An Optical Lattice Clock with Spin-polarized 87Sr Atoms

We present a new evaluation of an 87Sr optical lattice clock using spin polarized atoms. The frequency of the 1S0-3P0 clock transition is found to be 429 228 004 229 873.6 Hz with a fractional accuracy of 2.6 10^{-15}, a value that is comparable to the frequency difference between the various primary standards throughout the world. This measurement is in excellent agreement with a previous one of similar accuracy

Chemo-enzymatic synthesis of a series of 2,4-syn-functionalized (S)-glutamate analogues: new insight into the structure-activity relation of ionotropic glutamate receptor subtypes 5, 6, and 7.

International audience(S)-Glutamic acid (Glu) is the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system (CNS) activating the plethora of ionotropic Glu receptors (iGluRs) and metabotropic Glu receptors (mGluRs). In this paper, we present a chemo-enzymatic strategy for the enantioselective synthesis of five new Glu analogues 2a−f (2d is exempt) holding a functionalized substituent in the 4-position. Nine Glu analogues 2a−j are characterized pharmacologically at native 2-amino-3-(3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolyl)propionic acid (AMPA), kainic acid (KA), and N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptors in rat synaptosomes as well as in binding assays at cloned rat iGluR5−7 subtypes. A detailed in silico study address as to why 2h is a high-affinity ligand at iGluR5−7 (Ki = 3.81, 123, 57.3 nM, respectively), while 2e is only a high affinity ligand at iGluR5 (Ki = 42.8 nM). Furthermore, a small series of commercially available iGluR ligands are characterized in iGluR5−7 bindin

Evaluating and Minimizing Distributed Cavity Phase Errors in Atomic Clocks

We perform 3D finite element calculations of the fields in microwave cavities and analyze the distributed cavity phase errors of atomic clocks that they produce. The fields of cylindrical cavities are treated as an azimuthal Fourier series. Each of the lowest components produces clock errors with unique characteristics that must be assessed to establish a clock's accuracy. We describe the errors and how to evaluate them. We prove that sharp structures in the cavity do not produce large frequency errors, even at moderately high powers, provided the atomic density varies slowly. We model the amplitude and phase imbalances of the feeds. For larger couplings, these can lead to increased phase errors. We show that phase imbalances produce a novel distributed cavity phase error that depends on the cavity detuning. We also design improved cavities by optimizing the geometry and tuning the mode spectrum so that there are negligible phase variations, allowing this source of systematic error to be dramatically reduced.Comment: To appear in Metrologi

Oxydes d'actinides à façon pour la fabrication de combustibles nucléaires de Génération IV

International audienceCette étude s’inscrit dans le cadre des recherches menées sur le traitement-recyclage descombustibles nucléaires du futur et, plus précisément, sur la fabrication de nouveaux combustiblessous forme de pastilles à partir de poudres d’oxydes à base d’actinides de différentesmorphologies. Différents procédés de conversion sont envisagés pour la synthèse d’oxydesd’actinides à partir de l’uranium et du plutonium issus du traitement des combustibles usés.Plusieurs études menées au CEA sur le procédé de conversion par voie oxalique ont permisd’aboutir à des oxalates et à des oxydes d’actinides de morphologies très variées en fonction desparamètres de précipitation