Phase detection based on a single parity check code for low SNR applications

The improvement of carrier phase synchronization through the use of channel decoding information has been recently widely studied. However, an initial synchronization step is necessary prior to the first decoding iteration. When the phase to estimate is not constant (due to frequency error or phase noise), this first step is problematic on relatively long coded words. In this paper we propose to add a short single parity-check code to the transmission scheme for the synchronization purpose. The proposed phase detector is based on the soft symbol decoding of the additional code. Our simulation results show that the proposed synchronization scheme outperforms the classical non data-aided and decision directed algorithms for continuous transmissions with 8PSK modulation, in presence of phase noise. It allows indeed to reduce the phase jitter in considerable proportions. Requiring few additional complexity, it seems well adapted to satellite continuous transmissions.De nombreuses études ont récemment montré l'avantage que l'on peut tirer du décodage canal pour l'amélioration de la synchronisation de phase porteuse à faible rapport signal à bruit. Lorsque la phase à estimer varie au cours du temps (erreur de fréquence, bruit de phase), l'estimation de la phase avant la première étape de décodage pose toutefois problème lorsque les mots de code sont longs. Nous proposons ici un algorithme de synchronisation fondé sur l'introduction d'un code de parité simple et court. Nous montrons que pour une transmission continue et une modulation MDP8, le détecteur proposé permet de réduire sensiblement la gigue de phase à très faible point de fonctionnement et en présence de bruit de phase, par rapport aux algorithmes classiques. De faible complexité, il apparait notamment bien adapté au contexte des télécommunications par satellite

Transiting exoplanets from the CoRoT space mission VIII. CoRoT-7b: the first Super-Earth with measured radius

We report the discovery of very shallow (DF/F = 3.4 10-4), periodic dips in the light curve of an active V = 11.7 G9V star observed by the CoRoT satellite, which we interpret as due to the presence of a transiting companion. We describe the 3-colour CoRoT data and complementary ground-based observations that support the planetary nature of the companion. Methods. We use CoRoT color information, good angular resolution ground-based photometric observations in- and out- of transit, adaptive optics imaging, near-infrared spectroscopy and preliminary results from Radial Velocity measurements, to test the diluted eclipsing binary scenarios. The parameters of the host star are derived from optical spectra, which were then combined with the CoRoT light curve to derive parameters of the companion. We examine carefully all conceivable cases of false positives, and all tests performed support the planetary hypothesis. Blends with separation larger than 0.40 arcsec or triple systems are almost excluded with a 8 10-4 risk left. We conclude that, as far as we have been exhaustive, we have discovered a planetary companion, named CoRoT-7b, for which we derive a period of 0.853 59 +/- 3 10-5 day and a radius of Rp = 1.68 +/- 0.09 REarth. Analysis of preliminary radial velocity data yields an upper limit of 21 MEarth for the companion mass, supporting the finding. CoRoT-7b is very likely the first Super-Earth with a measured radius.Comment: Accepted in Astronomy and Astrophysics; typos and language corrections; version sent to the printer w few upgrade

SILVER - Statistical Independence and Leakage Verification

Implementing cryptographic functions securely in the presence of physical adversaries is still a challenge although a lion\u27s share of research in the physical security domain has been put in development of countermeasures. Among several protection schemes, masking has absorbed the most attention of research in both academic and industrial communities, due to its theoretical foundation allowing to provide proofs or model the achieved security level. In return, masking schemes are difficult to implement as the implementation process often is manual, complex, and error-prone. This motivated the need for formal verification tools that allow the designers and engineers to analyze and verify the designs before manufacturing. In this work, we present a new framework to analyze and verify masked implementations against various security notions using different security models as reference. In particular, our framework - which directly processes the resulting gate-level netlist of a hardware synthesis - particularly relies on Reduced Ordered Binary Decision Diagrams (ROBDDs) and the concept of statistical independence of probability distributions. Compared to existing tools, our framework captivates due to its simplicity, accuracy, and functionality while still having a reasonable efficiency for many applications and common use-cases

Transiting exoplanets from the CoRoT space mission. VIII. CoRoT-7b: the first super-Earth with measured radius

Copyright © The European Southern Observatory (ESO)Aims. We report the discovery of very shallow (ΔF/F ≈ 3.4×10−4), periodic dips in the light curve of an active V = 11.7 G9V star observed by the CoRoT satellite, which we interpret as caused by a transiting companion. We describe the 3-colour CoRoT data and complementary ground-based observations that support the planetary nature of the companion. Methods. We used CoRoT colours information, good angular resolution ground-based photometric observations in- and out- of transit, adaptive optics imaging, near-infrared spectroscopy, and preliminary results from radial velocity measurements, to test the diluted eclipsing binary scenarios. The parameters of the host star were derived from optical spectra, which were then combined with the CoRoT light curve to derive parameters of the companion. Results. We examined all conceivable cases of false positives carefully, and all the tests support the planetary hypothesis. Blends with separation >0.40'' or triple systems are almost excluded with a 8 × 10−4 risk left. We conclude that, inasmuch we have been exhaustive, we have discovered a planetary companion, named CoRoT-7b, for which we derive a period of 0.853 59 ± 3 × 10−5 day and a radius of Rp = 1.68 ± 0.09 REarth. Analysis of preliminary radial velocity data yields an upper limit of 21 MEarth for the companion mass, supporting the finding. Conclusions. CoRoT-7b is very likely the first Super-Earth with a measured radius. This object illustrates what will probably become a common situation with missions such as Kepler, namely the need to establish the planetary origin of transits in the absence of a firm radial velocity detection and mass measurement. The composition of CoRoT-7b remains loosely constrained without a precise mass. A very high surface temperature on its irradiated face, ≈1800–2600 K at the substellar point, and a very low one, ≈50 K, on its dark face assuming no atmosphere, have been derived

The ATHENA X-ray Integral Field Unit (X-IFU)

The X-ray Integral Field Unit (X-IFU) is the high resolution X-ray spectrometer of the ESA Athena X-ray observatory. Over a field of view of 5' equivalent diameter, it will deliver X-ray spectra from 0.2 to 12 keV with a spectral resolution of 2.5 eV up to 7 keV on ∼ 5" pixels. The X-IFU is based on a large format array of super-conducting molybdenum-gold Transition Edge Sensors cooled at ∼ 90 mK, each coupled with an absorber made of gold and bismuth with a pitch of 249 μm. A cryogenic anti-coincidence detector located underneath the prime TES array enables the non X-ray background to be reduced. A bath temperature of ∼ 50 mK is obtained by a series of mechanical coolers combining 15K Pulse Tubes, 4K and 2K Joule-Thomson coolers which pre-cool a sub Kelvin cooler made of a 3He sorption cooler coupled with an Adiabatic Demagnetization Refrigerator. Frequency domain multiplexing enables to read out 40 pixels in one single channel. A photon interacting with an absorber leads to a current pulse, amplified by the readout electronics and whose shape is reconstructed on board to recover its energy with high accuracy. The defocusing capability offered by the Athena movable mirror assembly enables the X-IFU to observe the brightest X-ray sources of the sky (up to Crab-like intensities) by spreading the telescope point spread function over hundreds of pixels. Thus the X-IFU delivers low pile-up, high throughput (< 50%), and typically 10 eV spectral resolution at 1 Crab intensities, i.e. A factor of 10 or more better than Silicon based X-ray detectors. In this paper, the current X-IFU baseline is presented, together with an assessment of its anticipated performance in terms of spectral resolution, background, and count rate capability. The X-IFU baseline configuration will be subject to a preliminary requirement review that is scheduled at the end of 2018

The Athena X-ray Integral Field Unit: a consolidated design for the system requirement review of the preliminary definition phase

Instrumentatio

Several new classes of self-dual bent functions derived from involutions

International audienc

Apport de la modélisation paramétrique a la synthèse d'images issues d'un radar a synthese d'ouverture

Le Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES) étudie dans le cadre de ses activités de Recherche et Technologie, un système d'observation de la terre par Radar à Synthèse d'Ouverture (RSO) embarqué sur satellite. Une contrainte importante est liée à la grande quantité de données qui sont stockées à bord ou bien transmises du satellite vers les stations terrestres. Le concept du SPECAN [1], associé à celui d'estimation spectrale paramétrique [2] procure un moyen de traitement des données brutes à bord du satellite [3], [4]. Le coefficient de compression obtenu avec cette méthode varie de 14 à 16. Cet article montre qu'au delà du taux du compression obtenu, l'estimateur original proposé permet d'obtenir une résolution spatiale supérieure à celle obtenue par les méthodes d'estimation classiques. D'autre part, la présence de bruit multiplicatif (Speckle) est nettement diminuée