Martin Solar studies one of the most violent phenomena in the Universe: stellar explosions – and their relationship with gas in galaxies. He is a PhD student at the Astronomical Observatory of the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan. Before moving to Poznań, he studied astronomy in Chile, focusing on topics such as numerical cosmological simulations and research into the rotation of massive stars.
Although he observes the sky professionally daily, he is also able to enjoy its view without any scientific context. He acknowledges that the night sky can sometimes cause him anxiety and raise questions that are not always immediately answerable.
Martin Solar has published over a dozen papers in scientific journals devoted to the physics of stars and galaxies. His research interests focus on one of the most dynamic and complex phenomena in the Universe: the analysis of the rotation of massive stars and the processes occurring in disc galaxies. In his research, he integrates observational data with advanced computer simulations to understand the mechanisms that govern the evolution of individual stars and entire galactic systems.
He believes that securing observation time with the Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) instrument on the Very Large Telescope in Chile was a significant factor in the Board of the Foundation for Polish Science's positive decision to award him a Start grant.
“It is one of the most competitive observation tools in the world,” he says. “Only about 10 per cent of applications submitted by research teams worldwide are accepted each year. The data obtained in the process will enable us to determine the physical properties of stars exploding as supernovae,” he explains.
Read more in Polish at Uniwersyteckie.pl: Martin Solar. Stellar explosions
