JEAN-BAPTISTE FOUVRY, AWARDED THE SECOND EDITION OF THE CFM FOUNDATION YOUNG RESEARCHER EXCELLENCE PRIZE
Jean-Baptiste Fouvry
Credit: Jean Mouette /IAP-CNRS-SU
Jean-Baptiste Fouvry, a leading figure in gravitational dynamics, is recipient of the second edition of the Young Researcher Excellence Award from the CFM Foundation for his pioneering work on the statistical mechanics of self-gravitating systems. This award recognizes an exceptional academic career and major theoretical contributions aimed at modeling the long-term evolution of galaxies and galactic nuclei.
A graduate of the École Polytechnique and the Corps des Mines, Jean-Baptiste Fouvry demonstrated his excellence early on by placing first in the Concours Général de Physique. His dissertation was honored with prestigious awards, including the Springer Theses Award, the SF2A Dissertation Prize, a special mention in the SFP Dissertation Prize, the Chancellery Prize, and selection for the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting.
After completing a Hubble fellowship at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, he was hired by the CNRS at the Paris Institute of Astrophysics (IAP).
Jean-Baptiste Fouvry is developing new theories, inspired by statistical physics, to understand how stellar systems evolve over immense time scales, on the scale of the universe.
One of his most significant discoveries concerns galactic disks (such as that of our Milky Way). Within these disks, stars move slowly relative to one another because their orbits are nearly circular. These slow motions greatly amplify a phenomenon known as “eccentricity diffusion”—that is, the way in which the stars’ orbits gradually become more elliptical over time due to the cumulative effect of gravitational attraction between stars.
He is currently seeking to extend these theoretical tools to another phenomenon: the “saturation” of galactic bars (the large, elongated structures of stars observed at the center of many galaxies). To do so, he draws on methods used in statistical physics and adapts them to systems governed by gravity.
The significance of this research lies in the fact that it applies to a wide range of contexts: from galactic disks to the extreme environments surrounding supermassive black holes.
His dedication to education is also evident in his supervision of half a dozen doctoral students, which has helped establish a globally recognized school of thought focused on the statistical dynamics of stars.
The press release by the CFM Foundation (in French)
September 2026