Anja C. Andersen

Anja C. Andersen

Professor

Current research

In 2023 I am on sabbatical as Visiting Professor at Princeton University,  to collaborate with Prof. Bruce Draine. This is made possible by generous support from the Carlsberg Foundation. In the last week of September I will present an invited talk in Gøteborg, Sweden, on Dust growth in nearby galaxies at the conference Origin and Fate of dust in our Universe. In the week of October/November I will participate in the conference Illuminating the Dusty Universe: A Tribute to the work of Brunce Draine in Florence, Italy. 

During 2022 I was in charge (CEO) of Videnskabsår22 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. Videnskabsår22 was genously supported by the Villum Foundation, the Novo Nordisk Foundation, the Poul Due Jensen Foundation and the Bitten and Mads Clausen Foundation.

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.

As part of my public outreach of science I work with Mette Holbæk on promoting sceince, one of the means is the podcast series: Videnskab fra vilde hjerner (Scince from Bright Brains) where we interview high profiled scientist in Denmark. I also co-host the Danish podcast series Flyvendetallerken (the Flying Saucer) and Generation Mars (Generation Mars) produced by Frederik Dirks Gottlib. Previously I have participated  in the podcast series Genial Galakser (Ingeinous Galaxies) aimed at children by Rikke Mia Skovdal which won the Danish Podcast prize 2021 in the category "Niche". 

I am currently writing on my 15'th popular science book in Danish which will be a general introduction to the Universe

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. Right now I am teaching the two bachelor couses: NFYB16004U Stars and Planets (Astro2) og  NFYB19001U Extragalactic Astrophysics (Astro4).

Selected publications

  1. Published

    Dust depletion of metals from local to distant galaxies I. Peculiar nucleosynthesis effects and grain growth in the ISM

    Konstantopoulou, C., De Cia, A., Krogager, J., Ledoux, C., Noterdaeme, P., Fynbo, Johan Peter Uldall, Heintz, Kasper Elm, Watson, Darach Jafar, Andersen, Anja C., Ramburuth-Hurt, T. & Jermann, I., 29 Sep 2022, In: Astronomy & Astrophysics. 666, 30 p., A12.

    Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

  2. Published

    Thermal History of Matrix Forsterite Grains from Murchison Based on High-resolution Tomography

    Perotti, G., Sorensen, H. O., Haack, H., Andersen, Anja C., Sanchez, D. F., van Kooten, Elishevah, Tsai, E. H. R., Dalby, K. N., Holler, M., Grolimund, D. & Hassenkam, Tue, 6 Dec 2021, In: Astrophysical Journal. 922, 2, 12 p., 256.

    Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

  3. Published

    Distribution of Interplanetary Dust Detected by the Juno Spacecraft and Its Contribution to the Zodiacal Light

    Jorgensen, J. L., Benn, M., Connerney, J. E. P., Denver, T., Jorgensen, P. S., Andersen, Anja C. & Bolton, S. J., 1 Mar 2021, In: Journal of Geophysical Research - Planets. 126, 3, 11 p., e2020JE006509.

    Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

  4. 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

  5. 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

  6. 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

  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

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

ID: 4722