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1. Degrading Data to Save the Planet

   https://doi.org/10.1145/3593856.3595896  

   Zuck, Aviad; Porter, Donald; Tsafrir, Dan (June 2023, Proceedings of the 19th Workshop on Hot Topics in Operating Systems)

   Storage capacity demand is projected to grow exponentially in the coming decade and so will its contribution to the overall carbon footprint of computing devices. In recent years, cloud providers and device vendors have substantially reduced their carbon impact through improved power consumption and product distribution. However, by 2030, the manufacturing of flash-based storage devices will account for 1.7% of carbon emissions in the world. Therefore, reducing production-related carbon emissions of storage is key to sustainability in computing devices. We present Sustainability-Oriented Storage (SOS), a new host-device co-design for personal storage devices, which opportunistically improves storage sustainability by: (1) targeting widely-produced flash-based personal storage devices; (2) reducing hardware production through optimizing bit density in existing materials, up to 50%; and (3) exploiting an underutilized gap between the effective lifespan of personal devices and longer lifespan of their underlying flash. SOS automatically stores low-priority files, occupying most personal storage capacities, on high-density flash memories, currently designated for nearline storage. To avoid data loss, low-priority files are allowed to slightly degrade in quality over time. Switching to high-density memories, which maximize production material utilization, reduces the overall carbon footprint of personal storage devices. 

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2. Powering the planet with solar fuel

   https://doi.org/10.1038/nchem.141  

   Gray, Harry B. (April 2009, Nature Chemistry)
3. Comparative phylogeography of the ocean planet

   https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1602404113  

   Bowen, Brian W.; Gaither, Michelle R.; DiBattista, Joseph D.; Iacchei, Matthew; Andrews, Kimberly R.; Grant, W. Stewart; Toonen, Robert J.; Briggs, John C. (July 2016, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences)
4. GPI 2.0: upgrading the Gemini Planet Imager

   https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2562578  

   Chilcote, Jeffrey K.; Konopacky, Quinn M.; De Rosa, Robert J.; Hamper, Randall; Macintosh, Bruce A.; Marois, Christian; Perrin, Marshall D.; Savransky, Dmitry; Soummer, Rémi; Véran, Jean-Pierre; et al (December 2020, GPI 2.0: upgrading the Gemini Planet Imager)

   Evans, Christopher J.; Bryant, Julia J.; Motohara, Kentaro (Ed.)
5. System design of the Keck Planet Finder

   https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3017841  

   Gibson, Steven R; Howard, Andrew W; Rider, Kodi; Halverson, Samuel P; Roy, Arpita; Baker, Ashley D; Edelstein, Jerry; Smith, Christopher; Fulton, Benjamin; Walawender, Josh; et al (July 2024, SPIE)

   Vernet, Joël R; Bryant, Julia J; Motohara, Kentaro (Ed.)

   The Keck Planet Finder (KPF) is a fiber-fed, high-resolution, echelle spectrometer that specializes in the discovery and characterization of exoplanets using Doppler spectroscopy. In designing KPF, the guiding principles were high throughput to promote survey speed and access to faint targets, and high stability to keep uncalibrated systematic Doppler measurement errors below 30 cm s−1. KPF achieves optical illumination stability with a tip-tilt injection system, octagonal cross-section optical fibers, a double scrambler, and active fiber agitation. The optical bench and optics with integral mounts are made of Zerodur to provide thermo-mechanical stability. The spectrometer includes a slicer to reformat the optical input, green and red channels (445-600 nm and 600-870 nm), and achieves a resolving power of ∼97,000. Additional subsystems include a separate, medium-resolution UV spectrometer (383-402 nm) to record the Ca II H & K lines, an exposure meter for real-time flux monitoring, a solar feed for sunlight injection, and a calibration system with a laser frequency comb and etalon for wavelength calibration. KPF was installed and commissioned at the W. M. Keck Observatory in late 2022 and early 2023 and is now in regular use for scientific observations. This paper presents an overview of the as-built KPF instrument and its subsystems, design considerations, and initial on-sky performance. 

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