Constantina M. Fotopoulou

Constantina M. Fotopoulou, Ph.D.

Researcher in Theoretical Computational Astrophysics

Welcome to my website! I am Constantina and as a young astrophysicist, I am passionate about understanding the physical processes and mechanisms that underlie galaxy formation and evolution. My research focuses on the study of the turbulent multi-phase interstellar medium (ISM) using high-resolution hydrodynamical simulations of dwarf mergers. During my Ph.D., I honed my skills in hydrodynamical simulations and data analysis, building a strong foundation in Python coding. This has proven invaluable in my current research on the life and properties of molecular clouds and the impact of galactic outflows and stellar feedback mechanisms on the evolution of dwarf galaxies. With a deep curiosity and dedication to scientific discovery, I am excited to continue pushing the boundaries of our understanding of the universe while inspiring and mentoring the next generation of scientists and promoting diversity and inclusivity in STEM.

You can find my full CV here:

• Curriculum Vitae

“Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known...”
― Carl Sagan

You can find my publications here:

• NASA/ADS
• arXiv
• Google Scholar
• orcid

Current Research

As part of the GRIFFIN collaboration, I study the structure of the dense and cold star forming gas in a very high mass (solar mass) and spatial (sub-parsec) resolution hydrodynamical simulation of a gas-rich dwarf galaxy merger (Lahén et al. 2019). The simulation is resolved with individual massive stars and their energy injection by individual supernovae up to high environmental densities. Except for the metal enrichment, there is the implementation of a chemical network, non-equilibrium cooling and photoionisation. My analysis focuses on the cold star forming gas of the system that is structured in compact clumps and filaments. I am interested in identifying these cold clouds, studying their properties and how they compare to observations and tracing their life cycle. Furthermore, I am working on connecting the identified cold clouds with the detected star clusters in this system with the goal to fully trace the whole life cycle of molecular clouds until the creation of new stars from them. I am also studying the properties of the outflow of this simulated dwarf starburst and the impact of supernova feedback on the interstellar medium (ISM) of the system. The final aim of my work is to create a realistic model for the multi-phase ISM using very high resolution galaxy simulations with feedback from individual stars and star clusters.

Contact Me

constant@mpa-garching.mpg.de