Priv. Doz. Dr. Silke Britzen

Field of activity

• As chair of the COST Action MP0905 "Black Holes in a Violent Universe" my aim is to help push scientific networking between european Black Hole-scientists. The goal is to work towards a better understanding of the Black Hole phenomenon.
• I am searching for supermassive binary black holes and would like to understand better their relation to AGN (Active Galactic Nuclei) activity. This includes the evolution of these binary systems and the role, star formation plays. VLBI (Very Long Baseline Interferometry) is my preferred technique for astronomical observations.
• I am teaching at the University of Heidelberg (current lecture: "Perspectives in Modern Astrophysics").

Role in the SFB

• Together with Andreas Eckart I am one of the PIs of project A2 'Conditions for Star Formation in Nearby AGN and QSO Hosts'.
• We are interested in exploring the conditions for star formation in active galaxies and the interplay between the AGN nucleus and the hosts of the galaxies. In particular, merging systems and the role star formation and AGN activity play will be investigated within this project.