
April 2023
From left: A. Krieger, M. Lietzow, K. Ollmann, K. Tsishchankava, L. Hildebrandt, A. Bensberg, J. Schlenz, J. Kobus, N. Zielinski, S. Thiel, S. Wolf
Head
Wolf, Sebastian (Prof. Dr.)
Leibnizstr. 15, 24118 Kiel
Germany
Room: | 143 |
Phone: | +49 (0)431 880 4107 |
Fax: | +49 (0)431 880 4100 |
Mail: | wolf@astrophysik.uni-kiel.de |
ORCID: | 0000-0001-7841-3452 |

Postdocs and PhD students
Bensberg, Alexander (M.Sc.)
Leibnizstr. 15, 24118 Kiel
Germany
Room: | 144 |
Phone: | +49 (0)431 880 4105 |
Mail: | abensberg@astrophysik.uni-kiel.de |
ORCID iD: | ![]() |

Research Topics:
- Time dependent Monte-Carlo radiative transfer
- Numerical modeling of circumstellar disks
- Long-baseline interferometric observations (VLTI/MATISSE)
Publications:
- A. Bensberg, S. Wolf, 2022, A&A, Volume 668, A120,
„Time-dependent Monte Carlo continuum radiative transfer“ - T. Pearce, et al., 2022, MNRAS, Volume 517, Issue 1, Pages 1436-1451
„Hot exozodis: cometary supply without trapping is unlikely to be the mechanism“ - K.-H. Hofmann, A. Bensberg et al., 2021, A&A, Volume 658, A81,
„VLTI-MATISSE L- and N-band aperture-synthesis imaging of the unclassified B[e] star FS Canis Majoris“ - B. Lopez et al., 2021, A&A, Volume 659, A192,
„MATISSE, the VLTI mid-infrared imaging spectro-interferometer“ - E. Kokoulina et al. 2021, A&A, Volume 652, A61,
„First MATISSE L-band observations of HD 179218. Is the inner 10 au region rich in carbon dust particles?“
Conferences and Workshops:
- Sep. 12 – 14, 2022: PFE-SPP 1992 joint meeting
(poster, in person meeting hosted by Technische Universität Berlin) - Nov. 19, 2020: MATISSE Science Meeting
(contributed talk, virtual meeting) - Sep. 21 – 25, 2020: Virtual Meeting of the German Astronomical Society
(participated, virtual meeting) - Jun. 22 – 24, 2020: SOFIA Workshop
(participated, virtual workshop) - Sep. 27, 2019: Northern Astronomical Colloquium, Rostock
(participated, in person meeting)
Hildebrandt, Lukas (M.Sc.)
Leibnizstr. 15, 24118 Kiel
Germany
Room: | 144 |
Phone: | +49 (0)431 880 4105 |
Mail: | lhildebrandt@astrophysik.uni-kiel.de |

Research Topics:
Publications:
Kobus, Julia (Dr. rer. nat.)
Leibnizstr. 15, 24118 Kiel
Germany
Room: | 135 |
Phone: | +49 (0)431 880 1574 |
Mail: | jkobus@astrophysik.uni-kiel.de |

Research Topics:
- Predicting the observability of the structure of the innermost region of circumstellar disks
- Numerical radiative transfer simulations with Mol3d (Ober et al. 2015)
- Long-baseline interferometric observations (VLTI/MATISSE, ALMA)
Publications:
- J. Kobus, S. Wolf, T. Ratzka, R. Brunngräber, 2020, A&A, 642, A104,
“Interferometric study on the temporal variability of the brightness distributions of protoplanetary disks” - J. Kobus, S. Wolf, and R. Brunngräber, 2019, A&A, 622, A147,
„The potential of combining MATISSE and ALMA observations: Constraining the structure of the innermost region in protoplanetary discs“ - J. Kobus, A. Petersen, F. Greiner, and S. Wolf, 2022, J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys., 55, 355202,
„Radiative transfer simulations for in-situ particle size diagnostic in reactive, particle growing plasmas“
Ollmann, Kevin (M.Sc.)
Leibnizstr. 15, 24118 Kiel
Germany
Room: | 137 |
Phone: | +49 (0)431 880 4101 |
Mail: | kollmann@astrophysik.uni-kiel.de |

Research Topics:
- Exoplanets embedded in debris disks
- 3D Monte-Carlo radiative transfer simulations
Publications:
- K. Ollmann, S. Wolf, M. Lietzow, T. A. Stuber, 2023, A&A, accepted for publication
„Impact of hot exozodiacal dust on the polarimetric analysis of close-in exoplanets“
Conferences and Workshops:
Krieger, Anton (Dr. rer. nat.)
Leibnizstr. 15, 24118 Kiel
Germany
Room: | 140 |
Phone: | +49 (0)431 880 4102 |
Mail: | akrieger@astrophysik.uni-kiel.de |
ORCID iD: | ![]() |

Research Topics:
- Characterization of young accreting planets embedded in circumstellar disks
- Monte-Carlo radiative transfer (MCRT) simulations and theory
- Solving the problem of high optical depths of MCRT simulations, e.g. for circumplanetary disks
- Code development based on the software Mol3D (Ober et al. 2015)
Publications:
- A. Krieger and S. Wolf, 2022, A&A, Volume 662, A99,
„Feasibility of detecting and characterizing embedded low-mass giant planets in gaps in the VIS/NIR wavelength range“ - A. Krieger and S. Wolf, 2021, A&A, Volume 645, A143,
“The scattering order problem in Monte Carlo radiative transfer” - A. Krieger and S. Wolf, 2020, A&A, 635, A148,
“Unbiased Monte Carlo continuum radiative transfer in optically thick regions”
Lietzow, Moritz (Dr. rer. nat.)
Leibnizstr. 15, 24118 Kiel
Germany
Room: | 135a |
Phone: | +49 (0)431 880 1575 |
Mail: | mlietzow@astrophysik.uni-kiel.de |
ORCID iD: | ![]() |

Research Topics:
- 3D Monte-Carlo polarized radiative transfer simulations
- Analysis of SOFIA/HAWC+ observations
- Polarimetry of (exo)planets, circumstellar disks, and molecular clouds
Publications:
- M. Lietzow, S. Wolf, 2023, A&A, Volume 671, A113,
„Scattered polarized radiation of extrasolar circumplanetary rings“ - M. Lietzow, S. Wolf, 2022, A&A, Volume 663, A55,
„Polarimetric investigation of selected cloud compositions in exoplanetary atmospheres“ - M. Lietzow, S. Wolf, R. Brunngräber, 2021, A&A, Volume 645, A146,
“Three-dimensional continuum radiative transfer of polarized radiation in exoplanetary atmospheres”
Conferences and Workshops:
- Sep. 12 – 14, 2022: PFE-SPP 1992 joint meeting
(contributed talk, in person meeting hosted by Technische Universität Berlin) - Oct. 25 – 28, 2021: The Star-Planet Connection
(contributed talk, virtual workshop hosted by European Southern Observatory) - Oct. 6 – 7, 2021: SPP 1992 annual all-hands-on-deck meeting
(contributed talk, virtual meeting hosted by Technische Universität Berlin) - Sep. 13 – 17, 2021: Annual Meeting of the Astronomische Gesellschaft
(contributed talk, virtual meeting hosted by Astronomische Gesellschaft) - Apr. 19 – 23, 2021: Towards the Comprehensive Characterization of Exoplanets: Science at the Interface of Multiple Measurement Techniques
(poster, virtual symposium hosted by Space Telescope Science Institute) - Mar. 23 – 26, 2021: Rock, Ice and Dust: Interpreting planetary data
(prerecorded talk, virtual workshop hosted by SOFIA Science Center) - Sep. 21 – 25, 2020: Annual Meeting of the Astronomische Gesellschaft
(contributed talk, virtual meeting hosted by Astronomische Gesellschaft)
Martin, Johannes (M.Sc.)
Leibnizstr. 15, 24118 Kiel
Germany
Room: | 145 |
Phone: | +49 (0)431 880 4106 |
Mail: | jmartin@astrophysik.uni-kiel.de |

Research Topics:
Publications:
Stuber, Thomas (M.Sc.)
Leibnizstr. 15, 24118 Kiel
Germany
Room: | 141 |
Phone: | +49 (0)431 880 4103 |
Mail: | tstuber@astrophysik.uni-kiel.de |
ORCID iD: | ![]() |

Research Topics:
- Observational Appearance of debris disks
- Effects of water ice on debris disk observables
- Research Unit FOR2285 „Debris Disks in Planetary Systems“
- Former member of CARMENES
- Developer of the CARMENES Exposure Time Calculator
Publications:
- ADS Bibliography
- T. A. Stuber, T. Löhne, S. Wolf, 2023, A&A, Volume 669, A3,
„Using debris disk observations to infer substellar companions orbiting within or outside a parent planetesimal belt“ - T. A. Stuber, S. Wolf, 2022, A&A, Volume 658, A121,
„The impact of the presence of water ice on the analysis of debris disk observations“ - A. Quirrenbach et al., 2020, Proceedings of the SPIE, Volume 11447,
„The CARMENES M-dwarf planet survey“ - M. Zechmeister et al., 2019, A&A, Volume 627, A49,
„The CARMENES search for exoplanets around M dwarfs. Two temperate Earth-mass planet candidates around Teegarden’s Star“ - J. C. Morales et al., 2019, Science, Volume 365, Issue 6460,
„A giant exoplanet orbiting a very-low-mass star challenges planet formation models“
Conferences and Workshops:
- Sep. 12 – 14, 2022: PFE-SPP 1992 joint meeting
(contributed talk, in person meeting hosted by Technische Universität Berlin) - Aug. 29 – Sep. 2, 2022: Debris Discs: At Home and Abroad
(contributed talk, in person meeting hosted by Jena University) - Feb. 22 – 24, 2022: Second ESCAPE Virtual Observatory school
(participated, virtual workshop) - Jul. 19 – 23, 2021: Sagan Exoplanet Summer Virtual Workshop: Circumstellar Disks and Young Planets
(participated, virtual workshop) - Jun. 28 – Jul. 2, 2021: European Astronomical Society Annual Meeting, Symposia S6: Planetesimal belts
(contributed talk, virtual meeting) - Jun. 22 – 24, 2020: SOFIA Workshop
(participated, virtual workshop)
Zielinski, Niko (M.Sc.)
Leibnizstr. 15, 24118 Kiel
Germany
Room: | 145 |
Phone: | +49 (0)431 880 4106 |
Mail: | nzielinski@astrophysik.uni-kiel.de |
ORCID iD: | ![]() |

Research Topics:
- Analyzing magnetic field properties in the early stages of star formation
- Dust grain alignment in molecular clouds
- Analysis of SOFIA/HAWC+ observations
- Monte-Carlo radiative transfer simulations using POLARIS (Reissl et al. 2016)
Publications:
- K. Pattle et al. 2022, MNRAS, Volume 515, Pages 1026–1036,
„Magnetic fields and outflows in the large Bok globule CB 54“ - N. Zielinski, S. Wolf 2022, A&A, Volume 659, A22,
„Magnetic field structure of OMC-3 in the far infrared revealed by SOFIA/HAWC+“ - N. Zielinski, S. Wolf, R. Brunngräber 2021, A&A, Volume 645, A125,
“Constraining the magnetic field properties of Bok globule B335 using SOFIA/HAWC+”
Undergraduate Students (Bachelor / Master)
Dunken, Nikolaj
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Günther, Max
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Mail: | stu210590@mail.uni-kiel.de |
Knappmann, Alke (B.Sc.)
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Kramer, Cedric (B.Sc.)
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Michaelis, Max (B.Sc.)
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Naudiet, Phillip (B.Sc.)
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Scheiter, Marco (B.Sc.)
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Mail: | stu232643@mail.uni-kiel.de |
Schlenz, Jonas (B.Sc.)
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Tsishchankava, Katsiaryna (B.Sc.)
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Winning, Simon (B.Sc.)
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Mail: | stu128458@mail.uni-kiel.de |
Wendelborn, Ina
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Mail: | stu112888@mail.uni-kiel.de |