Available projects – Solar terrestrial and atmospheric research (Kiruna)
Interactive Earth orbit dynamics playground (space safety)
(project work) Develop a software where we can use `Orekit` to compare different orbits, propagators, propagator settings and play with settings to get intuitive feeling of orbital dynamics and propagators, as well as their advantages and limitations through visualizations. Language: Java and Python
Contact person: Dr. Daniel Kastinen, daniel.kastinen@irf.se
Published in October 2023
Adaptive beam-forming and beam-spoiling
(master thesis) A phased array radar can transmit signals in different directions by applying phase offsets to the transmitting units. Usually a simple plane phase offset is applied to direct the beam in a single direction with as high directivity as possible. However, it is possible to modify these phases so that e.g. certain regions of the sky receive minimal radiation while others receive maximal, or e.g. the transmitted radiation is spread over a larger area.
- Implement the adaptive beam-forming and beam spoiling technique into the `metecho` library.
- Use the techniques together with radar radiation pattern models in `pyant` to show that multi-target space debris tracking, wide-illumination meteor experiments, predictable hard target clutter minimization is possible.
Skills: Mathematics, radar technology, programming Program: Physics major Language: C/C++ and Python
Contact person: Dr. Daniel Kastinen, daniel.kastinen@irf.se
Published in October 2023
Orbit determination testing and implementation (space safety)
(master thesis) We have a package called `odlab` that we use to test and experiment with different orbit determination methods and to implement the suitable ones in data reduction pipelines.
- Implement orbit determination using `Orekit` and make the implementation callable from `odlab`.
- Evaluate `StoneSoup` and `orbdetpy` as orbit determination libraries, implement and test and compare them with the `Orekit` implementation.
Skills: Orbital dynamics, programming Program: Physics major/computer science Language: Java and Python
Contact person: Dr. Daniel Kastinen, daniel.kastinen@irf.se
Published in October 2023
Compile and prepare a meteor camera database
(master thesis) We have recently begun work on installing a network of meteor cameras in northern Scandinavia. We are using the [allsky7+](https://www.allsky7.net/#equipment) cameras. These cameras come with a standard analysis software that automatically finds the trajectory of detected meteors.
- Understand the steps needed to go from installed system -> contributing to database
- Perform manual astrometric calibration to validate the data, monitor the data reduction and collect results
- Design and compile a result database and analyse the results, characterizing e.g. sensitivity, occurrence rates, orbit distributions, and so on.
Skills: Data analysis, programming, image processing Program: Physics major Language: Python
Contact person: Dr. Daniel Kastinen, daniel.kastinen@irf.se
Published in October 2023
Meteor camera for space debris
(master thesis) We have recently begun work on installing a network of meteor cameras in northern Scandinavia. We are using the [allsky7+](https://www.allsky7.net/#equipment) cameras. These cameras are not only good for measuring meteors can also detect resident space objects (RSOs) such as space debris and satellites.
- Evaluate through simulations the expected performance of the allsky7 camera system for detecting RSOs.
- Adapt current satellite detection routines to work with the allsky7 camera system and apply it to a test data set.
- Analyse the test data set and determine the systems performance. Skills: Data analysis, programming, image processing Program: Physics major Language: Python
Contact person: Dr. Daniel Kastinen, daniel.kastinen@irf.se
Published in October 2023