Revealing the nature of the highly obscured galactic source IGR J16318-4848

The X-ray source IGR J16318-4848 was the first source discovered by INTEGRAL on 2003, January 29. We carried out optical and near-infrared (NIR) observations at the European Southern Observatory (ESO La Silla) in the course of a Target of Opportunity (ToO) programme. We discovered the optical counterpart and confirmed an already proposed NIR candidate. NIR spectroscopy revealed a large amount of emission lines, including forbidden iron lines and P-Cygni profiles. The spectral energy distribution of the source points towards a high luminosity and a high temperature, with an absorption greater than the interstellar absorption, but two orders of magnitude lower than the X-ray absorption. We show that the source is an High Mass X-ray binary (HMXB) at a distance between ~1 and 6 kpc, the mass donor being an early-type star, probably a sgB[e] star, surrounded by a rich and absorbing circumstellar material. This would make the second High Mass X-ray Binary (HMXB) with a sgB[e] star after CI Cam, indicating that a new class of strongly absorbed X-ray binaries is being unveiled by INTEGRAL.Comment: to appear in proceedings of the IAU conference #194, Compact Binaries in the Galaxy and beyond, La Paz, Mexico, 17-22 November 2003, ed. G. Tovmassian & E. Sion, RevMexAA (CS

Method to calibrate fission chambers in Campbelling mode

Fission chambers are neutron detectors which are widely used to instrument experimental reactors such as material testing reactors or zero power reactors. In the presence of a high level mixed gamma and neutron flux, fission chambers can be operated in Campbelling mode (also known as 'fluctuation mode' or 'mean square voltage mode') to provide reliable and precise neutron related measurements. Fission chamber calibration in Campbelling mode (in terms of neutron flux) is usually done empirically using a calibrated reference detector. A major drawback of this method is that calibration measurements have to be performed in a neutron environment very similar to the one in which the calibrated detector will be used afterwards. What we propose here is a different approach based on characterizing the fission chamber response in terms of fission rate. This way, the detector calibration coefficient is independent from the neutron spectrum and can be determined prior to the experiment. The fissile deposit response to the neutron spectrum can then be assessed independently by other means (experimental or numerical). In this paper, the response of CEA made miniature fission chambers in Campbelling mode is studied. We use a theoretical model of the signal to calculate the calibration coefficient. Input parameters of the model come from statistical distribution of individual pulses. Supporting measurements have been made in the CEA Cadarache zero power reactor MINERVE. Results are compared to an empirical Campbelling mode calibration

Conception de détecteurs neutroniques

Physiqu

Etalonnage sol et analyse des données de l'expérience ballon Archeops mesurant les anisotropies du Fond Diffus Cosmologique. Etude des contraintes sur l'inflation

Archeops, a balloon-borne experiment, has mapped the Cosmic Microwave Background anisotropies at high angular resolution ~ 10 arcminutes on a large fraction of the sky of 30%. Archeops is a benchmark for the HFI instrument of the Planck satellite mission of the ESA. This thesis deals with the ground calibration using a millimetric thermal source for the three flights performed by Archeops and with their data analysis. The main steps of the process of the time ordered data are discussed: flagging of the corrupted data, subtraction of systematics at low frequency and at high frequency. For the latter, an original method is proposed which helps some of the detectors to satisfy the hypothesis of stationnarity and gaussianity requested by the map making codes. Solutions given by three of these codes are compared using simulations. The angular power spectrum of the anisotropies constraints the parameters of the standard cosmological model, and hence, the physical parameters of the considered inflationnary model that generates the primordial perturbation imprinted in the anisotropies. This thesis shows what would be the Archeops contribution to this topic.L'expérience embarquée en ballon Archeops a cartographié les anisotropies du Fond Diffus Cosmologique (CMB) avec une résolution angulaire de 10 minutes d'arc sur une portion du ciel de 30%. Elle constitue également un banc-test pour la mission Planck-HFI de l'ESA. Le travail de cette thèse a porté sur l'étalonnage sol à l'aide d'une source thermique millimétrique des trois vols effectués par Archeops et l'analyse des données obtenues. Le traitement des données ordonnées en temps est détaillé en plusieurs étapes : signalisation des données corrompues, soustraction des effets systématiques à basse fréquence, puis à haute fréquence. Dans ce dernier cas, une méthode originale est proposée qui permet à quelques détecteurs de satisfaire aux hypothèses de stationnarité et de gaussianité des codes de cartographie. Les solutions fournies par trois de ces codes sont comparés à l'aide de simulations. Le spectre de puissance angulaire des anisotropies permet de contraindre les différents paramètres du modèle cosmologiquc standard, et par conséquent les paramètres physiques du modèle inflationnaire considéré pour générer les pertubations primordiales dont les anisotropies sont l'empreinte. Cette thèse présente ce qu'Archeops peut apporter dans ce domaine

Design of a delayed neutron detection system for the ASTRID Sodium-cooled fast reactor

Delayed neutron detection systems are key apparati in Sodium cooled Fast Reactors to prevent safety accidents. Based on the feedbacks from Phenix and Superphenix, DND systems are studied by means of the Monte-Carlo particles transport code MCNP6. Promising designs are proposed and investigated as a result of the simulation study

Design of a delayed neutron detection system for the ASTRID Sodium-cooled fast reactor

International audienceDelayed neutron detection systems are key apparati in Sodium cooled Fast Reactors to prevent safety accidents. Based on the feedbacks from Phenix and Superphenix, DND systems are studied by means of the Monte-Carlo particles transport code MCNP6. Promising designs are proposed and investigated as a result of the simulation study

Progress in the development of the neutron flux monitoring system of the French GEN-IV SFR: simulations and experimental validations

International audienceThe neutron flux monitoring system of the French GEN-IV sodium-cooled fast reactor will rely on high-temperature fission chambers installed in the reactor vessel and capable of operating over a wide-range neutron flux. The definition of such a system is presented and the technological solutions are justified with the use of simulation and experimental results

Improved survival in multiple myeloma during the 2005-2009 and 2010-2014 periods

International audienc

Del17p without TP53 mutation confers poor prognosis in intensively treated newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients

International audienceDespite tremendous improvements in the outcome of patients with multiple myeloma (MM) in the past decade, high-risk patients have not benefited from the approval of novel drugs. The most important prognostic factor is the loss of parts of the short arm of chromosome 17, known as deletion 17p (del(17p)). A recent publication (on a small number of patients) suggested that these patients are at very high-risk only if del(17p) is associated with TP53 mutations, the so-called "double-hit" population. To validate this finding, we designed a much larger study on 121 patients presenting del(17p) in >55% of their plasma cells, and homogeneously treated by an intensive approach. For these 121 patients, we performed deep next generation sequencing targeted on TP53. The outcome was then compared to a large control population (2505 patients lacking del(17p)). Our results confirmed that the "double hit" situation is the worst (median survival = 36 months), but that del(17p) alone also confers a poor outcome compared with the control cohort (median survival = 52.8 months vs 152.2 months, respectively). In conclusion, our study clearly confirms the extremely poor outcome of patients displaying "double hit", but also that del(17p) alone is still a very high-risk feature, confirming its value as a prognostic indicator for poor outcome

Outcomes of refractory or relapsed Hodgkin lymphoma patients with post autologous stem cell transplantation brentuximab vedotin maintenance : a French multicenter observational cohort study

International audienceNot available