Lucas Libshutz
Lucas Libshutz
Class of 2023
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Project: Increasing the resolution of Cassini VIMS spectra
Project: Increasing the resolution of Cassini VIMS spectra
Mentor: Dr. Paul Corlies, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Mentor: Dr. Paul Corlies, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Entrant, Regeneron Science Talent Search ‘23
5th place, New York-Metro Junior Science and Humanities Symposium ‘23 Finals (1st place in Physics at Semifinals)
Honorable mention, National JSHS poster session
1st place in Physics and Space, Terra NYC STEM Fair ‘23
Finalist, International Science and Engineering Fair ‘23
In 1997, NASA sent space probe Cassini to explore the outer reaches of the solar system. Onboard Cassini, the Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) observed Titan, a moon of Saturn. Titan has many similarities to Earth, such as lakes, dunes, and an atmosphere. Yet, the combination of Titan’s thick atmosphere and the low resolution of VIMS makes it extremely difficult to accurately identify surface compounds.
Interestingly, a systematic instrument drift caused the peak sensitivity wavelength value of each VIMS channel to shift. In other words, there was an increasing gap between the wavelengths VIMS was measuring and those it was designed to measure. This shifting behavior means that VIMS measured different parts of spectra at higher resolution. My goal was to implement a technique to leverage this behavior to create a higher-resolution spectrum of Titan’s equatorial dunes. Understanding how to create a higher-resolution spectrum of Titan’s dunes would apply to all other regions on Titan, which would aid in more detailed future compositional studies.
I organized the data into an SQL database, as the publicly available NASA database is not consolidated into one volume. I also determined the best filter and correction pair to remove outliers and remove the effect of the atmosphere.
After applying the shift to all spectra, I increased the resolution of VIMS fivefold and reduced the effect of the atmosphere. However, an atmospheric influence on the dataset still remains, and the current resolution increase is not enough to resolve narrow spectral features. In the future, I plan to implement a more efficient SQL querying technique, along with a more comprehensive atmospheric model. This technique can be applied to any other body observed by VIMS.
Lucas Libshutz senior project overview.mp4[online] Lucas Libshutz Symposium 2023 Final Poster.pdfQ & A with Lucas
Q & A with Lucas
Coolest aspect of your research project?
I think the fact that my entire project used publicly available data is really cool, as it implies the accessibility of this kind of science to the public. Especially as someone new coming into the field, it was encouraging to see extensive documentation on my topic even though it is somewhat of a niche field.
What inspired you to choose this topic?
Since I was a kid, I always loved to watch both the Carl Sagan and Neil deGrasse Tyson hosted the Cosmos television series. The exposé on new planets and moons in our solar system inspired me, especially watching artist renderings of Titan. When I heard just how unique Titan is in our solar system, I knew right then and there that it was what I wanted to study.
Proudest accomplishment in ASR?
The improvement in my presentation skills over the past three years. I went from someone who was terrified to speak in front of a group of people to someone who genuinely enjoys each and every experience of sharing research and knowledge with others. ASR taught me how to communicate effectively in every aspect of my life, both digital and in-person.
What’s a misconception that people have about ASR or ASR students?
That ASR students are strictly science people and nothing else, and are only focused on their own work. The truth is that in ASR, you’ll meet people who have a wide range of interests, many of which are more humanities related. And this is what makes ASR a great community: being able to bounce ideas off people who have completely different interests, passions, and ways of thinking than you do. This community backbone is one of the hallmark aspects of the CGPS ASR program that encourages teamwork rather than competition, and encourages everyone to continuously improve themselves and their peers.
Most important thing you’ve learned in ASR?
Perseverance. Although at many times in my three years I would sometimes feel like I couldn’t make it to the finish line, pushing through and being resilient was so much more rewarding than giving up. The mental framework I developed to tackle the challenges in the ASR program is something I use every day.
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