Cutting-edge science requires custom-made instruments that are tuned to the research goals. In modern astrophysics such instruments are used for measuring the intensity and spectrum of light collected by our telescopes. This information can be then compared to model prediction to derive such properties of cosmic objects as temperature, density, chemical composition and velocity. Uppsala astronomers are traditionally strong in two particular areas: instruments and data reduction software for high-resolution spectroscopy and polarimetry. The latter offers unique opportunity of measuring magnetic fields on distant stars.

Our research projects

ANDES: a future high-resolution spectrograph for the Extremely Large Telescope

CRIRES+: a high-resolution near-infrared spectropolarimeter at the Very Large Telescope

MARCS: our grid of 1-D model stellar atmospheres

VALD: the Vienna Atomic Line Database

VAMDC: the Virtual Atomic and Molecular Data Centre Consortium