Anja C. Andersen

Anja C. Andersen

Professor

Current research

During 2022 I am in charge (CEO) of Videnskabsår22 (videnskabsaar22.dk) which is the Danish National Science Year established as part of the UN International Year of Basic Science for Sustainable Development (IYBSSD 2022) in celebration of the 100 year of Niels Bohr's Nobel Prize in Phyiscs. 

I supervise bachelor, master and PhD-students within astrophysics. 

My research is centered around the astrophysics of dust. Cosmic dust particles play an important role for the thermal, dynamical and chemical conditions in many astrophysical environments, especially for the star and planet formation process and the late stages of stellar evolution. Dust particles determine the spectral appearance of proto-stars as well as of evolved stars with circumstellar envelopes, and they also dominate extinction curves of galaxies. I have a handful of recognized papers on ISM dust growth in nearby galaxies, and another handful on dust production at high redshift. I also have a series of papers on laboratory work determining optical properties of meteoritic and synthetic dust species. The laboratory data I used for developing mass-loss theory for AGB stars. Currently I am working on identifying the origin of certain elements and its implication for the ISM evolution. As part of this effort I co-author of a paper for Nature on the origin of the r-process elements.

I plan a sabbatical as Visiting Professor at Princeton University, https://web.astro.princeton.edu, from April 1 and until Noveber 1, 2023, to collaborate with Prof. Bruce Draine. This is made possible by generous support from the Carlsbergfondet https://www.carlsbergfondet.dk

Teaching

I have supervised B.Sc (27), M.Sc (12) and Ph.D.-theses’ (4) work. I am part of University of Copenhagen’s mentor network for mentoring young female scientists and have, through this network, mentored many young scientists. I have also served as mentor/supervisor for postdocs (4) who have managed to get funding to come to the Niels Bohr Institute to work with me. I have extensive experience in teaching at all levels from primary school to PhD. I have taught undergraduate and graduate courses at Uppsala University and University of Copenhagen.

Selected publications

  1. Published

    Identification of strontium in the merger of two neutron stars

    Watson, Darach Jafar, Hansen, C. J., Selsing, J., Koch, A., Malesani, Daniele Bjørn, Andersen, Anja C., Fynbo, Johan Peter Uldall, Arcones, A., Bauswein, A., Covino, S., Grado, A., Heintz, Kasper Elm, Hunt, L., Kouveliotou, C., Leloudas, G., Levan, A. J., Mazzali, P. & Pian, E., 24 Oct 2019, In: Nature. 574, 7779, p. 497-500 4 p.

    Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

  2. Published

    On the dust properties of high-redshift molecular clouds and the connection to the 2175 extinction bump

    Heintz, K. E., Zafar, T., De Cia, A., Vergani, S. D., Jakobsson, P., Fynbo, Johan Peter Uldall, Watson, Darach Jafar, Japelj, J., Mller, P., Covino, S., Kaper, L. & Andersen, Anja C., 1 Jun 2019, In: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 486, 2, p. 2063-2074 12 p.

    Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

  3. Published

    Dust-depletion sequences in damped Lyman-α absorbers II. The composition of cosmic dust, from low-metallicity systems to the Galaxy

    Mattsson, L., De Cia, A., Andersen, Anja C. & Petitjean, P., 18 Apr 2019, In: Astronomy & Astrophysics. 624, 11 p., A103.

    Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

  4. Published

    Using stellar observations to trace the formation processes of Mo, Ru, Pd, and Ag

    Hansen, C. J., Hansen, Terese Thidemann, Arcones, A. & Andersen, Anja C., 2018, In: Journal of Physics: Conference Series. 940, 1, 5 p., 012009.

    Research output: Contribution to journalConference articlepeer-review

  5. Published

    Observations of interplanetary dust by the Juno magnetometer investigation

    Benn, M., Jørgensen, J. L., Denver, T., Brauer, P., Jørgensen, P. S., Andersen, Anja C., Connerney, J. E. P., Oliversen, R., Bolton, J. S. & Levin, S., 28 May 2017, In: Geophysical Research Letters. 44, 10, p. 4701-4708

    Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

  6. Published

    From flux to dust mass: Does the grain-temperature distribution matter for estimates of cold dust masses in supernova remnants?

    Mattsson, L., Gomez, H. L., Andersen, Anja C. & Matsuura, M., 1 Jun 2015, In: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 449, 4, p. 4079-4090

    Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

  7. Published

    The Herschel exploitation of local galaxy Andromeda (HELGA) - V. Strengthening the case for substantial interstellar grain growth

    Mattsson, L., Gomez, H. L., Andersen, Anja C., Smith, M. W. L., De Looze, I., Baes, M., Viaene, S., Gentile, G., Fritz, J. & Spinoglio, L., 11 Oct 2014, In: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 444, 1, p. 797-807

    Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

  8. Published

    Stellar abundances and presolar grains trace the nucleosynthetic origin of molybdenum and ruthenium

    Hansen, C. J., Andersen, Anja C. & Christlieb, N., 4 Aug 2014, In: Astronomy & Astrophysics. 568, 17 p., A47.

    Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

  9. Published

    Helium in natal HII regions: the origin of the X-ray absorption in gamma-ray burst afterglows

    Watson, Darach Jafar, Zafar, T., Andersen, Anja C., Fynbo, Johan Peter Uldall, Gorosabel, J., Hjorth, Jens, Jakobsson, P., Krühler, T. C., Laursen, P., Leloudas, G. & Malesani, Daniele Bjørn, 2013, In: Astrophysical Journal. 768, 1, 23.

    Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

  10. Published

    Production of dust by massive stars at high redshift

    Gall, Christa, Hjorth, Jens & Andersen, Anja C., 2 Sep 2011, In: Astronomy and Astrophysics Review. 19, 1, p. 161-258

    Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

Selected activities

  1. Cosmic Dust: Origin, Applications and Implications

    Andersen, Anja C. (Participant)

    11 Jun 201815 Jun 2018

    Activity: Participating in an event - typesOrganisation of and participation in conference

  2. Origin of Cosmic Dust

    Andersen, Anja C. (Participant)

    3 Jul 20144 Jul 2014

    Activity: Participating in an event - typesOrganisation of and participation in conference

  3. Akademiet for de tekniske videnskaber (ATV) (External organisation)

    Andersen, Anja C. (Member)

    2007

    Activity: Membership typesMembership in research network

Selected prizes

  1. Ebbe Muncks Honorary Award

    Andersen, Anja C. (Recipient), 5 Nov 2018

    Prize: Prizes, scholarships, distinctions

  2. 2017 Dansk Forfatter Forenings Faglitterærepris

    Andersen, Anja C. (Recipient), 2017

    Prize: Prizes, scholarships, distinctions

  3. 2016 H.C. Ørsted Medaljen i Sølv

    Andersen, Anja C. (Recipient), 2016

    Prize: Prizes, scholarships, distinctions

  4. 2015 UNESCOs Lysets års formidlingspris

    Andersen, Anja C. (Recipient), 2015

    Prize: Prizes, scholarships, distinctions

  5. 2014 Direktør N. Bang og hustru Yrsa Bang født Troensegaards legat

    Andersen, Anja C. (Recipient), 2014

    Prize: Prizes, scholarships, distinctions

  6. 2011 SCIENCE Formidlingspris

    Andersen, Anja C. (Recipient), 2011

    Prize: Prizes, scholarships, distinctions

  7. 2009 Bergsøefondens formidlingspris

    Andersen, Anja C. (Recipient), 2009

    Prize: Prizes, scholarships, distinctions

  8. 2009 Mathilde prisen

    Andersen, Anja C. (Recipient), 2009

    Prize: Prizes, scholarships, distinctions

  9. 2008 DMs Forskningspris

    Andersen, Anja C. (Recipient), 2008

    Prize: Prizes, scholarships, distinctions

  10. 2006 Rosenkjærprisen

    Andersen, Anja C. (Recipient), 2006

    Prize: Prizes, scholarships, distinctions

  11. 2006 Kirstine Meyers Legat

    Andersen, Anja C. (Recipient), 2006

    Prize: Prizes, scholarships, distinctions

  12. 2006: TOYP – Akademisk præstationer og lederskab

    Andersen, Anja C. (Recipient), 2006

    Prize: Prizes, scholarships, distinctions

  13. 2005 Descartes Price for Research Communication

    Andersen, Anja C. (Recipient), 2005

    Prize: Prizes, scholarships, distinctions

  14. 2004 Forskningskommunikationsprisen

    Andersen, Anja C. (Recipient), 2004

    Prize: Prizes, scholarships, distinctions

  15. 2000 Allan MacIntosh' Formidlingspris

    Andersen, Anja C. (Recipient), 2000

    Prize: Prizes, scholarships, distinctions

  16. 1997 Årets Astronomi Forfatter

    Andersen, Anja C. (Recipient), 1997

    Prize: Prizes, scholarships, distinctions

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