Our Research
The fourth division (BP4) of The Fundamental Research Department (Departament Badań Podstawowych) deals with research in astrophysics and astronomy, mainly their observational aspects. The BP4 division is located in Warsaw at 7 Pasteura street.
The research conducted at the Astrophysics Laboratory includes:
- Cosmology: CMB, large structures of the Universe, dark matter, non-standard cosmology and gravitational lensing
- Gravitational waves: Multi-messenger astronomy, new tools for cosmology
- Physics of galaxies: Formation and evolution of galaxies, AGN, quasars and gamma-ray burst
- Interstellar medium: Star formation, neutron stars and white dwarfs
The BP4 division is also involved in several international projects. Check our Scientific Projects page for more information.
Seminars
Upcoming seminars for all of NCBJ can be found here.
The seminar archive for NCBJ can be found here.
Latest News
Scroll down for the latest news about the research done by our division or click here.
Conference Participation
BP4 participate in may national and intersectional conferences. We share our cutting edge research and enthusiasm with other astronomers across the world. Below are pictures from our trips across the globe.
Latest News
![Nagrody Dyrektora Departamentu Badań Podstawowych NCBJ Nagrody Dyrektora Departamentu Badań Podstawowych NCBJ](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2024-06/_mg_3166-2.jpg?itok=iTYvuZ20)
Last year's best achievements in basic research
On Monday, June 24, 2024, a Special Colloquium of the Fundamental Research Department of the National Centre for Nuclear Research was held, during which awards for achievements in 2023 were presented. The jury distinguished research on low brightness galaxies and for attempts to explain phenomena occurring during collisions of relativistic ions. Popular science stories and essays in which the author managed to hide his fascination with discovering the universe were also honored.
![Galaktyka Malin 1, Źródło: Junais et al. 2024 Galaktyka Malin 1, Źródło: Junais et al. 2024](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2024-06/mellin-1.jpg?itok=iuY7vE_Z)
Barely visible galaxies are the key to understanding the Universe
When we look at the night sky, we cannot free ourselves from questions. We wonder if it is possible to count the stars. We imagine how great a distance separates us from them. When we realize what a light year actually is, we are surprised to discover that we are actually looking into the further or closer past. Scientists from the National Center for Nuclear Research experience a similar fascination, looking for answers to these and other questions about how the Universe looks and works. In the coming years, this search will be able to be more effective thanks to the project „ Barely visible: low surface brightness galaxies in the LSST era” under the supervision of Prof. dr hab. Agnieszka Pollo financed by the National Science Center under the MAESTRO program.
![Zdjęcie z Hubble'a wykonane 17 grudnia 2010 r. W kwietniu 2011 roku amerykańska rządowa agencja kosmiczna NASA świętowała 21. rocznicę swojego istnienia, publikując zdjęcie galaktyk spiralnych ułożonych w kształt róży. Źródło: NASA Zdjęcie z Hubble'a wykonane 17 grudnia 2010 r. W kwietniu 2011 roku amerykańska rządowa agencja kosmiczna NASA świętowała 21. rocznicę swojego istnienia, publikując zdjęcie galaktyk spiralnych ułożonych w kształt róży. Źródło: NASA](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2024-06/arp_273_-_nasa_esa_hubble.jpg?itok=us9rbObQ)
Smashing galaxies into dust
Dr William James Pearson will investigate how we can more reliably identify galaxy mergers using their morphologies and how mergers influence their dust content, dust attenuation, and metallicity. This will be done by combining artificial intelligence (AI) with more traditional methods to detect galaxy mergers as well as use state of the art. observations and techniques to study the galaxies’ dust and metal. Exploration of this fascinating topic will be possible thanks to a grant from the National Science Center under the SONATA programme.
![](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2024-05/441151893_122136632162236348_1811078416086944574_s.jpg?itok=NNuatAOl)
NCBJ scientists elected as members of the Astronomy Committee of the Polish Academy of Sciences
On 14 May, nominations for members of the Committee on Astronomy of the Polish Academy of Sciences for the term 2024-2027 were announced. Among the members were scientists from the NCBJ's Astrophysics Division. Prof Katarzyna Małek was also elected to the Presidium of the Committee.
![Ten krajobraz "gór" i "dolin" usianych gwiazdami to w rzeczywistości krawędź pobliskiego, młodego regionu gwiazdotwórczego o nazwie NGC 3324 w Mgławicy Carina. Uchwycony w świetle podczerwonym przez Kosmiczny Teleskop Jamesa Webba, obraz ten po raz pierwszy ujawnia niewidoczne wcześniej obszary narodzin gwiazd. Źródło: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI Ten krajobraz "gór" i "dolin" usianych gwiazdami to w rzeczywistości krawędź pobliskiego, młodego regionu gwiazdotwórczego o nazwie NGC 3324 w Mgławicy Carina. Uchwycony w świetle podczerwonym przez Kosmiczny Teleskop Jamesa Webba, obraz ten po raz pierwszy ujawnia niewidoczne wcześniej obszary narodzin gwiazd. Źródło: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2024-04/main_image_star-forming_region_carina_nircam_final-5mb.png?itok=ZFqOU46i)
Can dust evaporate in harsh interstellar environments?
Dust represents an important component of the interstellar medium of galaxies and is involved in various physical processes. As a consequence, it is crucial to understand the factors that influence its formation and destruction. In a recent study, a team of scientists led by dr Ambra Nanni of the NCBJ’s Astrophysics Division analysed the effect of photo-evaporation on the survival of dust in the interstellar medium of galaxies.
![](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2024-04/por%C3%B3wnanie.png?itok=E2HfnxYy)
In the Universe, appearance matters: Dusty shapes of colourful galaxies
Can we see what is hidden in a cloud of dust without the aid of infrared vision? Scientists involved in the largest optical survey of the sky this decade, the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), led by a group from the NCBJ’s Astrophysics Division, in a paper published in April in Astronomy & Astrophysics, propose a novel method to extract information about dust in galaxies without actually observing its infrared light.