Presenting... Astrophysicist Tadeja Veršič

The mystery of dark matter

16. December 2020 by Hanna Möller, Benjamin Furtlehner, Bianca Lindorfer
Tadeja Veršič is a member of the Vienna International School of Earth and Space Sciences (VISESS). In her PhD thesis at the University of Vienna, she aims to unravel the mystery of dark matter. The video gives an insight into her research.
© Benjamin Furtlehner

"Dark matter is one of the biggest mysteries in modern astrophysics. We don't know exactly where it is or how it is distributed. But what we do know is that it influences the motion of stars and galaxies." Through building physical models, Tadeja Veršič tries to shed some light on dark matter to better understand its nature. "This discovery is very important because it helps to gain insight how galaxies formed and evolved!"

Data from all over the world

The galaxies that she studies cannot be observed from Vienna. Therefore, she uses data from remote observatories all over the world. "Actually, most of my time I spend behind the computer where I can program physically motivated models to compare with observations", says the astrophysicist. Tadeja Veršič is a member of the Vienna International School of Earth and Space Sciences (VISESS). She appreciates the cooperation with a large number of "experts in the field of galactic dynamics."

Doctoral schools at the University of Vienna

At universities all over Europe, doctoral schools have proven successful in offering the best possible support to doctoral candidates by providing an appropriate framework for their doctoral education. "The new doctoral schools at the University of Vienna correspond to international standards and meet the highest quality criteria," says Jean-Robert Tyran, Vice-Rector for Research and International Affairs at the University of Vienna.

Based on an increase in funding for the doctoral programmes in combination with a fundamentally reformed structure, the doctoral schools enable independent academic research and adhere to the principle of education through research. "Graduates of the doctoral schools are actively involved in the international academic community and have gained experience in working independently. This qualifies them for their future professional careers, either inside or outside universities," Jean-Robert Tyran explains.

Peer culture and international exchange

Doctoral candidates participating in the University’s doctoral schools have the opportunity to complete special courses and acquire knowledge of the latest methods and techniques, discuss their own research in detail in seminars and enjoy the open exchange with supervisors and other doctoral candidates. Workshops, seminars, research excursions, retreats and summer schools contribute to a lively and international peer culture. (hm)

© Universität Wien
© Universität Wien
Tadeja Veršič is a doctoral candidate at the Cosmos branch of the Vienna International School of Earth and Space Science (VISESS). With her research, she aims to shed more light on the nature of dark matter by studying its distribution within galaxies.