How do plasmas in the heliosphere—where the solar wind emitted by our star dominates—behave ? This is what physicist Pauline Simon, winner of the “Madeleine Lecoq” Prize in Physics, is studying.
A lecturer at Sorbonne University and a researcher at the Laboratory of Plasma Physics (LPP), Pauline Simon studies turbulence in the plasmas of the heliosphere—that is, in the space environment dominated by the solar wind.
She has proposed a method for calculating the turbulent heating rate of these plasmas, taking pressure effects into account.
Her research combines theoretical approaches with analyses of data from numerical simulations and satellite observations.
“This award, which I am honored to receive, recognizes the work I did early in my career. Today, I am delighted to continue that work as an assistant professor at the Plasma Physics Laboratory and at Sorbonne University.”
Pauline Simon
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Read the news article published on the École Polytechnique website