Mechanics Department

Head of EA :
Hervé Le Treut
LMD, Ecole Polytechnique, 91128 Palaiseau Cedex
E-mail: letreut@lmd.jussieu.fr or letreut@lmd.polytechnique.fr
Tel.: X -ext. 510 03 or 51 01

Co-head of EA :
Thomas Dubos
LMD, Ecole Polytechnique, 91128 Palaiseau Cedex
E-mail: dubos@lmd.polytechnique.fr
Tel.: X -ext. 3618

Head of EA - Physics Department
Jean-François ROUSSEL
ONERA, Toulouse
E-mail : roussel@onera.fr

MEC596/PHY596

This option proposes placements in the field of fluid dynamics, geophysics, ocean dynamics, the atmosphere and internal geophysics. Many placements tackle environmental problems such as pollution, water management, the impact of deforestation on the climate, climatic change due to the greenhouse effect, the detection of seismic signals and earthquakes. These topics are interdisciplinary by nature. Mechanical and physical aspects (and sometimes chemical and biological aspects) are combined with more applied issues relating to measuring techniques and the analysis of global or on-site observations. Finally, option MEC591 overlaps extensively with option PHY595 proposed by the Physics Department.

All available placements reflect this triple diversity.

1. Topic: this may concern oceanography, meteorology, the study of local processes (coastal currents, orographic waves, waves, avalanches, etc.), global studies (past climate, forecasting of future climate, role and study of the El Nino process, forecasting of cyclones, carbon cycle in the atmosphere), internal geophysics, or applied industrial studies (globally in France).
2. Technique: many subjects have substantial digital content (often enabling a solid introduction to languages such as FORTRAN or LINUX), however some topics are more experimental by nature (laboratory experiments, on-site measuring, global data or spatial measurements) and others are more theoretical (theory of turbulent flows, waves or atmospheric or oceanic instabilities, etc.).
3. Geography: almost all countries in the world carry out active research in the fields concerned by this option. Placements are therefore proposed in many countries, but also in France (Paris or elsewhere).


Students interested in a placement are requested to contact the EA head to specify the possible direction for the placement.

The following are a few examples of institutions having supervised placements in previous years:

* Meteorology: UCLA, MIT, University of Florida, McGill University (Montreal), Canadian weather service (Vancouver), University of Reading, University of Hamburg, McQuarie University (Sydney), Australian weather service (Melbourne), University of Buenos-Aires, University of Montevideo, Institute of Atmospheric Physics in Beijing, University of Tokyo, Cochin University (Indies), IAP (Moscow).
And in France: LMD (Paris-Palaiseau), LATMOS (Paris), LAMP (Clermont-Ferrand), French weather service (Toulouse)
* Oceanography: Scripps Institution (California), Oceanographic institute (Palma de Mallorca), CSIRO (Hobart, Australia), SOC (Southampton, Great Britain), AWI (Bremerhaven, Germany)
In France: LOCEAN (Paris), LEGI (Grenoble), Ifremer (Brest)
* Geophysics: IPG (Paris), Total (France), Volcano and Seismological Observatory in Guadeloupe
* Instrumentation: University of Toronto, DLR (Munich, Germany)
In France: LMD (Paris), LOCEAN (Paris), SAUR (water processing, Paris).
* Theoretical studies: Cambridge, Oxford, Monash university, MIT, Imperial College (London),
In France: LMD, LOCEAN or INL (Nice).


Almost all of these institutions are prepared to accept new trainees from X: the list is for information only and is not exhaustive.

Last Modification : Monday 10 November 2008