Saskia Hekker

Saskia Hekker leads the Max Planck Research Group in Stellar Ages and Galactic Evolution (SAGE) at the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research. Her research focuses on asteroseismology to determine fundamental stellar properties including ages, masses, and radii, with particular emphasis on red giants and subgiant stars across various evolutionary stages.

Dr. Hekker's work centers on using stellar oscillations to probe internal stellar structure and evolution. Her research spans asteroseismic analysis of red giants, subgiants, and dwarf stars, with applications to galactic archaeology and evolution. She leverages data from major space missions (Kepler, TESS) and ground-based spectroscopic surveys (APOGEE, GALAH, RAVE) to extract precise stellar parameters and understand galactic chemical evolution. Her work has significantly advanced our understanding of stellar rotation, internal structure, and the connection between stellar properties and galactic history.

Her publication record demonstrates extensive collaboration across the international astrophysics community. Dr. Hekker has made key contributions to major projects including the K2 Asteroseismic KEYSTONE sample and multiple Sloan Digital Sky Survey data releases. Her research has helped establish asteroseismology as a critical tool for determining precise stellar ages, which is essential for reconstructing the Milky Way's formation history.

• Quentin Charles Yvon Hugues Coppée: Characterising the suppression of non-radial modes in red giants
• Lynn Buchele: Asteroseismic structure inversions of solar-like oscillators
• Nathalie Themeßl: Asteroseismic inferences from red-giant stars
• Earl Patrick Bellinger: Inverse Problems in Asteroseismology

As leader of the SAGE research group, Dr. Hekker directs investigations into how asteroseismic techniques can precisely determine stellar ages and illuminate galactic evolution pathways. The group's work combines theoretical modeling with analysis of large observational datasets to extract detailed information about stellar structure, evolution, and the history of our galaxy.