CENTRALE LYON - Phd Numerical modeling of acoustic propagation in planetary atmospheres

Ecole Centrale de Lyon; France; Sur place; EUR 40 000 - 60 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

A prestigious research institution in France seeks a PhD candidate for a project on acoustic wave propagation in planetary atmospheres. The role requires a strong background in fluid mechanics, acoustics, and programming skills in C/C++, Fortran, or Python. Candidates will develop models and conduct numerical simulations to explore how these waves behave under various atmospheric conditions. This opportunity not only advances scientific knowledge but also enhances computational skills through innovative research methodologies.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in aerospace or mechanical engineering, physics, mathematics, or a related field.
• Strong background in fluid mechanics, acoustics, and computational acoustics.
• Hands-on experience with computing in C/C++, Fortran, Python, or similar programming languages.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.

Responsabilités

• Model acoustic wave propagation near planetary atmospheres.
• Develop a wave equation incorporating atmospheric inhomogeneities and turbulence effects.
• Perform three-dimensional numerical simulations on high-performance computing clusters.

Connaissances

C/C++ programming

Fluid mechanics

Acoustics

Computational acoustics

MPI

CUDA

Python

Formation

Master's degree in aerospace or mechanical engineering, physics, mathematics or related field

Description du poste

Organisation/Company Ecole Centrale de Lyon Research Field Computer science Engineering Geosciences Mathematics Physics Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions PhD Positions Country France Application Deadline 28 Feb 2026 - 12:00 (Europe/Paris) Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 35 Offer Starting Date 1 Mar 2026 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

The study of acoustic wave propagation in extraterrestrial atmospheres is a rapidly advancing research field. Acoustic techniques offer a valuable means of probing planetary environments, providing insights into atmospheric composition, temperature, winds, density, pressure, and potentially planetary interiors. The first acoustic signals from another planet were recorded on Venus by the Venera 13 and Venera 14 missions. These measurements were used to estimate near-surface wind speeds. Titan was the second planetary body where acoustic data were obtained. The Huygens probe, which landed in 2005, measured sound speed along with pressure and temperature, enabling estimation of methane concentration in Titan’s nitrogen-rich atmosphere. The upcoming Dragonfly mission, scheduled for the 2030s, will carry microphones designed to further characterize Titan’s atmosphere through acoustic observations.

More recently, the Perseverance rover, which landed on Mars in 2021, recorded the planet’s first audio signals using the microphone embedded in the SuperCam instrument (Figure 1). These data have been used to study atmospheric turbulence and acoustic attenuation caused by the vibrational relaxation of CO2. Accurately characterizing the fluid dynamic properties of a planetary atmosphere, such as wind velocity, density, temperature, pressure, and chemical composition, via acoustic methods requires a thorough understanding of sound propagation in 1complex, inhomogeneous, and turbulent media. These atmospheric conditions give rise to phenomena such as reflection, refraction, diffraction, scattering, and attenuation, all of which significantly influence wave propagation.

Description of the activities

This Ph.D. project will focus on modeling acoustic wave propagation near the surface of planetary atmospheres. The relevant frequency range is below 10 kHz, with propagation distances ranging from a few meters up to several kilometers. The candidate will develop a wave equation that incorporates spatial and temporal atmospheric inhomogeneities and turbulence effects. Three-dimensional numerical simulations will then be performed to investigate the influence of turbulence and absorption on acoustic propagation. High-order finite difference and time integration schemes will be employed for this purpose. The simulation code will be implemented in C/C++ and parallelized using MPI and CUDA to efficiently utilize high-performance computing clusters equipped with CPUs and GPUs. This computational framework will enable scalable simulations for a broad range of planetary conditions.

References

2. Lorenz et al., Planetary and Space Science, 230, 2023

• a master’s degree in aerospace or mechanical engineering, physics, mathematics, or a related field;
• a strong background in fluid mechanics, acoustics, and computational acoustics;
• hands‑on experience with computing in C/C++, Fortran, Python, or similar programming languages;
• excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.

Specific Requirements

Experience with MPI and CUDA would be an asset.

Languages ENGLISH Level Good

Research Field Computer scienceEngineeringPhysicsGeosciencesMathematics Years of Research Experience None