MIMAC: MIcro-tpc MAtrix of Chambers for dark matter directional detection

Directional detection of non-baryonic Dark Matter is a promising search strategy for discriminating WIMP events from neutrons, the ultimate background for dark matter direct detection. This strategy requires both a precise measurement of the energy down to a few keV and 3D reconstruction of tracks down to a few mm. The MIMAC (MIcro-tpc MAtrix of Chambers) collaboration has developed in the last years an original prototype detector based on the direct coupling of large pixelized micromegas with a special developed fast self-triggered electronics showing the feasibility of a new generation of directional detectors. The first bi-chamber prototype has been installed at Modane, underground laboratory in June 2012. The first undergournd background events, the gain stability and calibration are shown. The first spectrum of nuclear recoils showing 3D tracks coming from the radon progeny is presented.Comment: Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Directional Dark Matter Detection CYGNUS2013, held in Toyoma (Japan), June 201

MIMAC : A micro-tpc matrix for directional detection of dark matter

Directional detection of non-baryonic Dark Matter is a promising search strategy for discriminating WIMP events from background. However, this strategy requires both a precise measurement of the energy down to a few keV and 3D reconstruction of tracks down to a few mm. To achieve this goal, the MIMAC project has been developed. It is based on a gaseous micro-TPC matrix, filled with CF4 and CHF3. The first results on low energy nuclear recoils (H, F) obtained with a low mono-energetic neutron field are presented. The discovery potential of this search strategy is discussed and illustrated by a realistic case accessible to MIMAC.Comment: 6 pages, Proc. of the fifth international symposium on large TPCs for low energy rare event detection, Paris, France, Dec. 2010. To appear in Journal of Physic

Containerless processing of amorphous ceramics

The absence of gravity allows containerless processing of materials which could not otherwise be processed. High melting point, hard materials such as borides, nitrides, and refractory metals are usually brittle in their crystalline form. The absence of dislocations in amorphous materials frequently endows them with flexibility and toughness. Systematic studies of the properties of many amorphous materials have not been carried out. The requirements for their production is that they can be processed in a controlled way without container interaction. Containerless processing in microgravity could permit the control necessary to produce amorphous forms of hard materials

Equilibration and freeze-out in an exploding system

We use a simple gas model to study non-equilibrium aspects of the multiparticle dynamics relevant to heavy ion collisions. By performing numerical simulations for various initial conditions we identify several characteristic features of the fast dynamics occurring in implosion-explosion like processes.Comment: 4 pages, submitted to PR

Classifying types of gesture and inferring intent

In order to infer intent from gesture, a rudimentary classification of types of gestures into five main classes is introduced. The classification is intended as a basis for incorporating the understanding of gesture into human-robot interaction (HRI). Some requirements for the operational classification of gesture by a robot interacting with humans are also suggested

Gelinier O., Simon F.-X., Billard J.-P. et Muller J.-L. 2002, Développement Durable. Pour une entreprise compétitive et responsable, Paris, ESF Editeur, Cegos, 157 p.

Voici un ouvrage supplémentaire qui vise à sensibiliser les managers pour la promotion du développement durable (désormais DD), au sein de l’entreprise. « DD » semble être devenu le nouveau mot d’ordre des sociétés occidentales. Cette notion, ondoyante et polysémique, a envahi le monde de l’entreprise, passionne beaucoup de chercheurs et fait l’objet d’un grand nombre de publications. Par ailleurs, on constate que beaucoup d’ouvrages de professionnels semblent céder à une sorte de « fascinati..

Bypassing taboos: examples of euphemisms and dysphemisms in French descriptions of serious illnesses and death

Faucheuse, camarde, lâcher la rampe, dévisser son billard are terms and expressions that mean death or die. Whatever the language registry used, there are strategies in French to talk about death and to get around the taboos related to it. Euphemisms and dysphemisms are part of these strategies to talk about death, but also about serious diseases, which creates a non-negligible stock of lexemes and locutions, which should be analyzed from a diachronic perspective thanks to their dating by dictionaries and their attestations in the literature.Faucheuse, camarde, lâcher la rampe, dévisser son billard sont des termes et expressions qui veulent dire « mort », « mourir ». Quel que soit le registre de langue utilisé on relève en français l’existence de stratégies pour pouvoir cependant en parler et contourner les tabous liés à la mort : l’euphémisme et le dysphémisme font partie de ces stratégies pour discourir au sujet de la mort, mais aussi des maladies graves, ce qui crée un stock non négligeable de lexèmes et locutions, qu’il convient d’analyser dans une perspective diachronique grâce à leurs datations par les dictionnaires et leurs attestations dans la littérature