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To reconstruct the formation history and “growth” of the Milky Way using novel methods in computational astrophysics, Dr Tobias Buck and Dr William Oliver are receiving funding from the German Research Foundation (DFG). The two researchers work in the field of Galactic archaeology at the Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing and the Centre for Astronomy of Heidelberg University. As part of the new project, they aim to develop algorithms that can model data from large sky surveys far more accurately than before, enabling them to draw conclusions about the Milky Way’s evolution.
Press Release
Heidelberg, 3 March 2026
DFG Funds Research Project in Galactic Archaeology
Heidelberg astrophysicists develop novel algorithms to reconstruct the formation history and “growth” of the Milky Way
To reconstruct the formation history and “growth” of the Milky Way using novel methods in computational astrophysics, Dr Tobias Buck and Dr William Oliver are receiving funding from the German Research Foundation (DFG). The two researchers work in the field of Galactic archaeology at the Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing and the Centre for Astronomy of Heidelberg University. As part of the new project, they aim to develop algorithms that can model data from large sky surveys far more accurately than before, enabling them to draw conclusions about the Milky Way’s evolution. The DFG is funding the research for three years with around 950,000 euros.
With this research project, Tobias Buck and William Oliver aim to use so-called clustering algorithms to map both different stellar structures and measurement uncertainties in large sky surveys, for example those from the European Space Agency’s Gaia mission. “Using methods from computational astrophysics, we aim to quantify phenomena such as disrupted satellite galaxies that have contributed to the halo-like structure surrounding the Milky Way,” explains Dr Buck, who is leading the project “COSMOS – Clustering, orbital and simulation-based modelling for observational surveys”. This will make it possible to draw reliable conclusions from current observational data about past accretion events – in other words, how the Galaxy has grown through the gravitational accumulation of matter. The researchers will also make extensive use of GPU-accelerated simulations to generate realistic models of accreted systems within the dynamically evolving Milky Way.
Tobias Buck heads the “Astrophysics and Machine Learning” research group. The group is based at the Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing and at the Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics, which is part of the Centre for Astronomy of Heidelberg University. The team, which includes postdoc William Oliver, combines state-of-the-art machine-learning methods with high-resolution cosmological computer simulations. This is intended to generate new scientific insights into how galaxies form. The research is also funded through the Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung Nexus program.
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Applying the AstroLink clustering algorithm to over one billion stars observed by ESA’s Gaia mission ...
Copyright: © William Oliver, Tobias Buck
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