Earth Planets Universe
The graduate school Earth Planets Universe (EPU) aims to train professionals in the fields of geosciences and astrophysics, astroparticle and cosmology. EPU includes several Masters courses in Fundamental Physics and Applications, Earth and Planetary Sciences, Environment, and Risks and Environment; a doctoral school, the ED 560 STEP’UP; ~ 100 researchers and ~ 400 students, mainly in the founding institutions, the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris and the Astroparticule et Cosmologie laboratory.
The associated research parternship on these themes is the LabEx UnivEarthS.
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Our Earth Planets Universe Graduate School covers various disciplinary fields from geosciences, astrophysics to space sciences. We share a common scientific culture, we ask similar questions and use complementary methods and technologies. Our goal is to train high-level students to become leading engineers and scientists in the study of complex natural systems. Our research combine physics, chemistry, long-term observations and big data streams. Our overall teaching approach emphasizes training through research because it is essential to develop students’ curiosity and inventiveness. Our objective is to offer students a growing share of “courses without borders”, in partnership with renowned foreign universities and laboratories.
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Master Earth, Planets and Environment (STPE)
The training offered in our STPE master’s degree is aimed at students with an excellent scientific background in physics, chemistry, mathematics, computer science and geology. This curriculum aims to give students a solid and modern training in geosciences, in which quantitative and observational analysis methods are intimately linked.
An important place is given to field internships, in the laboratory and / or in a company. Three international specializations of our STPE master’s degree are eligible for the SMARTS-UP scholarships: Fundamentals of Remote Sensing (FRS); International master in solid Earth Sciences (IMSES); Chemistry and Analytical and Environmental Geochemistry (CGAE).
Website: https://www.ipgp.fr/fr/master/parcours
Master Physics, Astrophysics, Astroparticle Physics and Cosmology
The masters in physics and sciences of the universe are the following:
- the first year master’s program of the physics department of the University of Paris, with two specializations: fundamental physics, and applied physics.
- international master’s degree in Paris Physics Master, in partnership with Sorbonne University
- two-year master’s degree from the International Center for Fundamental Physics, in partnership with the University of Paris, Sorbonne University, the University of Paris-Saclay and the Institut Polytechnique de Paris (M2).
- Master SPACE, in partnership with the University of Paris and the University of Sciences and Technologies of Hanoi
- Master NPAC (Nuclei, Particles, Astroparticles, Cosmology), in partnership with Sorbonne University, University of Paris, University of Paris-Saclay
- Master AAIS (Astronomy, Astrophysics and Space Engineering), in partnership with the University of Paris, Sorbonne University, the University of Paris-Saclay and the Paris Observatory.
The first years of these masters offer general programs which include statistical physics, high energy physics, atomic physics, condensed matter physics, astrophysics. Four masters are taught in English: the International Center of Fundamental Physics, the Paris Master of Physics, NPAC and SPACE. In the second year of the Master, students specialize in different fields in astroparticle, astrophysics, cosmology, particle physics and theoretical physics. The specialties of the NPAC master’s degree (Nuclei, Particles, Astroparticles, Cosmology) are particle physics, nuclear physics, astroparticle physics and cosmology. NPAC is a reference master’s degree in France for these fields of research, and has strong links with the best laboratories in the Ile de France region. NPAC students choose internships and often apply for doctoral studies in experimental physics, instrument development, as well as theory and phenomenology. NPAC provides a solid education in theory, with courses such as quantum field theory and general relativity, and in experimental physics and instrumentation, with courses in detector physics and laboratory practice.
The Master SPACE in partnership with the University of Science and Technology of Hanoi was created in 2009 by an international agreement between France and Vietnam. The objective is to train scientists and engineers in Vietnam to support the development of Vietnamese space activities.
The AAIS Master’s degree includes three specializations: Astrophysics, Dynamics of Gravitational Systems and Tools and Systems for Astronomy and Space. It is a multidisciplinary training, through research, for research and for the professions of engineers in the sciences of the Universe.
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The Doctoral School 560 STEP’UP (Earth and Environmental Sciences and Physics of the Universe of Paris; https://ed560.ed.univ-paris-diderot.fr/) covers a vast scientific scope which ranes from the Geosciences, Environment and Planetology to Astrophysics, Astroparticle Physics and Cosmology. Each year, more than 55 Ph.D. candidates defend their thesis within the STEP’UP Doctoral School. Their research is performed in one of the six host laboratories. Our supervisors and researchers that participate in the supervision are more than 300 researchers, professors and engineers.
More than 120 thesis topics are proposed each year and it is possible to apply to the doctoral school between December and June.
Careers can be pursued in research and teaching in French or foreign universities, in research organizations, in geophysical or environmental companies, in risk assessment and insurance, in space-related companies, in companies involved in statistical market analysis or using large databases or image processing, or in the computer and banking sectors.
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Earth, planetary and environmental sciences are becoming increasingly important in modern society. More than ever, mankind needs to understand the evolution of the Earth through geological time and to predict its future on different time scales. We have to take up formidable scientific challenges in fields as varied as the understanding of telluric hazards, the prospecting and management of natural resources, the impact of anthropic activities on biogeochemical cycles, the study of the origin of life, the functioning of the Earth machine and the coupling between its different envelopes (atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, crust, mantle, core), the study of the early history of the solar system or the exploration of the planets of the solar system.
All these fields of research are studied at the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris (IPGP). Chemistry, physics, geology and mathematics are used to analyze and understand how our planet and the solar system work and evolve at all scales of time and space. The IPGP gathers about 150 high-level researchers recruited from all over the world, 170 engineers, technicians, administrative staff and more than a hundred PhD students from all over the world who share the same passion for Earth and planetary sciences, and who are distributed in 17 research teams.
Special attention is paid to long-term observations which are essential for the study of natural systems. The IPGP is in charge of accredited observation services in volcanology, seismology, magnetism, gravimetry and erosion through its permanent observatories on the islands of Guadeloupe, Martinique, Reunion and in Chambon-la-Forêt (France) and its observation networks that cover the whole planet. The IPGP is strongly involved in the study of the planets of the solar system, with notably a key role in the observation of Mars from the SEIS seismometer recently installed during the Mars InSight mission. The IPGP hosts powerful computational and massive data processing facilities, an analytical platform unique in France, and state-of-the-art experimental facilities, all of which benefit from first-class technical support. Its flexible structure facilitates the emergence of research projects in the most promising fields.
At the APC (Astroparticle and Cosmology) laboratory, our research in Science of the Universe covers the following main themes :
- Cosmology, whose goal is to understand the history and structure of the Universe. The understanding of the primordial universe, the study of the cosmological microwave background, the identification of dark energy with the help of optical and infrared surveys of galaxies are at the basis of this research. The researchers of this group are strongly involved in the LiteBird space mission, the Qubic experiment in Argentina, the Simons Observatory, and in wide field observations to better understand dark energy, such as the Rubin/LSST survey and the Euclid space mission. The Cosmology group also has an important activity in the field of cryogenic temperature instrumentation
- Gravitation, whose goal is the detection of gravitational waves. With the first detections of LIGO and Virgo, gravitational astronomy has become a reality. This new field of astronomy will develop in the next decade with second generation ground-based detectors, in particular Advanced Virgo (and its future improvements) and third generation, with the European Einstein Telescope project, and in space, with the LISA mission led by ESA. The members of the Gravitation group play an important role in the development of each of these instruments, both at the instrumental level and in the exploitation of scientific data
- High Energy Astrophysics, which studies the violent phenomena in the Universe leading to the emission of high energy radiation. The laboratory is strongly involved in the observation of X-rays (SVOM, ATHENA) and gamma rays (INTEGRAL, HESS and CTA), ultra-high energy cosmic rays (JEM-EUSO) and neutrinos (ANTARES, KM3NeT)
- Particle Physics, and in particular neutrino and Higgs boson physics. The laboratory is strongly involved in the complete characterization of the neutrino oscillation phenomenon (DoubleCHOOZ, DUNE, KM3NeT/ORCA). Researchers of the group are also involved in the direct search for dark matter with the DarkSide experiment, as well as in the study of the Higgs boson with the Atlas experiment of the LHC at CERN
- Theory, which covers all theoretical aspects of cosmology and astroparticle physics, from the foundations of general relativity and unification theories, such as string and brane theory, to the understanding of cosmic acceleration phenomena, the phenomenology of high-energy cosmic particles and neutrino physics. Numerical simulations are a complementary tool for the analysis of complex phenomena, from accretion-ejection around compact objects to the formation of large cosmological structures.
APC and IPGP are also the founding laboratories of the Data Intelligence Institute of Paris (Diip) and the Space Center at the Université de Paris (Pôle Spatiale de l’Université de Paris), and have leadership roles in the application of deep machine learning techniques to data reduction and analysis. on the ground and in space, and the design, construction and validation of instruments, in collaboration with the French space agency, CNES. Our researchers are key players in several space missions for the exploration of the planet Mars (Insight), the discovery of high-energy particles (SVOM, Athena, JEM-EUSO), the study of the cosmic radiation background (Planck , LiteBird) and the large-scale structure of the Universe (Euclid).
The laboratory AIM is among the major space laboratories in France, in Europe and internationally. In direct collaboration with CNES, which is responsible for the space activities of French laboratories, AIM is strongly involved in space missions for ESA’s Cosmic Vision scientific program and on bilateral missions supported by CNES. The development of astrophysics at the CEA began in partnership with CNES since its creation in the early 1960s. Astrophysics has since been a growing science with high potential for discoveries. Instruments, ever more numerous and more powerful, whether from the ground or on board satellites, make it possible to probe the universe with increased angular resolution and sensitivity across the full range of the electromagnetic spectrum. Meanwhile, modeling, particularly using computational simulations, is of increasing importance in astrophysics; astrophysical problems are mostly complex problems that involve other disciplines of physics. AIM (joint research unit of Université de Paris, CEA Saclay and CNRS) brings together researchers, engineers, and technicians. The laboratory is divided into 11 groups, 5 are related to the instrument development, and 6 related to the interpretation. The instrumentation groups are: LEDES (Study and development of space eletronic systems), LISIS (Science and space instrument interface), LQIS (Quality and space integration), LSAS (Space Systems and Architectures), LSIS (Spectral-imaging laboratory for space science), The interpretation groups are: LCEG (Cosmology and Galaxy Evolution), LCS (Cosmology and Statistics), LDE3 (Dynamics of Stars, (Exo)-planets and their Environment), LEPCHE (High Energy Cosmic Phenomena), LFEMI (Star Formation and Interstellar Medium), and LMPA (Astrophysical Plasma Modelling).
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Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris (IPGP)
Laboratoire AIM – Astrophysique, Instrumentation et Modélisation
Laboratoire APC – AstroParticule et Cosmologie
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The head of the EUR EPU is Simona Mei, at the Astroparticle and Cosmology laboratory. She is supported by a direction team composed of:
- Vincent Busigny
- Marc Benedetti
- Marc Chaussidon
- Matthias Gonzalez
- Antoine Kouchner
- Aurélia Olivier-Kaiser
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Astrophysics, Astroparticle physics and Cosmology:
Simona Mei
For SMARTS-UP fellowships and masters: please contact the master supervisors, who are indicated on the master web pages given above.Earth, Planets and Environment Science:
Vincent Busigny, Master responsible STPE
Hélène Carton, Res. Specialization IMSES
Sébastien Rodriguez, Res. Specialization FRS
Yann Sivry, Res. Specialization CGAE
Marc Benedetti, International RelationsInstitut de Physique du Globe de Paris
1 rue Jussieu
75238 Paris cedex 05, France
+33-1-8395-7434