DoctorLucia McCallum

Dr McCallum is an expert in the Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) technique. 'In VLBI we use signals from far distant radio galaxies to measure the Earth. In more detail, VLBI is used to measure the Earth's shape, the rotation of the Earth, polar motion, plate tectonics and the variation of these effects.'
Dr. McCallum is the project scientist in the AuScope VLBI project, a research collaboration with Geoscience Australia, as part of the Positioning Australia project. She uses the university's own radio telescopes at Mt. Pleasant, the Northern Territory and in Western Australia, in common measurements together with telescopes all over the world. The goals of the VLBI group at UTAS are to guarantee best possible performance of our telescopes in global observations and to develop new methods to implement the next generation VLBI global observing system (VGOS). VGOS will be able to measure global distances to the level of a few millimetres, a necessity for important scientific and societal questions in geosciences, as for example the prediction of sea level rise of a few mm per year.

VLBI is a key technique for measuring the Terrestrial Reference Frame (TRF), the Earth’s most precise coordinate system. Dr McCallum’s research focuses in the field of space ties, meaning that she tries to connect the geodetic techniques of the Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS, GPS), Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) and VLBI directly via a single satellite platform. Essential for space ties is VLBI satellite tracking. VLBI observations to satellites is an exciting and new technique, and Dr McCallum is leading an ARC DECRA project in this area.

Career

Dr Lucia McCallum is a Geodesist at the School of Physical Science, working in the group of radio astronomy. Her field of research is the Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) technique, using signals from far distant radio galaxies to measure the Earth. After finishing her PhD at the Technische Universität in Vienna (Austria), she joined UTAS as a post-doc in 2014.

Dr McCallum is involved in the AuScope VLBI project, working with the University's own radio telescopes at Mt. Pleasant, the Northern Territory and in Western Australia, in common measurements together with telescopes all over the world. As such, her work is truly international, as part of the Invernational VLBI Service for Geodesy and Astrometry (IVS).


Professional positions:

Network Representative, IVS Directing Board 2023-2027 IVS DB

Chair of the AOV, the Asian Oceania VLBI Group for Geodesy and Astrometry, 1/2025-12/2028 AOV Website

Chair of the IVS Observing Program Committee (OPC), since 2025 IVS OPC

Chair of IVS WG7 on Satellite Observations with VLBI  IVS WG 7

GGOS Governing Board (IVS representative) GGOS Board

Associate member of the International VLBI Service for Geodesy and Astrometry (IVS)
IVS Committee on Education and Training, IVS CTE

See available PhD projects: