About Me

Hi! I'm Florian, a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellow originally from Austria, currenlty working at Queen Mary University of London, UK. My fascination with astronomy and space began in childhood (see the photo of me watching the Venus transit in 2004 with my first telescope)

I studied physics in Graz, Austria, earning my Bachelor's and Master's degrees with a focus on astrophysics. My early research explored stellar activity and the detection of flares and CMEs on late-type stars. For my PhD at the University of Graz, I investigated how solar wind structures (such as coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and high-speed streams) affect the Earth's magnetosheath, the turbulent region just outside our planet's magnetic field. This work bridged solar and magnetospheric physics, combining data analysis and interdisciplinary approaches.

Currently, my research at QMUL focuses on collisionless plasma shocks in space throughout the Heliosphere. I aim to study how weak and strong shocks differ in their ability to change the surrounding wave activity, turbulence, and secondary structures. Previously, my focus lied on instabilities and turbulence in near-Earth space, aiming to better understand how energy is transferred and dissipated in the magnetosheath. I am especially interested in how large-scale solar events can drive small-scale processes that impact satellites and space weather.

Outside of research, I enjoy astrophotography and painting (gouache and acrylic). You can find more about my work and publications on my QMUL science webpage and my University of Graz science webpage.

I am a space plasma physicist studying how the solar wind and its large-scale structures (coronal mass ejections, high speed streams, and stream interaction regions) influence Earth's space environment. My current research focuses on how collisionless shocks across different regimes alter plasma dynamics, including wave generation and turbulence. Previous work examined dynamic pressure enhancements, or "jets", in the magnetosheath (the region between the bow shock and Earth's magnetosphere) and how these structures connect solar, magnetospheric, and space weather processes. I am also interested in stellar activity, space weather impacts on satellites, and how plasma physics operates across different astrophysical environments.

I am part of the Space Plasma Group at Queen Mary University of London.