Description du sujet de thèse

This thesis project aims to observe and understand the structure of water at the molecular level and its role in high-concentration electrolytes. The objectives are: 1) To develop a second harmonic scattering (SHS) optical instrument. This new optical technique is capable of measuring the g-orientational function of water in the low frequency range. We want to demonstrate that it is possible to access long-range interaction lengths using an optical technique at UV-visible-IR wavelengths.

2) Combining observations made with SHS experiments, observation of short-range correlations with inelastic X-ray spectroscopy (IXS) and analytical and numerical theories of the liquid state such as the integral equation (IE) or the combination of molecular dynamics (MD) and integral equations. The aim is to link information on short and long scales to a coherent analytical/numerical model.

3) Understand how water in high-concentration electrolytes is organised as a function of pressure and temperature up to the critical point. The aim is to understand the structure of highly concentrated electrolytes well beyond the Debye-Hückel model.

Contexte de travail

The thesis will be carried out at the Fresnel Institute in Marseille, on the St Jérôme campus. The student will work on the experimental and theoretical aspects of the project. Some experiments will take place in Grenoble, at the Néel Institute.

Le poste se situe dans un secteur relevant de la protection du potentiel scientifique et technique (PPST), et nécessite donc, conformément à la réglementation, que votre arrivée soit autorisée par l'autorité compétente du MESR.