Hello
Lucas Calzà
Ph.D. Student in Space Science and Technology, University of Trento
About Me
My research focuses on the interaction between the lithosphere, comprehensive of the region going at a depth of 70-150 km’s, and the ionosphere, a region of the atmosphere in the 60-1000 km range. One such model describing this interaction is the MILC model (Magnetospheric–Ionospheric–Lithospheric Coupling Model. 1: Observations during the 5 August 2018 Bayan Earthquake, by Piersanti et al.).
By using data retrieved from the CSES-01 satellite flying at 500 km's of altitude, the proposed project, in the scope of the ‘Space It Up!’ consortium, aims at understanding whether it is possible to see first-hand the disturbances caused in the lithosphere. Doing so would lead to open important pathways, regarding earthquake monitoring from space. This particular aspect of my studies has been a part of the first issue of the ‘Space Jobs’ column, by EduINAF (https://edu.inaf.it/approfondimenti/step-up/lucas-calza-scienza/).
Part of my work also focuses on looking at whether it is possible to understand lightning strikes behaviour: by making use of the light emitted during these events, we want to investigate how feasible is the task of monitoring lightning storms.
In order to tackle all of these activities, I am focusing on anomaly-searching: anomalies, in the context of the data taken by the HEPP-L payload of the CSES-01 mission, are all those peculiar data points which, in a, as of now, random logic, seem to appear every now and then in the electron rate measured by the payload. Investigating these anomalies, whose origin has not yet been explained, might provide important insights into the phenomena listed above.
Furthermore, thanks to the expertise of external colleagues joining the astro-particle physics group here in Trento, I was able to start looking at whether these anomalies might be related to solar phenomena: a first comparison between anomalies and the DST index, very much used in detailing disturbed periods due to unusual solar activity, seems to be supporting this thesis.
Click here for more information and here to view my poster.
By using data retrieved from the CSES-01 satellite flying at 500 km's of altitude, the proposed project, in the scope of the ‘Space It Up!’ consortium, aims at understanding whether it is possible to see first-hand the disturbances caused in the lithosphere. Doing so would lead to open important pathways, regarding earthquake monitoring from space. This particular aspect of my studies has been a part of the first issue of the ‘Space Jobs’ column, by EduINAF (https://edu.inaf.it/approfondimenti/step-up/lucas-calza-scienza/).
Part of my work also focuses on looking at whether it is possible to understand lightning strikes behaviour: by making use of the light emitted during these events, we want to investigate how feasible is the task of monitoring lightning storms.
In order to tackle all of these activities, I am focusing on anomaly-searching: anomalies, in the context of the data taken by the HEPP-L payload of the CSES-01 mission, are all those peculiar data points which, in a, as of now, random logic, seem to appear every now and then in the electron rate measured by the payload. Investigating these anomalies, whose origin has not yet been explained, might provide important insights into the phenomena listed above.
Furthermore, thanks to the expertise of external colleagues joining the astro-particle physics group here in Trento, I was able to start looking at whether these anomalies might be related to solar phenomena: a first comparison between anomalies and the DST index, very much used in detailing disturbed periods due to unusual solar activity, seems to be supporting this thesis.
Click here for more information and here to view my poster.