The development of low-power electric thrusters is a crucial step toward meeting the growing demand for small satellite technology. For both technological and economic reasons, iodine is a promising candidate to replace the propellants currently used (such as xenon).

Building a complete model of iodine chemistry under the typical conditions found in electric thrusters is a major goal in this emerging field, as it will make it possible to determine the composition of an iodine thruster under real operating conditions and to identify the optimal parameters for high propulsion efficiency. However, iodine chemistry for electric propulsion is still poorly understood due to the lack of data on the elementary electronic processes occurring inside the thruster.

Through the use of modeling approaches based on high-precision relativistic electronic structure calculations, combined with simulations of atomic and molecular collisions, we have recently characterized the behavior of species containing one or two iodine atoms (I⁺, I⁻, I, I₂, I₂⁺, I₂⁻).

The objective of this project is to advance the understanding of other species, particularly those containing three or more iodine atoms (I₃, I₃⁺, I₃⁻, I₄, I₄⁺, I₄⁻, etc.), which could be formed through collisions between species with one or two iodine atoms, and may also combine with them, thereby affecting thruster efficiency.

The PhD student will develop and use the numerical methods required to calculate the reaction rates for the interactions occurring among the various atomic and molecular iodine species mentioned above. In a second stage, these data will be implemented into a kinetic model. Using such a state-of-the-art code, the student will study the composition of an iodine thruster under real operating conditions, enabling the determination of optimal parameters for achieving high thruster efficiency.

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For more Information about the topics and the co-financial partner (found by the lab!); contact Directeur de thèse - nicolas.sisourat@sorbonne-universite.fr

Then, prepare a resume, a recent transcript and a reference letter from your M2 supervisor/ engineering school director and you will be ready to apply online  before March 13th, 2026 Midnight Paris time!