Dear colleagues,
A PhD position (standard French grant) devoted to the study of carbon dioxide diffusion in sparkling wines, and especially champagnes, by classical molecular dynamics simulations is to be open on October 2018 under the supervision of Prof. Gérard Liger-Belair and myself at the “Groupe de Spectrométrie Moléculaire et Atmosphérique” (GSMA) in Reims, France.
Our team is mainly interested in the physical properties behind bubble dynamics in beverages supersaturated with dissolved carbon dioxide (eg, champagnes, beers, fizzy waters or sodas) from their formation by heterogeneous nucleation in cavities (eg, cellulose fibers) [1] to their rise and their final burst at the free surface of the liquids, this burst releasing organoleptic compounds that can be identified by mass spectrometric measurements [2,3]. In particular, CO2 diffusion is a major physical process responsible for the formation and the growth of the bubbles and the present project aims to better understand the influence of the different molecular components of champagne wines (ie, sugars, glycerol, etc.) on the values of CO2 diffusion coefficients in the bulk and through cavity walls, then supplementing earlier studies where brut champagnes were modeled as ternary mixtures of water, ethanol, and carbon dioxide [4,5].
Interested candidates must have a master degree in chemistry, physical chemistry, or physics with strong interest in molecular simulations and related topics (eg, statistical physics, classical and quantum mechanics). Programming skills (eg, fortran 90 or C) are not mandatory but they would be appreciated. Candidates are expected to send a resume describing their achievements and, when available, an official document listing the marks obtained at the master level no later than May 15, the selection of the candidate being achieved by May 20. Due to academic rules, the selected candidate will be interviewed on June (the precise date is still unknown) by a committee representing the doctoral school of Science and Technology of our university.
For any question on this project, please contact Prof. Gérard Liger-Belair or myself at the following electronic addresses:
- Prof. Gérard Liger-Belair, [log in to unmask]
- Dr David A. Bonhommeau, [log in to unmask]
[1] Recent advances in the science of champagne bubbles, G. Liger-Belair, G. Polidori, and P. Jeandet, Chem. Soc. Rev. 37, 2490-2511 (2008).
[2] Unraveling different chemical fingerprints between a champagne wine and its aerosols,
Gérard Liger-Belair, Clara Cilindre, Régis D. Gougeon, et al., PNAS 106, 16545-16549 (2009).
[3] Chemical messages in 170-year-old champagne bottles from the Baltic Sea: Revealing tastes from the past, P. Jeandet, S. S. Heinzmann, C. Roullier-Gall et al., PNAS 112, 5893-5898 (2015).
[4] CO2 Diffusion in Champagne Wines: A Molecular Dynamics Study, A. Perret, D. A. Bonhommeau, G. Liger-Belair, et al., J. Phys. Chem. B 118, 1839-1847 (2014).
[5] Unveiling the Interplay Between Diffusing CO2 and Ethanol Molecules in Champagne Wines by Classical Molecular Dynamics and 13C NMR Spectroscopy, D. A. Bonhommeau, A. Perret, J.-M. Nuzillard, et al., J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 5, 4232-4237 (2014).
David Bonhommeau, with apologies for cross-posting.
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