Shared methods and infrastructure pushing the boundaries of astrophysics
At the Paris Observatory, the range of interdisciplinary activities and topics is vast. Scientific questions shared with other scientific disciplines are addressed through national and international collaboration; methodologies are developed that go beyond the usual expertise in astronomy/astrophysics. Depending on the teams and topics addressed, either the thematic or methodological aspect is dominant, although the distinction between the two types of approach is not absolute. Research work at the interfaces relies on national and international research infrastructures outside the scope of astronomy, such as light sources, high-performance computing centers, and the network of technology centers. This work is carried out within structured networks, around scientific themes or in the context of the preparation of new instruments and telescopes. Research on Origins, the origin of the solar system and of life, funded in particular by the PEPR Origines program, is a good example of a field that encourages multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary work.
The links between astrophysics and physics are strong and long-standing at the Paris Observatory. For example, laboratory astrophysics and plasma physics research relies on experimental or theoretical approaches; time and space metrology activities require cutting-edge developments in physics, as does the preparation of new photon detection concepts. Finally, questions raised by the properties of compact astrophysical objects and gravitational waves are attracting the interest of theoretical physicists, both on site and in other laboratories.
Data, Artificial Intelligence, and High-Performance Computing at the service of astronomical research
Similarly, there are close collaborations with mathematics laboratories, as the systems of equations that govern the evolution of astrophysical systems raise fundamental questions for mathematicians. Data science is a fertile ground for interdisciplinary work between mathematics, computer science, signal processing, and astronomy and astrophysics, whether it involves numerical methods for intensive computing, solutions for analyzing large volumes of data, or the design of dedicated systems. Advances made possible by artificial intelligence methods are widely used to facilitate the analysis of data from observations, complex simulations, and the digitization of ancient documents and works. It is worth noting the strong involvement in the development of open science and the European scientific cloud EOSC.
From scientific legacy to digital humanities: long-term interdisciplinarity
The expertise of the Paris Observatory teams on reference systems in time and space, which is essential for astronomy, is also indispensable for geodesy and key topics in geophysics. For example, modeling the Earth’s subtle movements imposes constraints on the torques induced by fluid envelopes (atmosphere and oceans) on its rotation. Space geodesy and gravimetry techniques offer valuable tools for studying oceans and continental water bodies from space. Remote sensing of planetary atmospheres and surfaces is a subject that bridges the study of Earth and other bodies in the solar system, thanks to advanced processing techniques developed in situ and close links with space instrumentation projects.
Research in the history of science is conducted at the Paris Observatory, drawing on its remarkable historical collection and other European sources. This work is part of the current strong momentum in digital humanities at PSL University.
| Interdisciplinarity has been at the heart of the Paris Observatory’s activities since its creation. More than a quarter of researchers see themselves primarily as physicists, mathematicians, geophysicists, or historians, illustrating the richness and diversity of expertise within the institution. This disciplinary plurality is reflected in research activities, with nearly one in five researchers conducting work at the interface of several disciplines, most often between astrophysics and fundamental physics. It is also reflected in the affiliation of our researchers to sections of the CNRS and CNU national committees beyond sections 19 (Astrophysics) and 34 (Astronomy and Astrophysics), and the affiliation of our units not only to CNRS INSU but also to CNRS Physics, CNRS Engineering, CNRS Nuclear and Particle Physics, CNRS Humanities and Social Sciences, and CNRS Mathematics. Find out more: download the summary of the identity survey (in french). |