FULL PROFESSOR
Observatoire Aquitain des Sciences de l’Univers
UMR 5804 – LAB
2 rue de l’Observatoire, BP 89, 33271 Floirac Cedex, FRANCE
Tel +33 5 57 77 61 26 Fax +33 5 57 77 61 10
E-mail: philippe.paillou@obs.u-bordeaux1.fr
Citizenship
Born October 28th, 1965 in Vitry-le-François, France.
French citizen.
Married, three children.
Education
Engineer diploma from the Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Physique de Strasbourg, 1989.
PhD in image processing from the University of Strasbourg, 1992.
Professorship habilitation from the University of Bordeaux, 2001.
Experience
Invited researcher (PhD), Fraunhofer Institut Karlsruhe, 1989-1991.
Postdoc at the Astronomical Observatory of Strasbourg, 1992-1993.
Assistant Professor, University of Bordeaux, 1993-2003.
CNRS researcher, UMR 5804 – LAB, 1998-2001.
In charge of the CNES “low frequency radar working group”, 2000-2005.
Head of Planetology group of the UMR 5804 – LAB, 2002-2005.
Deputy director of the UMR 5804 – LAB, 2003-2005.
Full Professor, University of Bordeaux 1, since 2004.
Scientific advisor the the Radar Department at ONERA.
Scientific advisor for the Earth Observation division – CNES, since 2003.
Scientific advisor for the Mission Science division – ESA, since 2006.
Scientific advisor for the Planetary Science division – NASA, since 2006.
Distinguished Visiting Scientist at JPL – Caltech , 2008-2009.
MISCELLANEOUS
Reviewer for Pattern Recognition Letters, International Journal of Pattern Recognition and Artificial Intelligence, IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging, IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Earth Observations and Remote Sensing, Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing, Journal of African Earth Sciences, Journal of Geophysical Research, Journal of Applied Geophysics, Planetary and Space Science, Geophysical Research Letters, Canadian Journal of Remote Sensing, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Marine and Petroleum Geology, Journal of the Geological Society, Icarus.
Research Interest
Image processing and electromagnetic modelling applied to radar remote sensing: relief reconstruction, roughness mapping, subsurface imaging. Comparative study between arid areas on Earth (Sahara) and planetary surfaces (Venus, Mars, Titan). Use of low frequency SAR in arid regions for subsurface moisture detection and geology mapping. Participation to several space radar missions and projects: PI on ALOS/PALSAR (JAXA), Co-I on CASSINI/RADAR (NASA/JPL), Co-I on EXOMARS/WISDOM (ESA), MAG member for BIOMASS (phase 0, ESA). Most significant research results: discovery of impact craters in Libya and Egypt, discovery of a major paleo-river in Libya, participation to the discovery of methane lakes on Titan, revealing of a specific radar phase signal to map subsurface moisture.
MOST SIGNIFICANT PUBLICATIONS
X. Yang, L. Scuderi, T. Liu, Ph. Paillou, H. Li, J. Dong, B. Zhu, W. Jiang, A. Jochems, G. Weissmann, "Formation of the highest sand dunes on Earth", Geomorphology, doi:10.1016/j.geomorph.2011.08.008, 2011, in press.
X. Yang, L. Scuderi, Ph. Paillou, Z. Liu, H. Li, X. Ren, "Quaternary environmental change in the drylands of China", Quaternary Science Reviews, doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2011.08.009, 2011, in press.
T. Le Toan, S. Quegan, M. Davidson,, H. Baltzer, Ph. Paillou, K. Papathanassiou, S. Plummer, F. Rocca, S. Saatchi, H. Shugart, "The BIOMASS mission: Mapping global forest biomass to better understand the terrestrial carbon cycle", Remote Sensing of the Environment, 2011, in press.
H. Lawrence, F. Demontoux, J.P. Wigneron, Ph. Paillou, T.D. Wu, Y. Kerr, "Evaluation of a numerical modeling approach based on the finite element method for calculating the rough surface scattering and emission of a soil layer", IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Letters, vol. 8, no. 5, pp. 953-957, 2011.
Ph. Paillou, T. Farr, A. Rosenqvist, S. Lopez, "Mapping Subsurface Geology in Sahara using L-band SAR: First Results from the ALOS/PALSAR Imaging Radar", IEEE J. of Selected Topics in Earth Observations and Remote Sensing, vol. 3, no 4, pp. 632-636, 2010.
A. Hayes, A. Wolf, O. Aharonson, H. Zebker, R. Lorenz, R. Kirk, Ph. Paillou, J. Lunine, L. Wye, P. Callahan, S. Wall, Ch. Elachi, "Bathymetry and absorptivity of Titan's Ontario lacus", Journal of Geophysical Research, vol. 115, E09009, doi:10.1029/2009JE003557, 2010.
A. Le Gall, M.A. Janssen, Ph. Paillou, R.D. Lorenz, S.D. Wall, "Radar-bright channels on Titan", Icarus, vol. 207, pp. 948-958, 2010.
S. Wall, A. Hayes, C. Bristow, R. Lorenz, E. Stofan, J. Lunine, A. Le Gall, M. Janssen, R. Lopes, L. Wye, L. Soderblom, Ph. Paillou, O. Aharonson, H. Zebker, T. Farr, G. Mitri, R. Kirk, K. Mitchell, C. Notarnicola, D. Casarano, B. Ventura, "The active shoreline of Ontario Lacus, Titan: a morphological study of the lake and its surroundings", Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 37, L05202, doi:10.1029/2009GL041821, 2010.
Ch. Grenier, Ph. Paillou, P. Maugis, "Assessment of Holocene surface hydrological connections for the Ounianga lake catchment zone (Chad)", C.R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Geoscience, vol. 341, pp. 770-782, 2009.
J. Radebaugh, R. Lorenz, T. Farr, Ph. Paillou, C. Savage, C. Spencer, "Linear dunes on Titan and Earth: Initial remote sensing comparisons", Geomorphology, vol. 121, pp. 122-132, doi:10.1016/j.geomorph.2009.02.022, 2009.
Y. Lasne, Ph. Paillou, A. Freeman, T. Farr, K. McDonald, G. Ruffié, J.-M. Malézieux, B. Chapman, "Study of hyper-saline deposits and analysis of their signature in airborne and spaceborne SAR data: Example of Death Valley, California", IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, vol. 47, no. 8-1, pp. 2581-2598, 2009.
Ph. Paillou, M. Schuster, T. Farr, S. Tooth, A. Rosenqvist, S. Lopez, J.-M. Malézieux, "Mapping of a major paleodrainage system in Eastern Libya using orbital imaging Radar: The Kufrah River", Earth and Planetary Science Letters, vol. 277, pp. 327-333, doi: 10.1016/j.epsl.2008.10.029, 2009.
Ph. Paillou, J.I. Lunine, G. Ruffié, P. Encrenaz, S.D. Wall, R.D. Lorenz, M.A. Janssen, "Microwave dielectric constant of Titan-relevant materials", Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 35, L18202, doi:10.1029/2008GL035216, 2008.
Ph. Paillou, K.L. Mitchell, S.D. Wall, G. Ruffié, C.A. Wood, R.D. Lorenz, E.R. Stofan, J.I. Lunine, R.M. Lopes, P. Encrenaz, "Microwave dielectric constant of liquid hydrocarbons: Application to the depth estimation of Titan's lakes", Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 35, L05202, doi:10.1029/2007GL032515, 2008.
S. Le Mouélic, Ph. Paillou, M. Janssen, J. Barnes, S. Rodriguez, Ch. Sotin, R.H. Brown, K. Baines, B. Buratti, R. Clark, M. Crapeau, P. Encrenaz, R. Jaumann, D. Geutner, F. Paganelli, L. Soderblom, G. Tobie, S. Wall, "Joint analysis of Cassini VIMS and RADAR data: Application to the mapping of Sinlap crater on Titan", Journal of Geophysical Research, vol. 113, E04003, doi:10.1029/2007JE002965, 2008.
Y. Lasne, Ph. Paillou, G. Ruffié, C. Serradilla, J.-M. Malézieux, A. Freeman, T. Farr, K. McDonald, "Effect of salinity on the dielectric properties of geological materials: Implication on soil moisture detection by means of remote sensing", IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, vol. 46, no. 6, pp. 1674-1688, 2008.
R.D. Lorenz, K.L. Mitchell, R.L. Kirk, A.G. Hayes, O. Aharonson, H.A. Zebker, Ph. Paillou, J. Radebaugh, J. Lunine, M.A. Janssen, S.D. Wall, R.M. Lopes, B. Stiles, S. Ostro, G. Mitri, E. Stofan, "Titan's inventory of organic surface material", Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 35, L02206, doi:10.1029/2007GL032118, 2008.
J. Radebaugh, R. Lorenz, J. Lunine, S. Wall, G. Boubin, E. Reffet, R. Kirk, R. Lopes, E. Stofan, L. Soderblom, M. Allison, M. Janssen, Ph. Paillou, P. Callahan, C. Spencer, "Dunes on Titan observed by Cassini Radar", Icarus, vol. 194, pp. 690-703, doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2007.10.015, 2008.
E. R. Stofan, C. Elachi, J. I. Lunine, R. D. Lorenz, B. Stiles, K. Mitchell, S. Ostro, L. Soderblom, C. Wood, H. Zebker, S. Wall, M. Janssen, R. Kirk, R. Lopes, F. Paganelli, J. Radebaugh, L. Wye, Y. Anderson, M. Allison, R. Boehmer, P. Callahan, P. Encrenaz, E. Flamini, G. Francescetti, Y. Gim, G. Hamilton, S. Hensley, W. T. K. Johnson, K. Kelleher, D. Muhleman, Ph. Paillou, G. Picardi, F. Posa, L. Roth, R. Seu, S. Shaffer, S. Vetrella, R. West, "The lakes of Titan", Nature, vol. 445, doi:10.1038, 2007.
Ph. Paillou, M. Crapeau, Ch. Elachi, S. Wall, P. Encrenaz, "Models of SAR backscattering for bright flows and dark spots on Titan", Journal of Geophysical Research, vol. 111, E11011, doi:10.1029/2006JE002724, 2006.
Ph. Paillou, B. Reynard, J.-M. Malézieux, J. Dejax, E. Heggy, P. Rochette, W. U. Reimold, P. Michel, D. Baratoux, Ph. Razin, J.-P. Colin, "An extended field of crater-shaped structures in the Gilf Kebir region – Egypt: Observations and hypotheses about their origin", Journal of African Earth Sciences, vol. 46, pp. 281-299, 2006.
Ph. Paillou, Y. Lasne, E. Heggy, J.-M. Malézieux, "A study of P-band SAR applicability and performance for Mars exploration: Imaging subsurface geology and detecting shallow moisture", Journal of Geophysical Research, vol. 111, E06S11, doi:10.1029/2005JE002528, 2006.
E. Heggy, Ph. Paillou, "Mapping structural elements of small buried craters using GPR in the southwestern Egyptian desert: Implications for Mars shallow sounding", Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 33, L05202, 2006.
Y. Lasne, Ph. Paillou, G. Ruffié, M. Crapeau, "Effect of multiple scattering on the phase signature of wet subsurface structures: Applications to polarimatric L and C-band SAR", IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, vol. 43, no. 8, pp. 1716-1726, 2005.
Y. Lasne, Ph. Paillou, Th. August-Bernex, G. Ruffié, G. Grandjean, "A phase signature for detecting subsurface wet structures using polarimetric L-band SAR data", IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, vol. 42, no. 8, pp. 1683-1694, 2004.
Ph. Paillou, A. Rosenqvist, J.-M. Malézieux, B. Reynard, T. Farr, E. Heggy, "Discovery of a double impact crater in Libya: the astrobleme of Arkenu", C.R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Geoscience, vol. 335, pp. 1059-1069, 2003.
Ph. Paillou, G. Grandjean, N. Baghdadi, E. Heggy, Th. August-Bernex, J. Achache, "Sub-surface imaging in central-southern Egypt using low frequency radar: Bir Safsaf revisited", IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, vol. 41, no. 7, pp. 1672-1684, 2003.
E. Heggy, Ph. Paillou, F. Costard, N. Mangold, G. Ruffié, F. Demantoux, G. Grandjean, J.-M. Malézieux, "Local geo-electrical models of the Martian subsurface for shallow ground water detection using sounding radar", Journal of Geophysical Research, vol. 108, no. E4, 2003.
E. Heggy, Ph. Paillou, G. Ruffié, J.-M. Malézieux, F. Costard, G. Grandjean, "On water detection in the Martian subsurface using sounding Radar", Icarus, vol. 154, no. 2, pp. 244-257, 2001.
Ph. Paillou, G. Grandjean, J.-M. Malézieux, G. Ruffié, E. Heggy, D. Piponnier, P. Dubois, J. Achache, "Performances of Ground Penetrating Radars in Arid Volcanic Regions: Consequences for Mars Subsurface Exploration", Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 28, no. 5, pp. 911-914, 2001.
G. Grandjean, Ph. Paillou, P. Dubois, T. August-Bernex, N. Baghdadi, J. Achache, "Subsurface structures detection by combining L-band polarimetric SAR and GPR data: Example of the Pyla Dune (France)", IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, vol. 39, no. 6, pp. 1245-1258, 2001.