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Chasing exo-aurorae


Thesis topic details

General information

Organisation

The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) is a key player in research, development and innovation in four main areas :
• defence and security,
• nuclear energy (fission and fusion),
• technological research for industry,
• fundamental research in the physical sciences and life sciences.

Drawing on its widely acknowledged expertise, and thanks to its 16000 technicians, engineers, researchers and staff, the CEA actively participates in collaborative projects with a large number of academic and industrial partners.

The CEA is established in ten centers spread throughout France
  

Reference

SL-DRF-26-0366  

Direction

DRF

Thesis topic details

Category

Corpuscular physics and outer space

Thesis topics

Chasing exo-aurorae

Contract

Thèse

Job description

Aurorae are well known optical phenomena in the Solar System planets. Aurorae have great diagnostic value, as their emissions reveal the planets’ atmospheric compositions, the occurrence of magnetic fields and the solar wind conditions at the planet’s orbit. Looking for aurorae on exoplanets and brown dwarfs is the next frontier. A first breakthrough in this direction has occurred recently, with the detection of a CH4 emission attributed to auroral excitation on the brown dwarf W1935. This detection, and the prospects of observing other auroral features with existent and upcoming telescopes, is what motivates this project. In particular, we will build the first model dedicated to investigate CH4 and H3+ auroral emission on exoplanets and brown dwarfs. The model will be used to investigate the conditions at W1935, and to predict the detectability of aurorae on other sub-stellar objects.

University / doctoral school

Science de la Terre et de l’Environnement et Physique de l’Univers Paris (STEPUP)
Université de Paris

Thesis topic location

Site

Saclay

Requester

Position start date

01/10/2026

Person to be contacted by the applicant

Garcia Muñoz Antonio antonio.garciamunoz@cea.fr
CEA
DRF/IRFU
DRF/IRFU/DAp/LDE3 CEA Saclay
CEA Paris-Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France

https://antoniogarciamunoz.wordpress.com/

Tutor / Responsible thesis director

Garcia Muñoz Antonio antonio.garciamunoz@cea.fr
CEA
DRF/IRFU
DRF/IRFU/DAp/LDE3 CEA Saclay
CEA Paris-Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France

https://antoniogarciamunoz.wordpress.com/

En savoir plus

https://antoniogarciamunoz.wordpress.com/
DAp/LDE3