Gerhard Wurm

Prof. Dr. Gerhard Wurm is a Professor of Experimental Astrophysics at the Faculty of Physics, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany. His research focuses on understanding planet formation through laboratory experiments, microgravity studies, and computational modeling.

His primary research interests include:

• Adhesion of nanometer-sized ice particles in protoplanetary disks
• Formation of km-sized planetesimals
• Photophoresis and dust devils on Mars
• Formation mechanisms of iron-rich planets like Mercury
• Overcoming the bouncing barrier in planet formation through electrostatic charging

Prof. Wurm's groundbreaking work demonstrated how electrical charging of dust particles during collisions enables growth from millimeter to centimeter sizes, a critical step in planet formation that was previously unexplained. This research was featured as a cover story in Nature Physics (2020) and further validated in a suborbital flight experiment published in Nature Astronomy (2025).

His research has been funded by the European Space Agency (Project CHIP on MASER 15) and the German Aerospace Center (DLR Space Administration with grants 50 WM 2142, 50 WM 2346, and 50 WK 2270C).

Prof. Wurm leads experimental work that bridges laboratory astrophysics with theoretical models of planet formation, mentoring researchers who investigate the fundamental processes that transform dust grains into planetary bodies.