IREx Welcomes Renowned Solar Physicist Paul Charbonneau

Since April 2025, Paul Charbonneau, a renowned solar physicist, has been a new member of IREx. A full professor in the département de physique at Université de Montréal since 2002, Professor Charbonneau has long maintained close ties with IREx. He co-supervised an IREx student (Raphaël Hardy, PhD 2024) and, in 2024, was the featured speaker at the Grande conférence de l’IREx on solar eclipses.

A specialist in modelling and numerical simulation, his research focuses on magnetohydrodynamics, dynamo processes that drive magnetic activity cycles in the Sun and other stars, as well as the modelling and prediction of solar eruptions. He is also interested in the intersection of physics and biology, particularly in the emergence of complexity in natural systems, including the origin of life.

Professor Charbonneau’s expertise in stellar activity is a major asset to IREx: over the years, understanding host stars has proven to be crucial in the study of exoplanets. His interest in the origins of life on Earth further deepens his connection to our institute. We are thrilled to now officially count him among our members!

He is the author or co-author of over 150 research papers, review articles, and book chapters, as well as two monographs: Solar and Stellar Dynamos (Springer, 2013) and Natural Complexity (Princeton University Press, 2017). A dedicated and recognized educator, he has supervised nearly thirty graduate students and is greatly appreciated by those who attend his courses.

Before joining Université de Montréal, he spent twelve years as a researcher at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado.

To learn more about his background and work, visit his profile on our website, as well as on the Université de Montréal website.

All members of IREx extend a warm welcome to this distinguished researcher!