Matthias Samland

Matthias Samland is a post-doctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA) in Heidelberg, Germany. He works in the Department of Planet and Star Formation, specifically within the Infrared Space Astronomy and Planet Formation and Exoplanets research groups. He is part of the ERC Origins group led by Prof. Dr. Henning and has developed significant methodologies for exoplanet detection.

Dr. Samland's research focuses on the detection and characterization of extrasolar planets using high-contrast imaging techniques. His work involves finding faint planet signals in noise-dominated data and obtaining reliable spectral information. He has developed the TRAP (Temporal Reference Analysis for Planets) method, which represents a conceptual shift from traditional approaches to direct imaging by modeling temporal trends in data rather than stellar halos in the image domain. This innovative approach allows for improved detection of exoplanets at small angular separations from host stars. His research also includes adapting the Subaru Telescope SCExAO/CHARIS instrument pipeline for the VLT/SPHERE-IFS instrument and characterizing exoplanet atmospheres, particularly the methane-rich planet 51 Eridani b.

His publications demonstrate a strong focus on developing novel data analysis techniques for exoplanet detection, with particular emphasis on temporal systematics modeling and spectral characterization. His work bridges instrumental systematics and planetary atmosphere modeling, aiming for statistically justifiable results that produce trustworthy knowledge about exoplanetary systems.

Dr. Samland has developed and maintains open-source software tools including TRAP for exoplanet detection and spherical for VLT/SPHERE-IFS data reduction. He has contributed to over 50 refereed co-author papers, with his work appearing in prestigious journals like Astronomy & Astrophysics. He has also created educational resources, including a guide for self-studying Japanese language.