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Rob French

Research Papers, Presentations, and Patents

Rob works at the SETI Institute in Mountain View, CA where he performs research on the outer planets of our solar system and is deeply involved in the archiving of NASA mission data.

In previous careers he was involved in the design of highly-parallel processor architectures for telecommunications, compiler algorithms for parallel processing, and the development of instant messaging.

SETI Research (Planetary Science)

Saturn: F Ring Overview

The F Ring of Saturn (Book) [2018, in Planetary Ring Systems: Properties, Structure, and Evolution, Cambridge University Press]
Murray, C.D. and French, R.S.



Saturn: Clumps in Saturn's F Ring

Analysis of Clumps in Saturn's F Ring from Voyager and Cassini (Journal Article) [2014, Icarus, 241, 200-220] [Journal Article] [ADS] [arXiv]
French, R. S., Hicks, S. K., Showalter, M. R., Antonsen, A. K., & Packard, D. R.
Bright Clumps in Saturn Ring Now Mysteriously Scarce (Press) [2014, JPL Press Release]
Moonlets Created and Destroyed in a Ring of Saturn (Press) [2014, SETI Institute Press Release]
Mini-moons form in a matter of months in Saturn's chaotic F ring (Press) [2014, LA Times]
Bumper Car Moonlets Crash and Crumble in Saturn’s F Ring (Press) [2014, Universe Today]
Unnoticed Moonlets Live and Die in Saturn's Rings (Press) [2014, Nature World News]
Moonlets are born and quickly die in Saturn’s F ring (Press) [2014, EarthSky]
Comparing Clumps in Saturn's F Ring from Voyager to Cassini (Poster) [2013, AAS Conference] [Abstract] [ADS]
Hicks, S. K., French, R. S., Showalter, M. R., Antonsen, A. K., & Packard, D. R.
Analysis of Longitudinal Variation in Saturn's F Ring Using Wavelets (Poster) [2012, DPS Conference] [Abstract] [ADS]
French, R. S., Showalter, M. R., Hicks, S. K., Antonsen, A. K., & Packard, D. R.



Saturn: The Brightening of Saturn's F Ring

Photometry of Saturn’s F Ring During the Cassini Mission: An Update (Poster) [2022, DPS Conference] [ADS]
Lessard, M., French, R.S., & Hedman M.
The Brightening of Saturn's F Ring (Journal Article) [2012, Icarus, 219, 181-193] [Journal Article] [ADS] [arXiv]
French, R. S., Showalter, M. R., Sfair, R., Arguelles, C., Pajuelo, M., Becerra, P., Hedman, M. M., & Nicholson, P.
Flaring fairy-lights of Saturn's F Ring (Press) [2012, New Scientist Online]
Snowball glitter lights up Saturn's ring (Press) [2012, New Scientist]
The Mystery of Saturn’s Expanding F Ring (Press) [2014, Physics ArXiv Blog]
The Brightening of Saturn's F Ring (Presentation) [2009, DPS Conference] [ADS]
Showalter, M. R., French, R. S., Sfair, R., Arguelles, C., Pajuelo, M., Becerra, P., Hedman, M. M., & Nicholson, P.
The Brightening of Saturn's F Ring (Presentation) [2009, EPSC Conference] [Abstract] [ADS]
Showalter, M. R., French, R. S., Sfair, R., Arguelles, C., Pajuelo, M., Becerra, P., Hedman, M. M., & Nicholson, P.
The Brightening of Saturn's F Ring (Presentation) [2009, DDA Conference] [Abstract] [ADS]
Showalter, M. R., French, R. S., Sfair, R., Arguelles, C., Pajuelo, M., Becerra, P., Hedman, M. M., & Nicholson, P.



Uranus: Analysis and Stability of the Inner Uranian Satellites

Cupid is not Doomed Yet: On the Stability of the Inner Moons of Uranus (Journal Article) [2022, AJ, 164, 38] [Journal Article] [ADS] [arXiv]
M. Ćuk, R. S. French, M. S. Tiscareno, & M. El Moutamid
Are The Inner Satellites of Uranus Stable? (Presentation) [2020, DDA Conference] [Abstract] [ADS]
Ćuk, M., French, R. S., Showalter, M., Tiscareno, M., & El Moutamid, M.
Orbital and Photometric Analysis of the Inner Uranian Satellites from Hubble Images (Poster) [2017, DPS Conference] [ADS]
French, R. S., Showalter, M. R., de Pater, I., & Lissauer, J. J.
Orbital analysis of the inner Uranian satellites from Hubble images (Presentation) [2015, DPS Conference] [ADS]
French, R. S., Showalter, M. R., de Pater, I., & Lissauer, J. J.
Resonant Chains and Three-body Resonances in the Closely-Packed Inner Uranian Satellite System (Journal Article) [2014, MNRAS, 445, 3959-3986] [ADS] [arXiv]
Quillen, A. C. & French, R. S.
Cupid is Doomed: An Analysis of the Stability of the Inner Uranian Satellites (Journal Article) [2012, Icarus, 220, 911-921] [Journal Article] [ADS] [arXiv]
French, R. S. & Showalter, M. R.
Moons of Uranus perform dance of death (Press) [2012, SkyMania]
The Most Cruel Death of Cupid and Belinda (Press) [2012, New Scientist Online]
Moons of Uranus race to their doom (Press) [2012, New Scientist]
Cupid is Still Doomed: Overlapping Power Laws and the Stability of the Inner Uranian Satellites (Presentation) [2012, DDA Conference] [Abstract] [ADS]
French, R. S. & Showalter, M. R.
Cupid is Doomed: An Analysis of the Stability of the Inner Uranian Satellites (Presentation) [2011, DDA Conference] [Abstract] [ADS]
French, R. S. & Showalter, M. R.



Neptune: Neptune's Rings and Moons

Orbits and Resonances of the Regular Moons of Neptune (Journal Article) [2020, Icarus, 338] [Journal Article] [ADS] [arXiv]
Brozović, M.; Showalter, M. R.; Jacobson, R. A.; French, R. S.; Lissauer, J. J.; de Pater, I.
Resonant Moons of Neptune (Presentation) [2019, EPSC-DPS Conference] [Abstract] [ADS]
Brozović, M.; Showalter, M.; Jacobson, R.; French, R.; Lissauer, J.; de Pater, I.
Orbits and Resonances of the Regular Moons of Neptune (Presentation) [2019, DDA Conference] [Abstract] [ADS]
Brozović, M.; Showalter, M. R.; Jacobson, R. A.; French, R. S.; Lissauer, J. J.; de Pater, I.
The Seventh Inner Moon of Neptune (Journal Article) [2019, Nature, 566, 350-353] [Journal Article] [ADS]
Showalter, M.R., de Pater, I., Lissauer, J., French, R. S.
Orbits of the Inner Satellites of Neptune (Presentation) [2018, DDA Conference] [ADS]
Brozović, M., Showalter, M. R., Jacobson, R. A., French, R. S., de Pater, I., & Lissauer, J.
A Three-Body Resonance Confines the Ring-Arcs of Neptune (Presentation) [2017, DPS Conference] [ADS]
Showalter, M. R., Lissauer, J. J., de Pater, I., & French, R. S.
Ongoing Dynamics and Evolution of Neptune's Ring-Moon System (Presentation) [2017, DDA Conference] [ADS]
Showalter, M. R., de Pater, I., Lissauer, J. J., & French, R. S.
Hubble Observations of the Ongoing Evolution of Neptune's Ring-Moon System (Presentation) [2016, DPS Conference] [ADS]
Showalter, M. R., de Pater, I., French, R. S., & Lissauer, J. J.
New Satellite of Neptune: S/2004 N 1 (Announcement) [2013, CBET 3586]
Showalter, M. R., de Pater, I., Lissauer, J. J., & French, R. S.
The Neptune System Revisited: New Results on Moons and Rings from the Hubble Space Telescope (Presentation) [2013, DPS Conference] [ADS]
Showalter, M. R., de Pater, I., French, R. S., & Lissauer, J. J.

SETI Research (Data Archiving)

Cassini Pointing Reconstruction

Precision Pointing Reconstruction and Geometric Metadata Generation for Cassini Images (Presentation) [2017, 3rd Planetary Data Workshop] [Abstract] [ADS]
French, R. S., Showalter, M. R., & Gordon, M. K.
Precision Navigation of Cassini Images Using Rings, Icy Satellites, and Fuzzy Bodies (Poster) [2016, DPS Conference] [ADS]
French, R. S., Showalter, M. R., & Gordon, M. K.
Precision Pointing Reconstruction and Geometric Metadata Generation for Cassini Images (Poster) [2014, DPS Conference] [ADS]
French, R. S., Showalter, M. R., & Gordon, M. K.



PDS: OPUS and Metadata Generation

Enabling Multi-Mission/Multi-Instrument Search: The PDS Ring-Moon Systems Node Software Ecosystem (Presentation) [2023, 6th Planetary Data Workshop] [Abstract]
French, R. S., Showalter, M. R., Spitale, J. N., Chang, Y.-J., Stopp, D. J., Tiscareno, M. S., Gordon, M. K., Mace, M. J. T., & Simpson, E. R.
The Outer Planets Unified Search (OPUS) Tool - Current Status (Presentation) [2023, PV2023: Adding value (to) and preserving Scientific & Technical data]
Mace, M. J. T., French, R. S., Stopp, D. J., Chang, Y.-J., Tiscareno, M. S., Showalter, M. R., Gordon, M. K., & Spitale, J. N.
A Self-Supervised Learning-Based Recommender System for NASA’s Planetary Data System (Presentation) [2023, 6th Planetary Data Workshop] [Abstract]
Smith, J., Caldwell, D., Tiscareno, M., Showalter, M., French, R., & Mace, M.-J.-T.
Engaging with the Problem of Metadata Heterogeneity (Presentation) [2023, PV2023: Adding value (to) and preserving Scientific and Technical data]
Tiscareno, M. S., Mace, M. J. T., Showalter, M. R., Gordon, M. K., French, R. S., & Spitale, J. N.
A Self-Supervised Learning-Based Recommender System for NASA's PDS (Presentation) [2022, AGU Fall Meeting] [Abstract] [ADS]
Smith, J., Caldwell, D., Tiscareno, M., Showalter, M., & French, R.
The Outer Planets Unified Search (OPUS) Tool — Current Status and Future Plans (Presentation) [2021, 5th Planetary Data Workshop] [Abstract] [ADS]
French, R. S., Stopp, D. J., Chang, Y.-J., Tiscareno, M. S., Showalter, M. R., & Gordon, M. K.
Data into the Planetary Data System: When Data Systems Collide (Presentation) [2019, EPSC-DPS Conference] [ADS]
Gordon, M.; Showalter, M.; Nedervold, E.; Tiscareno, M.; Kolokolova, L.; Barnes, T.; Evans, M.; French, R.
OPUS 3.0: The New and Improved Outer Planets Unified Search Tool - 10th Anniversary Edition (Presentation) [2019, 4th Planetary Data Workshop] [Abstract] [ADS]
French, R. S., Stopp, D. J., Chang, Y.-J., Showalter, M. R., Gordon, M. K., Tiscareno, M. S., & Evans, M. W.
Outer Planets Unified Search (OPUS): Status and Future Plans (Poster) [2018, DPS conference] [Abstract] [ADS]
French, R. S., Showalter, M. R., Stopp, D. J., Gordon, M. K., & Tiscareno, M. S.
Developments in Geometric Metadata and Tools at the PDS Ring-Moon Systems Node (Presentation) [2018, Planetary Science Informatics and Data Analytics conference] [Abstract] [ADS]
Showalter, M. R., Ballard, L., French, R. S., Gordon, M. K., & Tiscareno, M. S.
OPUS: A Comprehensive Search Tool for Remote Sensing Observations of the Outer Planets. Now with Enhanced Geometric Metadata for Cassini and New Horizons Optical Remote Sensing Instruments (Presentation) [2017, 3rd Planetary Data Workshop] [Abstract] [ADS]
Gordon, M. K., Showalter, M. R., Ballard, L., Tiscareno, M., French, R. S., & Olson, D.



PDS: Miscellaneous

Cassini and the PDS Ring-Moon Systems Node (Poster) [2018, Final Cassini Science Symposium] [Abstract]
Gordon, M. K., Showalter, M. R., French, R. S., & Tiscareno, M.
Archival Data and Computational Power in Planetary Astronomy: Lessons Learned 1979–2016 and a Vision for 2020–2050 (Poster) [2017, NASA Planetary Science Vision 2050 Workshop] [Abstract] [ADS]
Showalter, M. R., Tiscareno, M. S., & French, R. S.

Computer Software and Architecture

Multiprocessing and Compilers

The Multiprocessor as a General-Purpose Processor: A Software Perspective (Journal Article) [1996, IEEE Micro, June]
Saman P. Amarasinghe, Jennifer M. Anderson, Chris S. Wilson, Shih-Wei Liao, Robert S. French, Mary W. Hall, Brian R. Murphy and Monica S. Lam.
Hot Compilers for Future Hot Chips (Conference Proceedings) [1995, Hot Chips VII]
Saman Amarasinghe, Jennifer Anderson, Robert French, Mary Hall, Monica Lam, Shih-Wei Liao, Brian Murphy, Chau-Wen Tseng, Chris Wilson, Robert Wilson
A General Method for Compiling Event-Driven Simulations (Conference Proceedings) [1995, 32nd ACM/IEEE Design Automation Conference]
Robert S. French, Monica S. Lam, Jeremy R. Levitt, Kunle Olukotun
SUIF: An Infrastructure for Research on Parallelizing and Optimizing Compilers (Journal Article) [1994, ACM SIGPLAN Notices, Volume 29 Number 12]
Robert P. Wilson, Robert S. French, Christopher S. Wilson, Saman P. Amarasinghe, Jennifer M. Anderson, Steve W. K. Tjiang, Shih-Wei Liao, Chau-Wen Tseng, Mary W. Hall, Monica S. Lam, and John L. Hennessy
The SUIF Compiler System: A Parallelizing and Optimizing Research Compiler (Technical Report) [1994, Stanford Computer Systems Laboratory Technical Report No. CSL-TR-94-620]
Robert P. Wilson, Robert S. French, Christopher S. Wilson, Saman P. Amarasinghe, Jennifer M. Anderson, Steve W. K. Tjiang, Shih-Wei Liao, Chau-Wen Tseng, Mary W. Hall, Monica S. Lam, and John L. Hennessy
Compiling for Computational Origami Using Probabilistic Optimization (Thesis) [1990]
Robert S. French
A Simple Placement and Routing Algorithm for a Two-Dimensional Computational Origami Architecture (Conference Proceedings) [1989, Papers of the MIT-ACM Undergraduate Computer Science Conference]
Robert S. French



Systems Applications

The Educational On-Line System (Conference Proceedings) [1990, European UNIX User's Group Proceedings]
Nick Williams, William Cattey, Robert French, Bruce Lewis
The Zephyr Notification Service (Conference Proceedings) [1988, Proceedings of the Winter 1988 USENIX Technical Conference, pp. 213-219]
C. Anthony DellaFera, Mark W. Eichin, Robert S. French, David C. Jedlinsky, John T. Kohl, William E. Sommerfeld

Patents

Reconfigurable Hardware

System and Method for Preparing Software for Execution in a Dynamically Configurable Hardware Environment (Patent) [2007, U.S. patent #7,249,351]
Christopher Songer, Ian S. Eslick, Robert S. French
Controlling Multiple Context Processing Elements Based on Transmitted Message Containing Configuration Data, Address Mask, and Destination Identification (Patent) [2007, U.S. patent #7,188,192]
Ethan Mirsky, Robert French, Ian Eslick
Local Control of Multiple Context Processing Elements with Configuration Contexts (Patent) [2004, U.S. patent #6,751,722]
Ethan Mirsky, Robert French, Ian Eslick
Local Control of Multiple Context Processing Elements with Major Contexts and Minor Contexts (Patent) [2003, U.S. patent #6,553,479]
Ethan Mirsky, Robert French, Ian Eslick
Method and Apparatus for Controlling Contexts of Multiple Context Processing Elements in a Network of Multiple Context Processing Elements (Patent) [2002, U.S. patent #6,457,116]
Ethan Mirsky, Robert French, Ian Eslick
Method and Apparatus for Controlling Configuration Memory Contexts of Processing Elements in a Network of Multiple Context Processing Elements (Patent) [1999, U.S. patent #5,915,123]
Ethan Mirsky, Robert French, Ian Eslick
System and Method for Executing Hybridized Code on a Dynamically Configurable Hardware Environment (Patent) [2006, U.S. patent #7,032,103]
Ian S. Eslick, Mark Williams, Robert S. French
System and Method for Executing Hybridized Code on a Dynamically Configurable Hardware Environment (Patent) [2004, U.S. patent #6,675,289]
Ian S. Eslick, Mark Williams, Robert S. French
Multi-Channel Bi-Directional Bus Network with Direction Sideband Bit for Multiple Context Processing Elements (Patent) [2006, U.S. patent #6,990,566]
Ethan Mirsky, Robert French, Ian Eslick
Three Level Direct Communication Connections Between Neighboring Multiple Context Processing Elements (Patent) [2004, U.S. patent #6,745,317]
Ethan Mirsky, Robert French, Ian Eslick
System and Method of Processing Data Flow in Multi-Channel, Multi-Service Environment by Dynamically Allocating a Socket (Patent) [2010, U.S. patent #7,809,832]
Viresh Rustagi, Robert S. French, Gareld H. Banta
System and Method of Processing Data Flow in Multi-Channel, Multi-Service Environment by Dynamically Allocating a Socket (Patent) [2008, U.S. patent #7,428,593]
Viresh Rustagi, Robert S. French, Gareld H. Banta
System and Method of Processing Data Flow in Multi-Channel, Multi-Service Environment by Dynamically Allocating a Socket (Patent) [2005, U.S. patent #6,912,576]
Viresh Rustagi, Robert S. French, Gareld H. Banta
Multi-Channel, Multi-Service Debug (Patent) [2005, U.S. patent #6,892,324]
Robert S. French, Gareld H. Banta, Glen Weaver, Joyjit Nath, Viresh Rustagi
Method and Apparatus for Retiming in a Network of Multiple Context Processing Elements (Patent) [2007, U.S. patent #7,266,672]
Ethan Mirsky, Robert French, Ian Eslick
Method and Apparatus for Retiming in a Network of Multiple Context Processing Elements (Patent) [2003, U.S. patent #6,526,498]
Ethan Mirsky, Robert French, Ian Eslick
Method and Apparatus for Retiming in a Network of Multiple Context Processing Elements (Patent) [2000, U.S. patent #6,122,719]
Ethan Mirsky, Robert French, Ian Eslick
Method and Apparatus for Position Independent Reconfiguration in a Network of Multiple Context Processing Elements (Patent) [2000, U.S. patent #6,108,760]
Ethan Mirsky, Robert French, Ian Eslick


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