Personal Information


Watching the Venus transit
2004 with my first telescope

Hi! My name is Florian and I am a postdoctoral research assistant at Queen Mary University of London, UK. Born in Klagenfurt, Austria in 1993, I started to develop a deep fascination for astronomy and space early on in my life. I finished the higher technical college for electrical engineering in Klagenfurt in 2012 (Matura, equivalent to A-levels). Afterwards I started studying physics at the Technical University Graz, which I finished in 2016 (Bachelor thesis: Stellar reflection nebulae). I completed my Master's degree in physics with specialization in astrophysics at the University of Graz in 2019. The topic of my Master's thesis was "A search for flares and CMEs on late-type main-sequence stars in SDSS spectra" supervised by Dr. Martin Leitzinger. After a brief time working as R&D developer at the telecommunication & space department at Joanneum Research in Graz in 2020, I joined the Institute of Physics at the University of Graz for my PhD in natural sciences. My PhD research topic examined the influence of solar wind structures on the terrestrial magnetosheath, bridging two different space science disciplines. This interdisciplinary work was supervised by Assoc.-Prof Manuela Temmer, who is the head of our heliospheric research group at the department. After finishing my PhD in 2024 I continuied working as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Graz, focusing on the influence of CMEs on satellite orbit drops in low Earth orbits. In September 2024 I moved to UK to work as a postdoctoral research assistant at the Astronomy Unit at Queen Mary University of London. My current work focuses on the inteprlay of plasma instabilities and turbulence in the Earth's magnetosheath.
On my free time I also explore space in both photography and art (focusing on gouache and acrylic paintings).
My University of Graz sciene webpage for additional information on my current work and publications.


Short CV

Dr. rer. nat. Florian Koller

2024 – now: Queen Mary University of London: Postdoctoral research assistant, supervisor: Dr. Christopher Chen

2024 – now: University of Graz: Postdoctoral researcher, project "CASPER", PI: Dr. Manuela Temmer

2021 – 2024: University of Graz: PhD in Natural Sciences – Space Sciences and Earth from Space, Topic: “Magnetosheath jets throughout the solar cycle”, supervisor: Assoc. Prof. M. Temmer, Passed with distinction

2020: Joanneum Research: R&D developer, Graz, Austria

2016 – 2019: University of Graz: MSc in Physics, Master’s Thesis: “Stellar activity of late-type main-sequence stars in SDSS data”, supervisor: Assoc. Prof. M. Temmer and Dr. M. Leitzinger, Passed with distinction

2013 - 2016: Graz University of Technology: BSc in Physics, Bachelor’s Thesis “Stellar reflection nebulae”, supervisor: Dr. T. Ratzka

2007- 2012: Higher technical college for electrical engineering in Klagenfurt, Diploma thesis “Charging station - Effects on power grid and power plants”, Reifeprüfung (equivalent to A-levels)

1999- 2007: Primary and secondary school in Carinthia