Jacob Laas

Dr. Jacob Laas is a Researcher at the Max Planck Institute for extraterrestrial Physics (MPE) in Garching, Germany, working within the High-Energy Astrophysics department with focus on astrochemistry research.

His research spans three interconnected domains:

• Experimental Laboratory Spectroscopy, including mm/submm spectroscopy of organic molecules and development of the CASAC (long-pathlength flow cell with high-voltage DC discharge) and Jet (supersonic molecular jet) laboratories
• Astrochemical Modeling, particularly sulfur chemical networks and elemental depletion during cloud collapse
• Software Development for instrumental control, data processing, and visualization using Python and related technologies

Dr. Laas is the primary developer of GGackal, a Python-based gas/grain astrochemical model that extends the OSU gas-grain code. His research has resulted in significant publications including his 2019 Astronomy & Astrophysics paper on sulfur depletion in interstellar clouds.

His technical work bridges experimental astrophysics, theoretical modeling, and computational tools development, making substantial contributions to understanding astrochemical processes in interstellar environments.