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Solar and Planetary Systems

The activities of the team are focused on three major investigations: study of the processes of evolution of the planetary bodies of the Solar System, study of exoplanets, and study of the initial conditions of the Solar System. More specifically, we attempt to study:

- evolution processes by observations of differentiated bodies (terrestrial and giant planets, satellites). These activities are performed through space instruments mounted on orbital or in situ platforms;
- the extra-solar planets by a theoretical but also observational approach through the COROT, PLATO and ARIEL missions;
- the initial conditions for the formation of the Solar System through the study of primitive matter: cometary grains, meteorites, observations of primitive bodies and the interplanetary environment.

Our approach consists in coupling the observation acquired by space instruments, extensive data reduction, numerical modeling and laboratory measurements. These multiple approaches are based on as strong and major instrumental developments with the constant concern to combine both scientific and technological challenges.

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Dernières news

5 years 7 months ago

The “Planetary and Solar System Sciences” Division of EGU (European Geophysical Union) has awarded to John Carter, associate astronomer at IAS, its 2019 “Oustanding Early Career Scientist” medal for his discoveries on the composition of the martian surface, in particular hydrated minerals and their implications on the climate history of Mars, and for his contributions to the interpretation of orbital spectral data.

5 years 8 months ago

This critical operation, performed on February 22, 2019, constituted the most complex and risky part of the ISAS/JAXA Japanese mission: it required to bring the entire spacecraft in contact with the surface of Ryugu, entirely covered with boulders of all sizes. Its success demonstrates and translates an extraordinary and unique control of space operations by ISAS/JAXA engineers. A second sample collection could be performed in a few months, prior to the return to Earth: Hayabusa2 should leave Ryugu in December 2019, to land on Earth a year later. Our laboratories should thus get in 2021 samples collected at the very surface of one of the most ancient solar system objects, rich in particular of organics which might have played a major role in the evolution towards life on Earth.

6 years 3 weeks ago

The launch of the BepiColombo spacecraft (ESA/JAXA) took place on October 19, 2018 at 10:45 pm from the Ariane 5 site in Kourou. BepiColombo has successfully started  its long journey to the planet Mercury, with onboard SIMBIO-SYS, a complex of 3 instruments that will map the surface of the planet with unprecedented spatial resolution and spatial coverage. IAS is co-PI of this instrument through the supply of the main electronics and the implementation of the calibration of the integrated instrument.

6 years 4 months ago

Jean-Pierre Bibring, professor emeritus at Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale (CNRS/Université Paris Sud), has received on July 15th, 2018 the COSPAR Space Science Award for his contributions to the exploration of the Solar System. This award is the most prestigious of COSPAR (Committee on Space Research), and is granted at each biennial general meeting. Among Jean-Pierre Bibring's numerous involvements, COSPAR has highlighted his responsibilities in Mars Express and Philae/Rosetta.

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