Inelastic collisions of ultra-cold heteronuclear molecules in an optical trap

Ultra-cold RbCs molecules in high-lying vibrational levels of the a$^3\Sigma^+$ ground electronic state are confined in an optical trap. Inelastic collision rates of these molecules with both Rb and Cs atoms are determined for individual vibrational levels, across an order of magnitude of binding energies. A simple model for the collision process is shown to accurately reproduce the observed scattering rates

Nouveau concept de spectrométre de masse à base de réseaux de nanostructures résonantes

The aim of the project is to bring a proof of concept of a simplified mass spectrometer architecture using an ultra dense network of NEMS in association with elements of CMOS circuit as sensors in order to amplify the signal in situ and adress them individually. Since several years, Roukes' team at Caltech has demonstrated a mass spectrometry with a NEMS. In parallel, the CEA/LETI-MINATEC has developped a fabrication approach called VLSI of NEMS and an electromecanical simulation method of these elements The first objective of this thesis is to study the noise phenomenon currently limiting our mass resolution in order to reach 10 Da instead of current 1000 Da on ranges going from 10 Da to 1MDa. In a second step, the concept of NEMS-based mass spectrometry is validated by comparison a nanometric cluster spectra with those from a conventional time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Then, a frequency addressing technique is applied on an NEMS array to allow for quasi simultaneous tracking of 20 different resonators. Finally, the NEMS array is inserted in the nanocluster bench to measure 20 spectra in parallel and validate a first proof of concept.L'enjeu du travail est d'apporter une preuve de concept d'une architecture simplifiée de spectromètre en utilisant comme détecteur un réseau ultra-dense de NEMS associés à des éléments de circuit CMOS afin d'amplifier le signal in situ et de les adresser individuellement. Depuis plusieurs années, l'équipe du professeur Roukes à CALTECH a présenté une démonstration de spectrométrie de masse avec un NEMS. En parallèle, le CEA/LETI-MINATEC a développé une approche de fabrication dite VLSI de NEMS et de simulation électromécanique de ces éléments. Le premier but de la thèse est l'étude des phénomènes de bruit limitant la résolution en masse afin d'atteindre 10 Da au lieu des 1000 Da actuels sur des rangs de masses large allant de 10Da à 1MDa. Dans un second temps, La concept de spectrométrie de masse à base de NEMS est validé en comparant des spectres obtenus sur des nano-agrégats de quelques nanomètres de diamètres avec ceux fournis par un spectromètre de masse temps-de-vol conventionnel. Puis, un système d'adressage fréquentiel de réseau de NEMS est mis en place pour permettre la mesure quasi simultanée de 20 résonateurs. Enfin, le réseau de NEMS est inséré dans le banc de nano-aggrégats pour mesurer 20 spectres de masses en parallèle et valider une première preuve de concept

Neutral particle Mass Spectrometry with Nanomechanical Systems

Current approaches to Mass Spectrometry (MS) require ionization of the analytes of interest. For high-mass species, the resulting charge state distribution can be complex and difficult to interpret correctly. In this article, using a setup comprising both conventional time-of-flight MS (TOF-MS) and Nano-Electro-Mechanical-Systems-based MS (NEMS-MS) in situ, we show directly that NEMS-MS analysis is insensitive to charge state: the spectrum consists of a single peak whatever the species charge state, making it significantly clearer than existing MS analysis. In subsequent tests, all charged particles are electrostatically removed from the beam, and unlike TOF-MS, NEMS-MS can still measure masses. This demonstrates the possibility to measure mass spectra for neutral particles. Thus, it is possible to envisage MS-based studies of analytes that are incompatible with current ionization techniques and the way is now open for the development of cutting edge system architectures with unique analytical capability

Secure, Autonomous, Intelligent Controller for Integrating Distributed Emergency Response Satellite Operations

This report describes a Secure, Autonomous, and Intelligent Controller for Integrating Distributed Emergency Response Satellite Operations. It includes a description of current improvements to existing Virtual Mission Operations Center technology being used by US Department of Defense and originally developed under NASA funding. The report also highlights a technology demonstration performed in partnership with the United States Geological Service for Earth Resources Observation and Science using DigitalGlobe(Registered TradeMark) satellites to obtain space-based sensor data

Secure Autonomous Automated Scheduling (SAAS)

This report describes network-centric operations, where a virtual mission operations center autonomously receives sensor triggers, and schedules space and ground assets using Internet-based technologies and service-oriented architectures. For proof-of-concept purposes, sensor triggers are received from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) to determine targets for space-based sensors. The Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) Disaster Monitoring Constellation satellite, the UK-DMC, is used as the space-based sensor. The UK-DMC's availability is determined via machine-to-machine communications using SSTL's mission planning system. Access to/from the UK-DMC for tasking and sensor data is via SSTL's and Universal Space Network's (USN) ground assets. The availability and scheduling of USN's assets can also be performed autonomously via machine-to-machine communications. All communication, both on the ground and between ground and space, uses open Internet standard

Error Disclosure Training and Organizational Culture

Objective. Our primary objective was to determine whether, after training was offered to participants, those who indicated they had received error disclosure training previously were more likely to disclose a hypothetical error and have more positive perceptions of their organizational culture pertaining to error disclosure, safety, and teamwork. Methods. Across a 3-year span, all clinical faculty from six health institutions (four medical schools, one cancer center, and one health science center) in The University of Texas System were offered the opportunity to anonymously complete an electronic survey focused on measuring error disclosure culture, safety culture, teamwork culture, and intention to disclose a hypothetical error at two time points—both before (baseline) and after (follow-up) disclosure training was conducted for a subset of faculty. Results. There were significant improvements (all p-values \u3c .05) in the follow-up surveys compared with the baseline surveys for the following domains (percent refers to percent positives before and after, respectively): minor error disclosure culture (33 percent vs. 52 percent), serious error disclosure (53 percent vs. 70 percent), safety culture (50 percent vs. 63 percent), and teamwork culture (62 percent vs. 73 percent). Follow-up survey data revealed significant differences (all p-values \u3c .001) between faculty who had previously received any error disclosure training (n = 472) and those who had not (n = 599). Specifically, we found significant differences in culture (all p-values \u3c .001) between those who received any error disclosure training and those who did not for all culture domains: minor error disclosure (61 percent vs. 41 percent), serious error disclosure (79 percent vs. 58 percent), trust-based error disclosure (61 percent vs. 51 percent), safety (73 percent vs. 51 percent), and teamwork (78 percent vs. 66 percent). Significant differences also existed for intent to disclose an error (t = 4.1, p \u3c .05). We also found that error disclosure culture was significantly associated with intent to disclose for those who received previous error disclosure training, whereas all types of culture we measured were significantly associated with intent to disclose for those who did not receive error disclosure training. Conclusions. Error disclosure, teamwork, and safety culture all improved over a 3-year period during which disclosure training was provided to key faculty in these six institutions. Self‑reported likelihood to disclose errors also improved. The precise impact of the training on these improvements cannot be determined from this study; nevertheless, we present an approach to measuring error disclosure culture and providing training that may be useful to other institutions

Absence of extended atmospheres in low-mass star radius-gap planets GJ 9827 b, GJ 9827 d and TOI-1235 b

\textit{Kepler} showed a paucity of planets with radii of 1.5 - 2 $\mathrm R_{\oplus}$ around solar mass stars but this radius-gap has not been well studied for low-mass star planets. Energy-driven escape models like photoevaporation and core-powered mass-loss predict opposing transition regimes between rocky and non-rocky planets when compared to models depicting planets forming in gas-poor environments. Here we present transit observations of three super-Earth sized planets in the radius-gap around low-mass stars using high-dispersion InfraRed Doppler (IRD) spectrograph on the Subaru 8.2m telescope. The planets GJ 9827 b and d orbit around a K6V star and TOI-1235 b orbits a M0.5 star. We limit any planet-related absorption in the 1083.3 nm lines of triplet He I by placing an upper-limit on the equivalent width of 14.71 m{\AA}, 18.39 m{\AA}, and 1.44 m{\AA}, for GJ 9827 b (99% confidence), GJ 9827 d (99% confidence) and TOI-1235 b (95% confidence) respectively. Using a Parker wind model, we cap the mass-loss at $>$0.25 $\mathrm M_{\oplus}$ Gyr$^{-1}$ and $>$0.2 $\mathrm M_{\oplus}$ Gyr$^{-1}$ for GJ 9827 b and d, respectively (99% confidence), and $>$0.05 $\mathrm M_{\oplus}$ Gyr$^{-1}$ for TOI-1235 b (95\% confidence) for a representative wind temperature of 5000 K. Our observed results for the three planets are more consistent with the predictions from photoevaporation and/or core-powered mass-loss models than the gas-poor formation models. However, more planets in the radius-gap regime around the low-mass stars are needed to robustly predict the atmospheric evolution in planets around low-mass stars.Comment: Accepted for MNRAS. 12 pages, 15 figure

On The Unusual Variability of 2MASS J06195260-2903592: A Long-Lived Disk around a Young Ultracool Dwarf

We present the characterization of the low-gravity M6 dwarf 2MASS J0619-2903 previously identified as an unusual field object based on its strong IR excess and variable near-IR spectrum. Multiple epochs of low-resolution (R~150) near-IR spectra show large-amplitude (~0.1-0.5 mag) continuum variations on timescales of days to 12 years, unlike the small-amplitude variability typical for field ultracool dwarfs. The variations between epochs are well-modeled as changes in the relative extinction ($\Delta{A_V}\approx2$ mag). Likewise, Pan-STARRS optical photometry varies on timescales as long as 11 years (and possibly as short as an hour) and implies similar amplitude $A_V$ changes. NEOWISE mid-IR light curves also suggest changes on 6-month timescales, with amplitudes consistent with the optical/near-IR extinction variations. However, near-IR spectra, near-IR photometry, and optical photometry obtained in the past year indicate the source can also be stable on hourly and monthly timescales. From comparison to objects of similar spectral type, the total extinction of 2MASS J0619-2903 seems to be $A_V\approx4-6$ mag, with perhaps epochs of lower extinction. Gaia EDR3 finds that 2MASS J0619-2903 has a wide-separation (1.2' = 10450 AU) stellar companion, with an isochronal age of $31^{+22}_{-10}$ Myr and a mass of $0.30^{+0.04}_{-0.03}$ Msun. Adopting this companion's age and EDR3 distance (145.2$\pm$0.6 pc), we estimate a mass of 0.11-0.17 Msun for 2MASS J0619-2903. Altogether, 2MASS J0619-2903 appears to possess an unusually long-lived primordial circumstellar disk, perhaps making it a more obscured analog to the "Peter Pan" disks found around a few M dwarfs in nearby young moving groups.Comment: AJ, in pres