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David CEBRON
David Cébron — CNRS researcher at ISTerre and head of the Géodynamo team (deputy head : Franck Plunian). david.cebron univ-grenoble-alpes.fr · +33 4 56 52 11 49 · Office 246.
I study flows and magnetic fields inside planets. What happens when a rotating fluid is forced by tides, precession or libration, and its boundaries are not quite spherical ? How do topography and density stratification change the waves, the mean flows and the torque on the surrounding rock ? I work on these questions using theory, numerical models and laboratory experiments.
My ERC project THEIA ran from September 2020 to August 2026. It brought together work on topographic coupling in planetary cores and led to a one-metre rotating experiment. I am now interested in what changes when stratification and turbulence are added to the problem, and in how core-flow models can be tested against planetary rotation and magnetic observations.
See my research interests, selected research, codes and models, publications and the THEIA pages.
Detailed CV with my publications
EDUCATION
- 2024 : Habilitation (Habilitation à Diriger des Recherches - HDR), PDF
- Since 2014 : CNRS Researcher (CRCN, section 20) at ISTerre
- 2011 – 2013 : Post-doctoral ETH Zurich Fellow (European Marie-Curie Cofund Fellow)
- 2008 – 2011 : PhD at IRPHE laboratory, Aix-Marseille Univ. PDF
- 2007 – 2008 : École Centrale de Nantes - Engineering Schools exchange convention
- 2007 – 2008 : Nantes University - M. Sc. (Dual diplomas)
- 2005 – 2008 : École Centrale de Lille - French engineering school
INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
- Since 2025 : CS member of GDR Mécanique des fluides géophysiques et astrophysiques
- Since 2021 : Head of the ISTerre Géodynamo team (deputy head : Franck Plunian)
- Since 2021 : Deputy of Renaud Deguen at the Conseil de Laboratoire
- 2018 – 2025 : Member of the Scientific board of the National program of Planetology (PNP) for INSU (CNRS)
- Since 2015 : Member of the editorial board of the journal Reflets de la Physique, published by Société Française de Physique (SFP)
AWARDS
- 2021 – 2025 : CNRS bonus for scientific excellence (“Prime d’Excellence Scientifique”)
- 2021 : Prix Ampère de l’Électricité de France for our Geodynamo group, from Académie des sciences (50 000€)
- 2017 – 2021 : CNRS bonus for scientific excellence (“Prime d’Excellence Scientifique”)
- 2013 : Awarded at the French National Mechanics Congress (Congrès Français de Mécanique) CFM 2013 (Bordeaux) by the Paul Germain Prize
- 2012 – 2014 : Awarded by the ETH Zurich (Marie-Curie COFUND) program of post-doctoral research (180 000€)
GRANTS AND FUNDING
- 2025 – 2029 : Participant of the ANR grant SYDERANT, led by F. Brunet (381 965€)
- 2022 – 2026 : Participant of the ANR grant MIN-DIXI, led by G. Morard (625 000€)
- 2020 – 2026 : PI of completed ERC THEIA, see the website (1 448 493€)
- 2014 – 2019 : co-PI of ANR MAGLUNE (292 534€)
- 2017 – 2018 : PI of a grant from PNP, INSU (5500€)
- 2015 – 2017 : PI of a grant from Labex OSUG@2020 (18 307€)
- 2013 – 2019 : Participant of the ANR grant TUDY (276 400€)
SUPERVISION OF POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWS
- 2025 – 2026 : advisor (with J. Vidal) of Baptiste Penlou, working on THEIA-related research.
- 2024 – 2026 : advisor (with N. Schaeffer) of Paul Pruzina, funded by the ERC THEIA, then by the european ChEESE Project
- 2022 – 2026 : advisor (with N. Schaeffer & M. Mandea) of Paolo Personnettaz, funded by the ERC GRACEFUL, then by the ERC THEIA
- 2022 – 2024 : advisor (with R. Deguen & M. Mandea) of Kang Lim, funded by the ERC GRACEFUL
- 2020 – 2024 : advisor of Jérémie Vidal, funded by the ERC THEIA
SUPERVISION OF PHD STUDENTS
- 2025 – 2028 : advisor (with R. Deguen) of the PhD of Amélie Schulze
- 2022 – 2026 : co-advisor (with J. Noir) of the PhD of Vadim Giraud (ETHZ)
- 2020 – 2024 : principal advisor (with D. Jault) of the PhD of Rémy Monville, funded by the ERC THEIA
- 2020 – 2024 : co-advisor (with G. Morard) of the PhD of Nicolas Jaisle, funded by UGA IDEX (Magma Ocean in eXoplanets)
- 2016 – 2020 : co-advisor (with P. Cardin) of the PhD of Sylvie Su, funded by the ANR grant TUDY
- 2014 – 2018 : co-advisor (with N. Schaeffer) of the PhD of Jérémie Vidal (member of his PhD committee, 4 publications as co-author)
- 2012 – 2014 : Active advisor role for the Ph.D. of Zacharias Stelzer (member of his PhD committee, 2 publications as co-author)
MEMBER OF PHD JURY
- 2019 : PhD of Clément Nobili, Aix-Marseille University
- 2018 : PhD of Jérémie Vidal, Grenoble-Alpes University
- 2014 : PhD of Zacharias Stelzer, ETH Zürich (awarded by the ETH silver medal)
OTHER
- 2026 : member of ’Science and organizing committee’ of the winter-school Planetary Atmospheres and Interiors : A Two-Way Connection, 8-13 Feb 2026 Les Houches (France)
- 2024 : participation to ’committee of selection’ for MCF position