
Welcome!
My name is Rolf Kuiper. I am working in the field of computational astrophysics. Currently, I am a Heisenberg-Fellow at the Center for Astronomy (ZAH) within the University of Heidelberg, specifically at the Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics (ITA).
My Team and I are developing novel numerical algorithms for hydrodynamics simulations in the framework of high-performance computing (CPU and GPU).
Besides fluid motion, simulations include gravity, magnetic fields, continuum radiation transport, photoionization, phase transitions, chemical evolution, stellar evolution, and dust evolution.
We apply these tools to model specific astrophysical processes, focussing on accretion and ejection phenomena, and addressing open research questions within a broad spectrum of topics.
Our research interests range from star and planet formation, to stellar physics and stellar feedback, to planetary atmospheres and exoplanets, to the turbulent interstellar medium, to black hole formation, active galactic nuclei, gamma-ray bursts, and to the physics of the early Universe.
For details on our contributions to these reseach fields, please have a look at my Publication records.
For visualizations of our simulation work, check out my YouTube channel!
You are looking for a PhD or Postdoc position? Open positions in our group are commonly posted on the AG Job Register from the German Astronomical Society and the AAS Job Register from the American Astronomical Society. Additonally, feel free to get into Contact with us to chat about further opprtunities!
Are you a student looking for an interesting thesis project, or are you interested in hands-on experience in computational physics?
We regularly offer paid mini-research projects and thesis projects on a variety of different topics and numerical methods.
Check out the Vacancies section!
Curriculum Vitae

Date | Position | Institution |
---|---|---|
06/2021 - today | Heisenberg Fellowship | Heidelberg University |
03/2022 - 04/2022 | JSPS Invitational Fellowship | Kyoto, Tokyo, and Nagoya University |
01/2015 - 05/2021 | Emmy Noether Fellowship | Tübingen University |
08/2013 - 12/2014 | Postdoc | MPI for Astronomy Heidelberg |
01/2013 - 07/2013 | Postdoc | Tübingen University |
11/2012 - 12/2012 | Postdoc | Heidelberg University |
09/2012 - 10/2012 | Consulting agreement | JPL, CALTECH, Pasadena, USA |
09/2011 - 08/2012 | Leopoldina Research Fellowship | JPL, CALTECH, Pasadena, USA |
05/2010 - 08/2011 | Postdoc | Bonn University |
01/2010 - 04/2010 | Postdoc | MPI for Astronomy Heidelberg |
09/2006 - 12/2009 | PhD Student | MPI for Astronomy Heidelberg |
10/2000 - 08/2006 | Diploma Student | Heidelberg University |
Research Group


André Oliva

Erick Loría
Former Members:
Publications
An overview of peer-reviewed research articles can be found in various online databases:
Rolf Kuiper @ NASA/ADS Rolf Kuiper @ arXiv Rolf Kuiper @ ORCiD Rolf Kuiper @ Scopus Rolf Kuiper @ Publons Rolf Kuiper @ Google Scholar
Talks
I am a regular speaker in seminars and colloquia in German research institutes and abroad, on average 1-2 per month. Additionally, my current talk list includes more than 30 contributed conference talks. For brevity, the tables below only list invited talks for public audiences or at international conferences.
Date | Event | Location | Title |
---|---|---|---|
2022-12 | Südthüringischer Astronomischer Tag | Schul- und Volkssternwarte Suhl, Hoheloh 1, 98527 Suhl | tba |
2018-11-17 | Volkssternwarte Darmstadt e.V. | Observatorium Ludwigshöhe, Auf der Ludwigshöhe 196, Darmstadt (Bessungen) | Die Geburt stellarer Monster - Über die Entstehung der massereichsten Sterne im Universum |
2018-05-04 | Astronomische Vereinigung Tübingen | Sternwarte Tübingen, Waldhäuser Straße 70, 72076 Tübingen | Wie große Sterne entstehen - mit einem internationalen Team beobachtet |
Date | Event | Location | Title |
---|---|---|---|
2020-01-10 | RAS Specialist Discussion Meeting on Radiation-Hydrodynamics | London, UK | Modeling High-Mass Star Formation |
2019-05-28 | TDLI Workshop on The Radiating Universe in the Era of Multi-Messenger Astrophysics | Shanghai, China | Review of Modeling High-Mass Star Formation |
2019-05-20 | ISSI Workshop on Star Formation | Bern, Switzerland | On the Formation and Feedback of High-Mass Stars |
2013-06-10 | Massive Stars: From alpha to Omega | Rhodes, Greece | Formation of Massive Stars |
Date | Event | Location | Title |
---|---|---|---|
2022 | The Physics of Star Formation: From Stellar Cores to Galactic Scales | Lyon, France | tba |
2021-07-12 | Puzzles of Star Formation | Ringberg Castle, Germany | Beuther & Kuiper: What are the differences between high- and low-mass star formation? |
2019-09-26 | Crete III - Through dark lanes to new stars | Crete, Greece | Jets and Outflows from Massive Protostars |
2019-09-17 | Annual Meeting of the German Astronomical Society (AG), Splinter: Star formation and stellar feedback: confronting observations and simulations | Stuttgart, Germany | Multiplicity of High-mass Star Formation due to Disk Fragmentation |
2019-06-13 | Zooming in on Star Formation | Nafplio, Greece | Accretion and Feedback in High-Mass Star Formation |
2018-09-04 | The Wonders of Star Formation | Edinburgh, UK | First Hydrodynamics Simulations of Radiation Forces and Photoionization Feedback in Massive Star Formation |
2018-07-18 | Frontiers of the Physics of Massive Stars | Ensenada, Mexico | The Formation of Massive (Binary) Stars |
2016-07-28 | Star Formation in different Environments | Quy Nhon, Vietnam | Protostellar Outflows and Radiation Feedback from Massive Protostars |
2016-04-07 | From Stars to Massive Stars | Gainesville, Florida | The Multi-Physics of Feedback in Massive Star Formation |
2015-06-02 | Mini-Symposium on Radiative Transfer, Platform for Advanced Scientific Computing Conference | Zurich, Switzerland | Hybrid Radiation Transport Methods for Star and Planet Formation |
2015-03-27 | International Workshop on Interstellar Hydrogen | Nagoya, Japan | The Formation and Feedback of the Most Massive Stars |
2014-04-17 | Fire Down Below: The Impact of Feedback on Star and Galaxy Formation, KITP Program Gravity‘s Loyal Opposition: The Physics of Star Formation Feedback | Santa Barbara, CA, USA | Ray-Tracing and Flux-Limited-Diffusion for simulating Stellar Radiation Feedback |
Teaching
Date | Format | Title | Cooperation | University |
---|---|---|---|---|
WS 2019/2020 | Lecture | Astronomy and Astrophysics | in tandem with Prof. Santangelo | Tübingen |
WS 2018/2019 | Lecture | Astronomy and Astrophysics | in tandem with Prof. Santangelo | Tübingen |
WS 2015/2016 | Lecture | Applied Numerical Hydrodynamics | Tübingen | |
WS 2013/2014 | Lecture | Star Formation | Tübingen |
Date | Format | Title | Cooperation | University |
---|---|---|---|---|
SS 2020 | Seminar | Modern Topics in Astronomy & Astrophysics | in tandem with Tübingen faculty | Tübingen |
WS 2019/2020 | Seminar | Star- and Planet Formation | Tübingen | |
SS 2019 | Seminar | Modern Topics in Astronomy & Astrophysics | in tandem with Tübingen faculty | Tübingen |
SS 2019 | Seminar | Star- and Planet Formation | Tübingen | |
WS 2018/2019 | Seminar | Star- and Planet Formation | Tübingen | |
SS 2018 | Seminar | Massive Star Formation | Tübingen | |
SS 2017 | Seminar | Computational Physics | in tandem with Dr. Schäfer | Tübingen |
SS 2017 | Seminar | Massive Star Formation | Tübingen | |
WS 2016/2017 | Seminar | Computational Physics | in tandem with Prof. Kley | Tübingen |
WS 2016/2017 | Seminar | Massive Star Formation | Tübingen | |
SS 2016 | Seminar | Massive Star Formation | Tübingen | |
WS 2015/2016 | Seminar | Computational Physics | in tandem with Prof. Kley | Tübingen |
Date | Format | Title | Cooperation | University |
---|---|---|---|---|
SS 2008 | Tutorial | Numerical Fluid Dynamics | Lecture by PD Dr. Dullemond | Heidelberg |
SS 2007 | Tutorial | Theoretical Electrodynamics | Lecture by Prof. Wolschin | Heidelberg |
WS 2005/06 | Tutorial | Theoretical Quantum Mechanics | Lecture by Prof. Nachtmann | Heidelberg |
WS 2004/05 | Tutorial | Theoretical Mechanics | Lecture by Prof. Wegner | Heidelberg |
SS 2004 | Tutorial | Theoretical Electrodynamics | Lecture by Prof. Gromes | Heidelberg |
Workshops
LMEPA 2018
The LMEPA 2018 Workshop covered the formation of low-mass early planetary atmospheres.
This small meeting of researchers, working explicitly on simulations of gas accretion onto embedded rocky planets, was organized to flesh out the possible paths to answers of the most important open research questions as well as the techniques necessary to obtain reliable answers.
HMSF 2020
The HMSF 2020 Workshop was a get-together of world-leading researchers on high-mass stellar feedback to present recent results and brainstorm on future directions for modeling the huge variety of feedback effects of high-mass stars on different spatial scales and evolutionary stages.
Vacancies
Are you eager to carry out a project in computational astrophysics?
If so, please do not hesitate to contact us and arrange a personal meeting to discuss mutual expectations, potential concerns, and your specific requirements.
Let's chat about your favorite topics and methods, and think about the skills you want to employ or what you want to achieve during the project.
Anyway, I am sure we will find a project matching your individual needs, skills, and interests!
As a source of inspiration and to give you an idea of the broad spectrum of our project work, please find here some exemplary themes:
Gas-Structure Interaction
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Accretion
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Formation of Planetary Atmospheres
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Atmospheric Escape
Disk Fragmentation
Astrophysical Jets
High-Mass Stellar Feedback
Photoionization Feedback in the Turbulent Interstellar Medium
Contact
Address:
Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics (ITA)
Center for Astronomy Heidelberg (ZAH)
University of Heidelberg
Albert-Ueberle-Straße 2
D-69120 Heidelberg
Germany
Office:
Room 6b (Ground floor, to the left)
Email:
kuiper [at] uni-heidelberg [dot] de
YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/user/RolfKuiper
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/rolf.kuiper.1