News
Student Invited Talk: Friday 31 May - Mrs Namakau Mwiya
Title: Site Suitability for a new Fundamental Geodetic Observatory
Author: Mrs Namakau Mwiya
MSc Student
Department of Mathematics
University of Zambia
Abstract:
The International Terrestrial Reference Frame (ITRF) is our metric of reference and is the main tool used for studying global change. We thus need to determine the ITRF with high accuracy. This is achieved by using ground-based networks of co-located space geodetic (VLBI, SLR, GNSS and DORIS) instruments. The stations hosting all these instruments are called Fundamental Geodetic Observatories. We need to have many such observatories, evenly spaced over the Earth, to obtain more accurate results. We are therefore conducting VLBI simulations and site assessments to determine whether Antarctica and Matjiesfontein offer sites suitable for the establishment of a new geodetic observatory.
More about the author:
Namakau S Mwiya is currently persuing an MSc in Mathematics at the University of Zambia with research in geodetic and astronomical VLBI simulations. She holds a BSc degree in Mathematics and Statistics. Namakau is among the first of the AVN students to pursue studies in geodetic and astronomical data analysis.