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Sciences and Exploration Directorate

Leonid Petrov

(Rsch AST, Solid Earth Geophysical Std)

Leonid Petrov's Contact Card & Information.
Email: leonid.petrov@nasa.gov
Phone: 301.614.5611
Org Code: 61A
Address:
NASA/GSFC
Mail Code 61A.1
Greenbelt, MD 20771
Employer:
NASA

Missions & Projects

Brief Bio


Leonid Petrov has over 30 years of experience in space geodesy, astrometry, and radioastronomy. He has been developing algorithms for all stages of analysis of very long baseline interferometry and their implementation in software and the operational pipeline with the goal to reach the highest level of accuracy and provide reliable estimates of uncertainties. He has led a number of projects that resulted in the most complete catalogue of compact radio sources. He has been working on incorporation of the output of numerical weather models into analysis of space geodesy and astronomy observations.

 

Research Interests


Geophysics


Astronomy


very long baseline interferometry technique

Publications


Refereed

2025. "A unified model of feed rotation in radio telescopes and GNSS antennas.", Journal of Geodesy, 99 71 [10.1007/s00190-025-01993-z] [Journal Article/Letter]

2025. "Assessment of the Earth orientation parameter accuracy from concurrent VLBI observations.", arxiv.org, (2506.15859): 34 [https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2506.15859] [Journal Article/Letter]

2025. "The Radio Fundamental Catalog. I. Astrometry.", The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series, 276 (38): 51 pages [10.3847/1538-4365/ad8c36] [Journal Article/Letter]

2024. "A millisecond pulsar position determined to 0.2 milliarcsecond precision with VLBI.", Astronomy & Astrophysics, 691 (A47): 13 [10.1051/0004-6361/202451492] [Journal Article/Letter]

2024. "Radio astrometry at different frequencies.", The Astronomical Journal, 168 (76): 15 [10.3847/1538-3881/ad4a6b] [Journal Article/Letter]

2023. "VGOS VLBI Intensives between MACGO12M and WETTZ13S for the rapid determination of UT1-UTC.", International Association of Geodesy Symposia, [10.1007/1345_2023_222] [Proceedings]

2023. "A Concept of Precise VLBI/GNSS Ties with Micro-VLBI.", Gravity, Positioning and Reference Frames, 147-152 [10.1007/1345_2023_211] [Article in Book]

2023. "RadioAstron discovers a mini-cocoon around the restarted parsec-scale jet in 3C 84.", Astronomy & Astrophysics, 676 A114 [10.1051/0004-6361/202142594] [Journal Article/Letter]

2023. "First observations with a GNSS antenna to radio telescope interferometer.", Radio Science, 58 e2023RS007734 [10.1029/2023RS007734] [Journal Article/Letter]

2023. "Single band VLBI absolute astrometry.", The Astronomical Journal, 165 (4): 183 [10.3847/1538-3881/acc174] [Journal Article/Letter]

2022. "The Event Horizon Explorer mission concept.", Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2022: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Wave, 12180 121800M [10.1117/12.2630313] [Proceedings]

2022. "Seasonal glacierand snow loading at Svalbard recovered from geodetic observations.", Geophysical Journal International, 229 (1): 408-425 [10.1093/gji/ggab482] [Journal Article/Letter]

2021. "Powerful quasars with young jets in multi‐epoch radio surveys.", Astronomische Nachrichten, 342 (9-10): 1146-1150 [10.1002/asna.20210058] [Journal Article/Letter]

2021. "The use of astronomy VLBA campaign MOJAVE for geodesy.", Journal of Geodesy, 95 101 [10.1007/s00190-021-01551-3] [Journal Article/Letter]

2021. "The problematic Ψ1 ocean tide.", Geophysical Journal International, 227 (2): 1181-1192 [10.1093/gji/ggab263] [Journal Article/Letter]

2021. "Radio Counterpart Candidates to 4FGL-DR2 Unassociated Sources.", The Astrophysical Journal, 914 (1): 42 [10.3847/1538-4357/abf73b] [Journal Article/Letter]

2021. "A ring accelerator? Unusual jet dynamics in the IceCube candidate PKS 1502+106 .", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astrtonomical Society, 503 (3): 3145-3178 [10.1093/mnras/stab589] [Journal Article/Letter]

2021. "Parsec-scale Properties of Steep- and Flat-spectrum Extragalactic Radio Sources from a VLBA Survey of a Complete North Polar Cap Sample.", The Astronomical Journal, 161 (2): 88 [Full Text] [10.3847/1538-3881/abd18c] [Journal Article/Letter]

2021. "The wide-field VLBA calibrator survey -- WFCS.", The Astronomical Journal, 161 (1): 14 [Full Text] [10.3847/1538-3881/abc4e1] [Journal Article/Letter]

2020. "Quasars That Have Transitioned from Radio-quiet to Radio-loud on Decadal Timescales Revealed by VLASS and FIRST.", The Astrophysical Journal, 905 (1): 74 [10.3847/1538-4357/abc341] [Journal Article/Letter]

2020. "Influence of the Galactic gravitational field on the positional accuracy of extragalactic sources. II Observational appearances and detectability.", Astrophyisical Journal, 898 (1): [10.3847/1538-4357/ab989b] [Journal Article/Letter]

2020. "The Fourth Catalog of Active Galactic Nuclei Detected by the Fermi Large Area Telescope.", The Astrophysical Journal, 892 (2): 105 [10.3847/1538-4357/ab791e] [Journal Article/Letter]

2020. "Fermi Large Area Telescope Fourth Source Catalog.", The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series, 247 (1): 33 [10.3847/1538-4365/ab6bcb] [Journal Article/Letter]

2019. "Microarcsecond VLBI pulsar astrometry with PSRpi II. parallax distances for 57 pulsars.", The Astronomical Journral, 875 (2): 100 [10.3847/1538-4357/ab11c7] [Journal Article/Letter]

2019. "Dissecting the AGN disk-jet system with joint VLBI-Gaia analysis.", The Astrophysical Journal, 871 (2): 143 [10.3847/1538-4357/aaf650] [Journal Article/Letter]

2019. "The Second LBA Calibrator Survey of southern compact extragalactic radio sources - LCS2.", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 485 (1): 88-101 [10.1093/mnras/stz242] [Journal Article/Letter]

2019. "A quantitative analysis of systematic differences in positions and proper motions of Gaia DR2 with respect to VLBI.", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 482 (3): 3023–3031 [10.1093/mnras/sty2807] [Journal Article/Letter]

2018. "Radio Interferometric Observation of an Asteroid Occultation.", The Astronomical Journal, 156 (4): 155 [10.3847/1538-3881/aad45b] [Journal Article/Letter]

2018. "A wide and collimated radio jet in 3C84 on the scale of a few hundred gravitational radii.", Nature Astronomy, 2 (6): 472-477 [10.1038/s41550-018-0431-2] [Journal Article/Letter]

2017. "Observational consequences of optical band milliarcsec-scale structure in active galactic nuclei discovered by Gaia.", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 471 (4): 3775-3787 [10.1093/mnras/stx1747] [Journal Article/Letter]

2017. "VLBI Ecliptic Plane Survey: VEPS-1.", The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series, 230 (2): 13 [10.3847/1538-4365/aa71a3] [Journal Article/Letter]

2017. "On significance of VLBI/Gaia position offsets.", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters, 467 (1): L71-L75 [10.1093/mnrasl/slx001] [Journal Article/Letter]

2017. "Radio Follow-up on All Unassociated Gamma-Ray Sources from the Third Fermi Large Area Telescope Source Catalog.", The Astrophysical Journal, 838 (2): 139 [10.3847/1538-4357/aa6439] [Journal Article/Letter]

2017. "VLBI-Gaia offsets favor parsec-scale jet direction in active galactic nuclei.", Astronomy & Astrophysics, 598 L1 [10.1051/0004-6361/201630031] [Journal Article/Letter]

2017. "a Nearly Naked Supermassive Black Hole.", The Astrophysical Journal, 834 (2): 184 [10.3847/1538-4357/834/2/184] [Journal Article/Letter]

2016. "Microarcsecond VLBI pulsar astrometry with PSRPI. I. Two binary millisecond pulsars with white dwarf companions.", The Astrophysical Journal, 828 (1): 8 [10.3847/0004-637x/828/1/8] [Journal Article/Letter]

2016. "ASTEROID SIZING BY RADIOGALAXY OCCULTATION AT 5 GHZ.", The Astrophysical Journal, 822 (2): L21 [10.3847/2041-8205/822/2/l21] [Journal Article/Letter]

2016. "RADIOASTRON OBSERVATIONS OF THE QUASAR 3C273: A CHALLENGE TO THE BRIGHTNESS TEMPERATURE LIMIT.", The Astrophysical Journal, 820 (1): L9 [10.3847/2041-8205/820/1/l9] [Journal Article/Letter]

2015. "First Scientific VLBI Observations Using New Zealand 30 Meter Radio Telescope WARK30M.", pasp, 127 516 [10.1086/681965] [Journal Article/Letter]

2015. "1FGL J1417.7–4407: A LIKELY GAMMA-RAY BRIGHT BINARY WITH A MASSIVE NEUTRON STAR AND A GIANT SECONDARY.", The Astrophysical Journal, 804 (1): L12 [10.1088/2041-8205/804/1/l12] [Journal Article/Letter]

2015. "NEW ASSOCIATIONS OF GAMMA-RAY SOURCES FROM THE FERMI SECOND SOURCE CATALOG.", The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series, 217 (1): 4 [10.1088/0067-0049/217/1/4] [Journal Article/Letter]

2014. "EARLY SCIENCE WITH THE KOREAN VLBI NETWORK: EVALUATION OF SYSTEM PERFORMANCE.", The Astronomical Journal, 147 (4): 77 [10.1088/0004-6256/147/4/77] [Journal Article/Letter]

2013. "THE CATALOG OF POSITIONS OF OPTICALLY BRIGHT EXTRAGALACTIC RADIO SOURCES OBRS-2.", The Astronomical Journal, 146 (1): 5 [10.1088/0004-6256/146/1/5] [Journal Article/Letter]

2013. "Australia Telescope Compact Array observations of Fermi unassociated sources.", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 432 (2): 1294-1302 [10.1093/mnras/stt550] [Journal Article/Letter]

2012. "EARLY SCIENCE WITH THE KOREAN VLBI NETWORK: THE QCAL-1 43 GHz CALIBRATOR SURVEY.", The Astronomical Journal, 144 (5): 150 [10.1088/0004-6256/144/5/150] [Journal Article/Letter]

2012. "VLBI FORGRAVITY PROBE B. III. A LIMIT ON THE PROPER MOTION OF THE “CORE” OF THE QUASAR 3C 454.3.", The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series, 201 (1): 3 [10.1088/0067-0049/201/1/3] [Journal Article/Letter]

2012. "THE KCAL VERA 22 GHz CALIBRATOR SURVEY.", The Astronomical Journal, 143 (2): 35 [10.1088/0004-6256/143/2/35] [Journal Article/Letter]

2011. "The EVN Galactic Plane Survey - EGaPS.", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 419 (2): 1097-1106 [10.1111/j.1365-2966.2011.19765.x] [Journal Article/Letter]

2011. "THE CATALOG OF POSITIONS OF OPTICALLY BRIGHT EXTRAGALACTIC RADIO SOURCES OBRS-1.", The Astronomical Journal, 142 (4): 105 [10.1088/0004-6256/142/4/105] [Journal Article/Letter]

2011. "PRECISE ABSOLUTE ASTROMETRY FROM THE VLBA IMAGING AND POLARIMETRY SURVEY AT 5 GHz.", The Astronomical Journal, 142 (3): 89 [10.1088/0004-6256/142/3/89] [Journal Article/Letter]

2011. "THE VERY LONG BASELINE ARRAY GALACTIC PLANE SURVEY—VGaPS.", The Astronomical Journal, 142 (2): 35 [10.1088/0004-6256/142/2/35] [Journal Article/Letter]

2011. "The LBA Calibrator Survey of southern compact extragalactic radio sources - LCS1.", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 414 (3): 2528-2539 [10.1111/j.1365-2966.2011.18570.x] [Journal Article/Letter]

2011. "First Geodetic Observations Using New VLBI Stations ASKAP-29 and WARK12M.", Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia, 28 (02): 107-116 [10.1071/as10048] [Journal Article/Letter]

2010. "Height bias and scale effect induced by antenna gravitational deformations in geodetic VLBI data analysis.", Journal of Geodesy, 85 (1): 1-8 [10.1007/s00190-010-0410-6] [Journal Article/Letter]

2009. "Precise geodesy with the Very Long Baseline Array.", Journal of Geodesy, 83 (9): 859-876 [10.1007/s00190-009-0304-7] [Journal Article/Letter]

2009. "Use of the Long Baseline Array in Australia for Precise Geodesy and Absolute Astrometry.", Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia, 26 (01): 75-84 [10.1071/as08030] [Journal Article/Letter]

2008. "THE SIXTH VLBA CALIBRATOR SURVEY: VCS6.", The Astronomical Journal, 136 (2): 580-585 [10.1088/0004-6256/136/2/580] [Journal Article/Letter]

2007. "VERA 22 GHz Fringe Search Survey.", The Astronomical Journal, 133 (6): 2487-2494 [10.1086/513146] [Journal Article/Letter]

2007. "The Fifth VLBA Calibrator Survey: VCS5.", The Astronomical Journal, 133 (4): 1236-1242 [10.1086/511157] [Journal Article/Letter]

2007. "The empirical Earth rotation model from VLBI observations.", Astronomy & Astrophysics, 467 (1): 359-369 [10.1051/0004-6361:20065091] [Journal Article/Letter]

2006. "The Fourth VLBA Calibrator Survey: VCS4.", The Astronomical Journal, 131 (3): 1872-1879 [10.1086/499947] [Journal Article/Letter]

2005. "The Third VLBA Calibrator Survey: VCS3.", The Astronomical Journal, 129 (2): 1163-1170 [10.1086/426920] [Journal Article/Letter]

2004. "Study of the atmospheric pressure loading signal in very long baseline interferometry observations.", Journal of Geophysical Research, 109 (B3): B03405 [10.1029/2003jb002500] [Journal Article/Letter]

2003. "The Second VLBA Calibrator Survey: VCS2.", The Astrophysical Journal, 126 (5): 2562-2566 [10.1086/378712] [Journal Article/Letter]

2003. "Study of harmonic site position variations determined by very long baseline interferometry.", J. Geophys. Res., 108 (B4): 2190 [10.1029/2002JB001801] [Journal Article/Letter]

2002. "The VLBA Calibrator Survey—VCS1.", Astrophysical Journal, Supplement Series, 141 (1): 13-21 [10.1086/339806] [Journal Article/Letter]

2001. "Measurements of horizontal motion of the station Simeiz using VLBI.", Kinematika i Fizika Nebesnykh Tel, 17 424-436 [Journal Article/Letter]

1998. "VLBI measurements of the crustal deformations induced by polar motion.", Izvestiya Physics of the Solid Earth, 34 228-230 [Journal Article/Letter]

Non-Refereed

2013. "Revision of the Atmospheric Delay Correction for ICESat-2 Laser Altimeter Ranges.", NASA/TM–2013- 217513, [Full Text] [Report]

Education


1995 Ph.D. from Russan Academy of Sciences. Major: astronomy

1988 Master from Leningrad State University. Major: astronomy