Monitoring water quality in large dams is becoming a necessity for protecting stored water from various forms of pollution. This process requires analysis of several samples on a weekly or monthly basis. Our study aims to determine the relationship between water quality parameters (WQP) and digital data from the Sentinel-2 satellite to estimate and map the WQP in the Bin El Ouidane Reservoir. The in situ sampling was carried out in the Bin El Ouidane Reservoir (Azilal Province), followed by analysis of physicochemical parameters in the laboratory. These measurement results were compared with the reflectance in each sampling location to investigate the correlations between bands and laboratory chemical analysis results. The correlation results showed that all studied parameters have an R greater than 0.52, and they can be transformed to predictive models by stepwise regression. The accuracy of our proposed models was tested using the Oum Er-Rbia Hydraulic Basin Agency data, and the results showed that only three parameters yield admissible verification results (Chlorophyll A, dissolved Oxygen and Nitrate). Those models were then used in geographic information system software to produce a thematic map of each parameter over the entire surface of the reservoir. As a conclusion, the Sentinel-2 images could help indicate the eutrophication stage in the Bin El Ouidane Reservoir, which is a major risk in major Moroccan reservoirs.

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Evaluating the potential of Sentinel-2 satellite images for water quality characterization of artificial reservoirs: The Bin El Ouidane Reservoir case study (Morocco)

In this paper, the flexibility of long-wavelength Type-II InAs/GaSb superlattice (Ga-containing SL) is explored and investigated from the growth to the device performance. First, several samples with different SL period composition and thickness are grown by molecular beam epitaxy. Nearly strain-compensated SLs on GaSb exhibiting an energy band gap between 105 to 169 meV at 77K are obtained. Second, from electronic band structure calculation, material parameters are extracted and compared for the different grown SLs. Finally, two p-i-n device structures with different SL periods are grown and their electrical performance compared. Our investigation shows that an alternative SL design could potentially be used to improve the device performance of diffusion-limited devices for long-wavelength infrared detection.

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Flexibility of Ga-containing Type-II superlattice for long-wavelength infrared detection

The Payload Technology Validation section in the Future Missions office of ESA's Science directorate at ESTEC provides testing support to present and future missions at different stages in their lifetime, from early technology developments to mission operation validation. In this framework, a test setup to characterize near-infrared (NIR) detectors has been created. In the context of the Astronomy Large Format Array for the near-infrared ("ALFA-N") technology development program, detectors from different suppliers are tested. We report on the characterization progress of the ALFA-N detectors, for which a series of rigorous tests have been performed on two different detectors; one provided by CEA/Leti-CEA/IRFU-SOFRADIR, France and the other by SELEX- UK/ATC, UK. Experimental techniques, the test bench and methods are presented. The conversion gain of two different detectors is measured using the photon transfer curve method. For a Leti LPE detector the persistence effect has been probed across a range of illumination levels to reveal a sharp linear increase of persistence below full-well and a plateauing beyond saturation. The same detector has been proton irradiated which has resulted in no significant dark current increase.

Large format array NIR detectors for future ESA astronomy missions: characterization and comparison

PLATO { PLAnetary Transits and Oscillations of stars { is the third medium-class mission to be selected in the European Space Agency (ESA) Science and Robotic Exploration Cosmic Vision programme. Due for launch in 2025, the payload makes use of a large format (8 cm x 8 cm) Charge-Coupled Devices (CCDs), the e2v CCD270 operated at 4 MHz and at -70 C. To de-risk the PLATO CCD qualification programme initiated in 2014 and support the mission definition process, ESA's Payload Technology Validation section from the Future Missions Office has developed a dedicated test bench.

ESA’s CCD test bench for the PLATO mission

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We report on the present and future detector development activities for the European Space Agency Science Programme. The development of European technology in that field is a key mission enabler for the program, which requires TRL6 (ISO scale) by end of the definition phase, so called "mission adoption". This is particularly true for Astronomy and fundamental physics type missions. Current activities are in particular targeting large format and p-channel CCD, NIR and MWIR, LWIR wavelength ranges as well as related ASIC controller. For the longer term future mission plan (so called M4, M5 and L2 missions, M3 being PLATO and L1 JUICE), the extreme ends of the spectrum will be addressed. An overview of the detector status for the Earth Observation program is given in appendix, as most of the technologies are directly applicable to some extent to science missions, in particular for Planetary missions. The specific validation activities in place in the future mission preparation office in support to the space science program will be eventually briefly detailed.

Y. R. Nowicki-Bringuier

Papers

European Space Agency detector development for space science: present and future activities