Astrophysics requires a link between physics, chemistry, mathematics, geosciences, natural sciences, engineering sciences and even the sciences of thought. Progress in the field results from the comparison of increasingly precise and sensitive observations with increasingly complex numerical or theoretical models. This requires a range of technologies and expertise: instruments, data processing, simulation, theory and laboratory experimentation.
Since 2012, thanks to support from the region, our community has developed recognized technological expertise in the three main areas of scientific instrumentation: multi-messenger detection chains, laboratory experiments and digital technology. To maintain and strengthen its leadership, DIM ORIGINES will have to pursue its innovative developments by working increasingly closely with the exceptional network of SMEs, start-ups and major groups in the Île-de-France region.

Innovative detection chains

The development of major ground-based and space-based instruments means that our laboratories are heavily involved in the development of multi-mediator detection chains (photons at all wavelengths, neutrinos, cosmic rays, gravitational waves, in situ measurements in the solar system). In this regard, it is essential to:

• encourage the emergence of new breakthrough technologies by supporting R&D that positions our teams as major partners in major projects in our disciplines,
• support the leadership positions of our communities in these projects by giving them the financial means to invest in major preparatory equipment or equipment that contributes directly to the construction of the instruments,
• support the scientific exploitation of the data generated by these instruments, which remains the poor relation of national funding.

Our laboratories are leaders in the development of several key space missions in the coming years. The participation of the CNES in the governance of DIM will strengthen its federating role in the space sector by coordinating funding. We will support the resources needed to develop both space missions and their ground segments.
DIM ORIGINES will also be able to support nano-satellite proposals from our space centres (CENSUS at Observatoire de Paris-PSL, Pôle Spatial at UP, CurieSat at SU, Centre spatial de l’UPEC). This NewSpace sector, in which several of our laboratories are involved (LESIA, LATMOS, IPGP, APC, IMCCE, LISA, etc.), is a source of technological innovation and is highly formative (concurrent engineering, teamwork) and attractive for students.
Two nano-satellites have already been launched by our laboratories (PicSat at LESIA and UVSQ-Sat at LATMOS), and many others are in the pipeline, such as CASSTOR, which will be the first broadband high-resolution UV spectropolarimeter and will study the magnetic fields and environments of hot stars, or Meteorix which will detect and characterize meteors and space debris. These projects provide opportunities for scientific added value, innovation (technological demonstrators) and public-private technology transfer.
The technological developments needed to develop high-performance detection chains represent a major potential for technology transfer with industry. Since 2016, the DIM ACAV+ has funded the development of several collaborative experimental platforms with industry (RF/optics at IAS, CYRODET at CEA, PARADIGME at IJCLab), which enable the characterization of different components and detectors under extreme conditions, and for which industrial applications are planned (e.g. medical imaging in oncology for the PARADIGME grey room dedicated to gamma detectors, or sub-Kelvin cryogenics for the development of microwave kinetic inductance detectors). Our aim is to continue developing platforms of this kind in collaboration with companies across the region.

Artist’s view of the PicSat nanosatellite orbiting the Earth. Credits LESIA - Observatoire de Paris-PSL Thomas Pesquet ESA-NASA.

Laboratory experiments

Understanding the infinitely large is based on knowledge of the physical properties of matter over a wide range of densities and temperatures. Laboratory experiments cover a wide range of disciplinary and methodological fields, including geological processes, condensed matter, atomic and molecular physics, theoretical chemistry and the modelling of complex structures such as pre-biotic matter.
The DIM ORIGINES laboratories are at the forefront of the development of experiments to study, among other things, erosion processes in extreme environments, matter in extreme conditions, degradation and the identification of past and/or extraterrestrial biosignatures. The associated technological developments are leading to applications in many fields (health, environmental sciences).
Working in co-development with Saint-Gobain, DIM ACAV+ has, for example, enabled the installation of the new NANOTRACES oxygen ion source (RF plasma source) on the national NanoSIMS instrument (MNHN), which enables the measurement of very low concentrations of a large number of metals and their isotopes in anticipation of industrial applications. ALTO (IJCLab) also offers a wide range of particle beams, from light and heavy ions to neutrons and gamma rays, and is currently building a dedicated facility for industry. Several companies, and particularly those in the space and aeronautics sectors, have expressed an interest in developing a similar platform in the Greater Paris region.

Samples of the Ryugu asteroid brought back by the JAXA Hayabusa2 mission. Loizeau et al. IAS 2023.

Digital in the age of Big Data

Numerical simulations and High-Performance Computing (HPC) have become a key tool in astronomy. Our teams deploy complex HPC codes on the largest computers, including those of GENCI (e.g. at IDRIS or TGGC) or PRACE at European level. DIM ACAV supported the development of numerical simulations of this kind in cosmology (DEUS and HORIZON projects), taking our teams to the highest international level. Funding from DIM ACAV+ has also provided laboratories in the Île-de-France region with several complementary HPC platforms that will enable them to maintain their leadership position.
Our software innovations give us a high level of visibility in the handling of complex problems. Astrophysical codes, which are very demanding, are often used to test the performance of new HPC computers. Take, for example, models of giant planets, which require intensive parallel computing and are used to test global warming models under extreme conditions.

Applications and requirements continue to grow and this only reinforces the need for the community to structure itself around access to shared computing and storage resources that DIM could finance. Rising to the challenge of analysing simulations at laboratory level will be a key issue.
The arrival of massive new data will require the implementation of new techniques to meet the challenges of disseminating, storing and preserving it. For example, the LSST survey will carry out a 10-year survey of the entire sky, producing 30 TB of data per night. The SKA radio telescope will also produce a gigantic data stream (1 Exabyte) in a single day.
Thanks to DIM ACAV+, the Île-de-France region laboratories are involved in the necessary innovations through a number of projects, such as the EXASKA project (with Centrale Supélec and Atos BULL), which is studying how to adapt signal processing codes currently developed for SKA to GPUs, thereby meeting the challenges of HPC computing.
LESIA and Thalès have joined forces to prototype a system for acquiring and processing large volumes of data in real time, with potential applications for SKA and future civil aviation radars: the STREAMS project - Smart Technologies for Real-time Analytics at Massive Scales.
It is essential to pursue these developments over the long term. The analysis and scientific interpretation of this massive data is also a challenge. All these challenges will have to be tackled in the context of greater digital sobriety, which aims to reduce the environmental impact of digital technology by limiting its use.

Credits Sorbonne Université.