Man

Rodrigo Andrés Leiva Espinoza

Postdoctoral Researcher

Universidad de Chile

Santiago, Chile

Líneas de Investigación


Characterization of minor bodies of the Solar System with stellar occultations, astrometry and photometry. The study of ring dynamics around small irregular bodies. Asteroids families. Non-gravitational forces in the Solar System.

Educación

  •  Astronomy, UNIVERSITE PIERRE ET MARIE CURIE-PARIS VI. Francia, 2017
  •  Astrophysics, PONTIFICIA UNIVERSIDAD CATOLICA DE CHILE. Chile, 2017
  •  Astronomy, PONTIFICIA UNIVERSIDAD CATOLICA DE CHILE. Chile, 2014
  •  Electronic Engineer, UNIVERSIDAD TECNICA FEDERICO SANTA MARIA. Chile, 2011

Experiencia Académica

  •   Part-time lecturer(Physics for engineers) Part Time

    UNIVERSIDAD TECNICA FEDERICO SANTA MARIA

    Valparaíso, Chile

    2006 - 2007

Experiencia Profesional

  •   Postdoctoral Researcher Full Time

    Southwest Research Institute

    Boulder, Estados Unidos

    2017 - 2020

  •   Project Engineer Full Time

    Modular Mining Systems

    Santiago, Chile

    2007 - 2010

  •   Postdoctoral Researcher Other

    Universidad de Chile. Departamento de Astronomia

    Santiago, Chile

    2020 - At present

Formación de Capital Humano


While I was a Project Engineer for Modular Mining System, I had to work for national and international clients from different backgrounds and technical levels in the mining industry. My work often involved translating clients' needs into technical specifications and further implementing mid and large-size software and hardware projects. Among other activities, I had to train and supervise technical personnel during the implementation phase of these projects.

As part of my Ph.D. thesis, I have worked with both professional and amateur astronomers. This pro-am relationship was reinforced during my first postdoctoral position, working for the Research and Education Collaborative Occultation Network (RECON). RECON is a citizen science project involving more than 50 rural communities on the west coast of the United States to observe stellar occultations from outer solar system objects.
Currently, I am a Fondecyt Postdoctoral Fellow working at the Astronomy Department, Universidad de Chile.
Besides my research activities, I have been involved in training high-school teachers from these communities to perform independent observations, involving them in the whole scientific process up to the publication.


Difusión y Transferencia


Invited seminars and talks in conferences, workshops as first author

September 2021. "Automatic prediction, selection and analysis of occultations to characterize asteroid family members" Europlanet Science Congress 2021. 13-24 September 2021.

October 2019. "A stellar occultation by a small plutino with RECON". Joint Meeting "Division of Planetary Sciences/European Planetary Sciences Meeting". 15-20 September 2019. Geneva. Switzerland.

September 2019. "Tight and contact binaries from occultations". "38th European Symposium on Occultation Projects (ESOP)". Paris. France.

March 2019. "Scenarios for rings among Centaur objects". "Centaur exploration workshop". 6-8 March 2019. University of Central Florida, Florida Space Institute. Florida. USA.

October 2018. "Status and results from the Research and Education Collaborative Occultation Network (RECON)". 21-26 October 2018. Conference "Division of Planetary Sciences". Knoxville, TN. USA.

2017. "The Centaur Chariklo and its rings system from stellar occultations in 2017". Conference "Division of Planetary Sciences". 15-20 October 2017. Provo, UT. USA.

October 2016. "Chariklo's ring system 2. Main body physical constraints". Joint Meeting "Division of Planetary Sciences/European Planetary Sciences Meeting". 16-21 October 2016. Pasadena, California. USA.
March 2015. "Near Infrared cameras at the AIUC". XII Annual meeting of the Chilean Astronomical
Society. 12-15 March 2015. Puerto Varas. Chile.

May 2014. Talks "PUC Astro-Engineering Center" and "Stellar occultations by TNOs and Centaurs". Workshop Ohio State University/Pontificia Universidad Católica. Columbus, Ohio. USA. 7-9 May 2014.

June 2014. "Stellar occultations by TNOs and Centaurs and the role of small observatories". Conference
"Asteroids, comets, meteors (ACM)". June 30-July 4 2014. Helsinki, Finland.

2020 July 9: Invited seminar: "The trans-Neptunian solar system" for the class "Introduction to Astrophysics". Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María. Valparaíso. Chile.

2015 November 15. Seminar "Stellar occultations: Chariklo and its ring system". Donostia International
Physics Center. Donostia, Spain.

Other activities

October 2019. Co-convener of the session SB5: "Trans-Neptunian objects and their dust environment, Pluto, 2014 MU69, and Centaurs". Joint Meeting "Division of Planetary Sciences/European Planetary Sciences Meeting". 15-20 September 2019. Geneva. Switzerland.

Outreach activities.
2021-06-30. Online public session "Asteroids" organized by Planetario USACH as part of the "Asteroid Day 2021" activities.

2020-06-30. Online public session "Ask an expert: asteroids with rings" organized by Nucleo Astronomía
Milenio and University Diego Portales as part of the "Asteroid Day" activities.

2015-06-15. General public talk "Asteroids" organized by MIM Museum as part of the "Asteroid Day"
activities.

2014-08-04. Public talk "Chariklo. First asteroid with rings". Universidad de Valparaíso. Valparaíso.
Chile.

I have been a member of the amateur astronomy association, SAVAL, since 1998, and part of its directory in 3 occasions. Faithful to SAVAL goals, I participated and organized numerous astronomy talks, courses, observation sessions for the broad public of all ages.

During my undergraduate years at the Universidad Federico Santa María, I was an active member of the Astronomy Group, where undergrad students from different specialties organized outreach activities about astronomy for the community at the university and the general public.



 

Article (16)

Refined physical parameters for Chariklo's body and rings from stellar occultations observed between 2013 and 2020
The Sizes and Albedos of Centaurs 2014 YY 49 and 2013 NL 24 from Stellar Occultation Measurements by RECON
A multi-chord stellar occultation by the large trans-Neptunian object (174567) Varda
A Single-chord Stellar Occultation by the Extreme Trans-Neptunian Object (541132) Leleakuhonua
Size and Shape Constraints of (486958) Arrokoth from Stellar Occultations
Stellar Occultation by the Resonant Trans-Neptunian Object (523764) 2014 WC510 Reveals a Close Binary TNO
Lower atmosphere and pressure evolution on Pluto from ground-based stellar occultations, 1988-2016
Ring dynamics around non-axisymmetric bodies with application to Chariklo and Haumea
Size and Shape of Chariklo from Multi-epoch Stellar Occultations
Study of the Plutino Object (208996) 2003 AZ(84) from Stellar Occultations: Size, Shape, and Topographic Features
The Structure of Chariklo's Rings from Stellar Occultations
The thermal emission of Centaurs and trans-Neptunian objects at millimeter wavelengths from ALMA observations
RESULTS FROM THE 2014 NOVEMBER 15TH MULTI-CHORD STELLAR OCCULTATION BY THE TNO (229762) 2007 UK126
PLUTO's ATMOSPHERE FROM STELLAR OCCULTATIONS IN 2012 AND 2013
A ring system detected around the Centaur (10199) Chariklo
THE SIZE, SHAPE, ALBEDO, DENSITY, AND ATMOSPHERIC LIMIT OF TRANSNEPTUNIAN OBJECT (50000) QUAOAR FROM MULTI-CHORD STELLAR OCCULTATIONS

BookSection (1)

The dynamics of rings around Centaurs and Trans-Neptunian Objects

ConferencePaper (1)

ARNICA and LonGSp: the refurbishment of two near infrared instruments

Proyecto (3)

Occultation Studies in the Outer Solar System
LUCKY STAR. Exploring the outer solar system beyond Neptune using stellar occultations
Collaborative Research: RECON, Probing the Outer Solar System with Occultations
20
Rodrigo Leiva

Postdoctoral Researcher

Departamento de Astronomia

Universidad de Chile

Santiago, Chile

5
Leonardo Vanzi

full time

Electrical Engineering

Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile

Santiago, Chile

1
Eduardo Unda

Director

Universidad de Antofagasta

Antofagasta, Chile

1
Markus Rabus

Profesor Asistente

Departamento de Matemática y Física Aplicadas

Universidad Católica de la Santisima Concepción

Concepción, Chile