The “Planetary Atmospheres” team studies the physical and chemical processes that govern the atmospheres of the terrestrial planets (and Titan) on all time scales. It processes and analyses data from space missions (past and present) obtained by UV or infrared spectrometry. The team is also involved in the design and preparation of future missions to Mars (MMX/MIRS, 2026) and Venus (Envision/VenSpec-U, 2031). Our group also has a strong expertise in 3D modelling of the microphysics and photochemistry of these bodies.
The “Solar and planetary environments” team studies the upper atmospheres of the Sun and planetary bodies. For the Sun, this involves investigating its global environment, from the corona and the solar wind to the outer boundaries of the heliosphere. For other bodies in the Solar System, the research focuses on the upper regions of their atmospheres (thermospheres, exospheres, ionospheres, and magnetospheres). The team uses numerical simulations and space-based observations (visible, UV, and X-ray spectroscopy, as well as mass spectrometry) to study the effects of solar activity and the solar wind on planets and the interplanetary environment, with a particular focus on the dynamic coupling between neutral environments and plasma. Current research primarily addresses Sun–Earth interactions, atmospheric escape processes at Mars, the formation of Mercury’s exosphere and its dynamic exchanges with the surface and the solar wind, as well as the Jupiter system and its moons.
The “Exobiology and Astrochemistry” team studies the distribution of organic molecules in the Solar System and exoplanets, as well as the physical and chemical mechanisms in which this organic matter is involved. The team’s work also focuses on characterising the current or past habitability of environments in the Solar System. The ultimate goal is to understand the processes that led to the appearance of life, through chemical evolution. The team’s current objects of study cover the full range of planetary systems, from Mars to the Ocean Worlds (Titan, Europa, Enceladus, Pluto), including small bodies and temperate exoplanets. The team’s resources mainly include instrumental development for space (GC channel); processing and analysis of data returned by space missions (MSL, Cassini-Huygens, etc.); and laboratory activities to simulate or study analogues of extraterrestrial environments (atmospheric simulations, biomarker detection).
