Welcome to my website!

I am a Planetary Science Graduate Student at the University of Arizona working for Dr. Shane Byrne. My broad area of research deals with the construction of mathematical models to describe geomorphological processes on terrestrial bodies in the solar system. I am particularly interested in the processes that occur due to changes in the distribution of volatile elements on the surfaces of solid planets, such as water on Earth, Carbon Dioxide on Mars, and Nitrogen on Neptune's satellite Triton.

My main interests are concerned with geomorphological processes of volatile elements on solid bodies. My goal in most of my projects is to explain a certain geomorphic feature or process by means of a mathematical model that simulates the physics that govern the environment around the feature of interest. I am currently working on a model to explain a series of bright "halos" around certain pits and depressions on the south polar resiudal cap (SPRC) of Mars. These halos have only recently been discovered by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) aboard the Mars Recconnaissance Orbiter (MRO). The SPRC is composed entirely of solid carbon dioxide, and it represents the portion of condensed carbon dioxide that survives the summer on the surface. Almost all of it sublimates. We therefore believe that these bright halos are the result of a difference in sublimation rates between the sloped walls of depressions, and the flat plains nearby.

Another project on which i work is attempting to explain the origin of a number of avalanches that were seen by HiRISE on the martian North Polar Cap. These avalanches occur every spring along scarps on the north polar cap, and are related to the sublimation of the seasonal cap of carbon dioxide that exists in the polar regions during the winter.

In addition I am beginning a research project attempting to explain certain bright surface features on Neptune's satellite Triton, that resemble quite closely the bright halos we see on the south polar cap of Mars. This project could help shed light on a number of similarities that exist between Mars and Triton's volatile cycles.

EDUCATION

Ph.D. Candidate, Planetary Science. Expected 2014
UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA

B.S. Physics. 2007
PONTIFICIA UNIVERSIDAD CATOLICA DEL PERU

WORK EXPERIENCE

CONIDA (National Commission for Aerospace Research and Development – Peruvian Space Agency)
March 2007 – May 2009
Research Assistant: Astronomy Department
• Performed observations and reduced observational data to evaluate sky conditions as part of a site evaluation for the construction of a future National Astronomical Observatory in Moquegua, Peru. Helped establish a working relationship with surrounding agricultural communities, contributing to their education and development.
• First CONIDA investigator ever to do research in planetary science, investigating the photometry of Saturn’s F-Ring with images from the Cassini spacecraft as part of an international collaboration project.
• Created a Planetary Astronomy research group within CONIDA.
• Responsible for organizing the First Short Course on Planetology in October 2008. Lecturer: Dr. Gonzalo Tancredi (www.conida.gob.pe/actividades/astronomia/ICP2008/Inicio.htm).

GEMINI OBSERVATORY (Gemini South, La Serena, Chile)
August 2007
Trainee: Observational Astronomy (08/07)
• Worked under Dr. Percy Gómez. Performed image processing and photometry with the Image Reduction and Analysis Facility (IRAF).

PONTIFICIA UNIVERSIDAD CATÓLICA DEL PERU
Abril 2005 - Diciembre 2007
Guide and Speaker: Office of Relations with Educational Institutions
• Vocational orientation and promotion of the university to junior and senior high school students through “career day” presentations and tour guides of campus.

PERUVIAN GEOPHYSICS INSTITUTE, JICAMARCA RADIO-OBSERVATORY
January 2005 – March 2005
Trainee: Information Technology
• In charge of the All-Sky webcam project. Construction and software operation of an all-sky camera built by electronic modification of a low-cost webcam.

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

DEPARTMENT OF PLANETARY SCIENCE. UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
August 2009-Present
Research Assistant
Advisor: Shane Byrne, Assistant Professor of Planetary Sciences. Co-Investigator for NASA’s High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE), on board the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO).
• Mathematical modeling and simulation of surface processes of the south polar regions of Mars. Surface-atmosphere interactions.

CONIDA (National Commission for Aerospace Research and Development – Peruvian Space Agency)
August 2007 – May 2009
Research Assistant
Advisor: Mark Showalter, Principal Investigator at the Carl Sagan Center for the Study of Life in the Universe, SETI Institute
• Image processing and photometry of data of Saturn’s F-ring from the Imaging Science Subsystem (ISS) aboard NASA’s Cassini spacecraft.

PUBLICATIONS AND CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS

Becerra, Patricio and Byrne, Shane (2009). “Modeling the Formation of CO2 Frost Halos on the South Polar Residual Cap of Mars”. Presentation. Lunar and Planetary Science Conference XLII Abs. 2252

Becerra, Patricio and Byrne, Shane (2009). “Modeling the Formation of CO2 Frost Halos on the South Polar Residual Cap of Mars”. Poster. Lunar and Planetary Science Conference XLI Abs. 2097

Showalter, Mark R., French, R. S., Sfair, R., Argüelles, C., Pajuelo, M., Becerra, P., Hedman, M. M., Nicholson, P. D. (2009) “The Brightening of Saturn’s F Ring” American Astronomical Society DPS Meeting #40, Vol. 41, p. 896

Showalter, Mark R., French, R. S., Sfair, R., Argüelles, C., Pajuelo, M., Becerra, P., Hedman, M. M., Nicholson, P. D. (2009) “The Brightening of Saturn’s F Ring” European Planetary Science Congress 2009, p. 317

WORKSHOPS AND COURSES

Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) Capacity Building Workshop on Planetary Science
August 2007. Montevideo, Uruguay.
• Conception and initiation of a research project on the photometry of Saturn’s F-ring from Cassini images. Principal Investigator: Dr. Mark Showalter (SETI Institute). Received Participant Certificate.

First Short Course on Planetology (CONIDA)
October 2008. Lima, Peru. Lecturer: Dr. Gonzalo Tancredi.
• Organizer. Attended as a Student. Received Student Diploma.

COMPUTER SKILLS

• Programming in IDL: Intermediate Level
• General Knowledge of Unix y Linux
• IRAF: Intermediate Level
• Programming in C: Beginner Level
• Knowledge of Mac OSX, MS Windows, MS Office and Internet tools

LANGUAGES

• Spanish: Native Tongue
• English: Completely Fluent. TOEFL iBT: 119/120
• Italian: Intermediate Level. Completed Course at Istituto Italiano, Firenze, Italia

OTHER ACTIVITIES

• SCUBA Diving: PADI Advanced Open Water Diver. 30 logged dives
• Sports: Jiu-Jitsu, Swimming, Tennis
• Cultural Interests: Music (Guitar and Singing), Theater

I was born in Lima, Peru on July 5th, 1985. At age 10 i moved to Atlanta, GA, where i lived for 2 years with my family. After that I moved back to Peru, and after 5 unforgettable years of secondary school i went on to study Physics at the Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru (PUCP). During my time as an undergrad i had the opportunity to study one semester as an exchange student at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Here i made some great friends, and learned a lot about astronomy, really cold weather, and life in general. I graduated with a B.S. in physics in 2007, and during the first year after graduation i worked as a research assistant in the Astronomy section of the Peruvian Space Agency. Also during that time i went through the tedious process of applying to graduate school for Planetary Science and was finally accepted at the University of Arizona's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory (LPL) in Tucson, Arizona.

I absolutely love travelling, so in the few months between being accepted and beginning graduate school i took a backpacking trip through Europe. I visited Madrid, Barcelona, Paris, Brussels, Bruge, Amsterdam, Prague, and finally made it to Florence, where i stayed for a month learning Italian. I made the best of my time in Florence by travelling to a different part of Italy every weekend. I even made it down to Greece. It was truly an amazing experience.

On my free time i enjoy SCUBA diving with my brother, or i go home to Lima to visit friends and family. I also practice jiu-jitsu and love snowboarding during the winter, although that's hard to do in Tucson most years. I love food (cooking it and eating it) and drinks, especially peruvian food and Pisco, our national drink, which is why i bring a large bottle of Pisco back to Tucson everytime i go home to Lima.

Patricio Becerra

Lunar and Planetary Laboratory
University of Arizona
Kuiper Space Sciences Building
1629 E. University Blvd. Of. 334
Tucson, AZ
85721 USA

Office: 1 (520) 621-1632
email: becerra@lpl.arizona.edu