MASK: Using Astrophysics and LASERS to Help Prevent The Spread of Covid19

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You may have seen this video's thumbnail image in national media. It was the winner of Science Foundation Ireland’s Research Image of the Year 2020. The image was created by a team studying the effectiveness of mask materials at CIT, CAPPA and BCO. One particularly cool aspect of the MASK (Making Aerosol Safety Known) study is that it combines powerful lasers, with software ordinarily used in astronomy, to measure the sizes of the droplets exhaled by study subjects!

In this video, Claire O'Connell discovers more about this fascination image through a conversation with Dr Liam Lewis, Dr Niall Smith, and Danielle Wilcox.

Dr Liam Lewis is Centre Head of the Centre for Advanced Photonics and Process Analysis (CAPPA) in CIT. He oversees all operations within CAPPA and works strongly towards building industry and academic partnerships for the group.

Dr Niall Smith, is the Head of Research at CIT and Head of CIT Blackrock Castle Observatory. Niall’s research focuses on space topics including ultra high precision photometry and the uses of small satellites in low earth orbit for a wide range of functions from high resolution imaging to space cybersecurity to rural broadband.

Danielle Wilcox works as a Resident Astronomer and Telescope Operator at Blackrock Castle Observatory in Cork, and Coordinator of Space Week Ireland. Her main role on the MASK project is to the communicate to the public how a technique from astrophysics can be use to aid the general public on matters of public health and illustrate why interdisciplinary research is so important.

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Cork Discovers is proudly brought to you by UCC Academy, University College Cork, Teagasc, Cork City Council, CIT Blackrock Castle Observatory and British Council with special thanks to our media partners 96FM and Irish Examiner. This project has received funding the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under grant agreement no. 955330