Domaines
Condensed matter
Statistical physics
Physics of liquids
Relativity/Astrophysics/Cosmology
Nouveaux états électroniques de la matière corrélée
Type of internship
Théorique, numérique Description
The interiors of ice giants and many exoplanets contain materials such as water,
ammonia, and methane compressed to millions of atmospheres and thousands of kelvin.
Under these warm dense matter (WDM) conditions—where matter lies between the
condensed and plasma regimes—ionic and electronic transport phenomena play a crucial
role in determining planetary structure, evolution, and magnetic field generation. Recent
ab initio simulations have predicted the existence of doubly superionic states, where
two types of ions become mobile within a partially ordered lattice. This remarkable
behavior, observed in complex HCNO compounds, challenges our current
understanding of ion transport and phase transitions in dense plasmas.
This internship aims to test and characterize double superionicity through first-principles
molecular dynamics simulations of selected compounds under planetary
interior conditions. The project will explore the onset of ion
mobility, diffusion mechanisms, and the interplay between structure and charge transport
in the WDM regime.
The student will gain hands-on experience in first-principles modeling of warm dense
plasmas and contribute to testing a novel concept in planetary materials science. The
results will help clarify the physical origin of double superionicity, an emerging topic at
the interface between high-energy-density plasma physics and planetary modeling, and
may form the basis for a future publication or PhD project.
Contact
Mandy Bethkenhagen