmology

This line deals with the origin and composition of the Universe and spans research in astroparticle physics and cosmology. Both fields are undergoing a tantalizing transformation as a consequence of the many running experiments which provide precise results about the universe at its largest scales. Data of deep impact is expected to be available very soon, such as that from the PLANCK satellite or from dark matter experiments e.g. XENON. The collaboration and coordination in this field between IFT members (with PE10-13 rating in this area of 5/5 inside CSIC y 4/5 at an international level) and the extremely active and consolidated astrophysics group of the Department is very positive.

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