Pauline Simon receives the 2026 Madeleine Lecoq prize from the French Academy of Sciences

Pauline Simon, Associate Professor at Sorbonne University and researcher at the Laboratory of Plasma Physics (LPP), has been awarded the 2026 Madeleine Lecoq Prize by the French Academy of Sciences in recognition of her research on turbulence in space plasmas.

• The award was presented on October 27, 2026, beneath the dome of the Institut de France in Paris, during the French Academy of Sciences' annual awards ceremony.
• Pauline Simon's research focuses on turbulence in heliospheric plasmas, found within the vast region of space dominated by the influence of the solar wind. These magnetized, weakly collisional plasmas exhibit complex mechanisms of energy transfer and dissipation.
• Her work has notably contributed to developing a new description of turbulent heating in these plasmas, accounting for pressure anisotropy, i.e., differences in pressure along and across the magnetic field. By combining theoretical approaches, numerical simulations, and satellite observations, her research helps improve our understanding of the physical processes governing the evolution of the solar wind.
• This prestigious award recognizes the significance of her scientific contributions at an early stage of her career and highlights the excellence of research conducted at LPP in the field of space plasmas.
• The entire LPP laboratory warmly congratulates Pauline Simon on this well-deserved recognition!