On March 25 and 26, 2024, the Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique (LMD) organized the first workshop devoted to magma oceans in Paris. The event brought together over 55 researchers from the French community, both face-to-face and online. The variety of expertise represented reflects the interest of various communities in this subject, from experimental petrology to internal dynamics, geochemistry to planetary and exoplanetary atmospheric sciences.

Understanding magma oceans is a key part of our knowledge of the solar system, as they represent a crucial phase in the genesis of telluric planets. In addition, more and more rocky exoplanets are being detected which orbit so close to their host star that their surface is most likely molten. This configuration is unknown in our solar system, and characterizing such exoplanets could provide us with information on their internal composition, representing a major advance in our understanding of extra-solar worlds.

Au programme : 36 présentations de résultats scientifiques et de projets en cours, ainsi que de nombreuses discussions étalées sur deux jours, pour un panorama large de la recherche autour des océans de magma. Au vu de l’enthousiasme suscité, et comme il s’agit d’un champ très actif de la recherche actuelle, il a été décidé de reconduire l’évènement l’année prochaine, le relais étant transmis cette fois aux collègues de l’Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris.

The agenda included 36 presentations of scientific results and current projects, as well as numerous discussions spread over two days, providing a broad overview of research into magma oceans. In view of the enthusiasm generated, and as this is a very active field of current research, it was decided to hold the event again next year, this time organized by colleagues from the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris.

Credits: Dan Shim/ASU