Rob Sheldon
Space Plasma Group
NASA/MSFC/NSSTC
513 Bain Dr, Huntsville, AL 35803
320 Sparkman Dr, Huntsville AL 35805
Home/Cell:256 653 8592
email:
r*bs@rbsp.info
email:
r*bs@rbsp.info
(due to spamming, edit the address by removing the asterisk)
Recent Photos
The Universe in a Bottle
What! Am I not working hard enough?
A Wake for Lunar Prospector
Family Photos
The original church that started "A Civil Action"
The man who inspired "A Civil Action"
POLAR Data
Recent Proposals:
The Phobos Gravity Gradiometer Mission
Search for Galactic Primordial Black Holes with Fermi
Cosmic & Fermi-bubble B-field in γ-ray Helicity
A Search for Femtolensing Dark Matter with GBM/Fermi
Tether Gravity Gradiometer for Planetary Missions
Dusty Plasma Fission Fragment Rocket
Nuclear Dust Burnup Using a Dust Reactor
The Radiation Belt Storm Probes: Radiation Belt Distribution Imager
Characterization of dusty plasma sails
Cusp Diamagnetic Cavities
(PostScript)
(PDF)
The Magnetospheric Mapping Mission
(PostScript)
Remote Sensing of Magnetospheric Structure Using (U,B,K) Analysis of GGS Particle and Field Data
(Acrobat PDF)
Recent Books:
The Long Ascent: Genesis 1-11 in Science and Myth
Laser Satellite Communication: The Third Generation
Recent Papers:
HUBE 2017: Comets, Water and Big Bang Nucleosynthesis
(Acrobat PDF)
NETS 2016: A Six Component Model for Dusty Plasma Nuclear Fission Fragment Propulsion
(Acrobat PDF)
NETS 2016: A Gigawatt Space Power System using Dusty Plasma Fission Fragment Reactor
(Acrobat PDF)
SPIE 2015: Big Bang Nucleosynthesis, Comets and Life
(Acrobat PDF)
SPIE 2015: Arrhenius Reconsidered: Astrophysical Jets and the Spread of Spores
(Acrobat PDF)
SPIE 2015: The Wet Comet Model: Rosetta Redux
(Acrobat PDF)
NETS 2014: Dusty Plasma Fission Fragment Rocket Engine
(Acrobat PDF)
SPIE 2013: Comets and Entropy Hydrodynamics: How Does Evolution Violate the 2nd Law?
(Acrobat PDF)
NETS 2013: Dusty Plasma Fission Fragment Rocket
(Acrobat PDF)
SPIE 2012: Carbonaceous Chondrites as Bio-engineered Comets
(Acrobat PDF)
SPIE 2011: More Evidence of Liquid Water on Comets
(Acrobat PDF)
SPIE 2011: The Cometary Biosphere and the Origin of Life
(Acrobat PDF)
Chapter in
Cellular Origin, Life in Extreme Habitats and Astrobiology
2011:
Comets, Information, and the Origin of Life
JASTP 2008:
The Quadrupole as a Source of Energetic Particles III. Outer Radiation Belt and MeV electrons.
(Acrobat PDF
or ask for published PDF)
Space Sciences, in
Mass Spectrometry: Instrumentation, Interpretation, and Applications
(2009):
(Acrobat PDF)
SPIE 2008: Cosmological Evolution: Spatial Relativity and the Speed of Life
(Acrobat PDF)
SPIE 2007: The Cometary Biosphere
(Acrobat PDF)
Physics of Plasmas 2006: On the Current Sheet Model with κ-distribution
(Acrobat PDF)
SPIE 2006: Water on Comets: Deep Impact, Stardust, and Hayabusa
(Acrobat PDF)
JGR 2005: Solid and grid sphere current collection in view of the tethered satellite system
(Acrobat PDF)
. (
Abstract
)
JGR 2005:
Comparison of energetic ions in cusp and outer radiation belt
. (
Abstract
)
JGR 2005:
Multiple spacecraft observations of energetic ions during a high solar wind pressure event
. (
Abstract
)
AIAA 2005:
A Dusty Plasma Based Fission Fragment Rocket
(Acrobat PDF)
SPIE 2005:
Evidence for Liquid Water on Comets
(Acrobat PDF)
SPIE 2005
Historical Development of the Distinction between Bio- and Abiogenesis
(Acrobat PDF)
2004 SPIE Proceedings:
Astrobiology of Comets
(Acrobat PDF)
Accepted in AGU Monograph 2006 (Chattanooga Workshop 2004):
The Quadrupole as a Source of Cusp Energetic Particles: II. The Static Equinoctal Cusp
(Acrobat PDF)
AGU Monograph 2005 (Lake Guntersville Workshop 2002):
The Quadrupole as a Source of Cusp Energetic Particles: I. General Considerations
(Acrobat PDF)
NFFP 2003:
Dusty Plasma Solar Sail Feasibility Study
(PostScript)
(Acrobat PDF)
JGR 2003:
Comment on "Origins of energetic ions in the cusp" by Trattner et al.
(PostScript)
(Acrobat PDF)
JGR 2003:
Comment on "MeV magnetosheath ions energized at the bow shock" by S.-W. Chang et al."
(PostScript)
(Acrobat PDF)
JGR 2003:
Radiation Pressure Measurements on Micron Grains
(PostScript)
(Acrobat PDF)
STAIF 2002:
Dynamic and Optical Characterization of Dusty Plasmas for Use as Solar Sails
(PostScript)
(Acrobat PDF)
POP 2001 Physics of Plasmas:
The UAH Spinning Terrella Accelerator
(PostScript)
(Acrobat PDF)
Submitted to: JGR Special POLAR issue,
On the Origin of Outer Radiation Belt Electrons
(PostScript)
(Acrobat PDF)
UAH Minigrant 1999:
The UAH Spinning Terrella Accelerator
(PostScript)
(Acrobat PDF)
The Website
JASTP 1999 (Lake Guntersville Workshop, 1998):
Tomographic ENA Imaging from Low-Earth Orbit
(PostScript)
(Acrobat PDF)
First Draft:
TENACIOUS: The Tomographic ENA Comprehensive Ion and Optical University Satellite
(PostScript)
(Acrobat PDF)
JGR 1999:
Simulation of off-equatorial ring current ion spectra measured by POLAR for a moderate storm at solar minimum.
COSPAR 1998:
The Role of the Cusp as a Source of Magnetospheric Particles: A New Paradigm?
COSPAR 1998:
The Bimodal Magnetosphere and Radiation Belt, Ring Current and Tail Transducers
(PostScript)
(Acrobat PDF)
Russian Conference, 1997:
Cusp energetic particle events measured by POLAR Spacecraft
Radiation Belt Conference in Paros, Greece 1997:
Magnetic Local Time Survey of Radiation Belt Helium Ion Structure Conducted with Data from the POLAR CAMMICE/HIT Instrument
(PostScript)
(Acrobat PDF)
GRL 1998:
The Discovery of Trapped Energetic Electrons in the Outer Cusp
(PostScript)
(Acrobat PDF)
GRL 1998:
Observation of 40keV Field-Aligned Subauroral Ion Beams
(PostScript)
(Acrobat PDF)
(GRL)
JGR 1998:
Cusp Energetic Particle Events: Implications for a Major Acceleration Region of the Magnetosphere
(PostScript)
AGU 1997: Science Closure and Enabling Technologies for Constellation Class Missions, 1998.
The Kilo-satellite Constellation Concept
(Acrobat PDF)
GRL 1997:
A New Temporarily Confined Population in the Polar Cap During the August 27, 1996 Geomagnetic Field Distortion Period
(PostScript)
GRL 1997:
Particle Transport in the Magnetosphere: A New Diffusion Model
(PostScript)
(Acrobat PDF)
GRL 1997:
First energetic neutral atom images from Polar
(PostScript)
(Acrobat PDF)
Correspondence
COSPAR 1996:
Alfven Boundaries: Noses and Zippers
(PostScript)
(Acrobat PDF)
WWW 1996:
George Siscoe's White Paper (April 96) on Multiprobes
(PostScript)
(Acrobat PDF)
Huntsville 1996:
A New Magnetic Storm Model
(PostScript)
(Acrobat PDF)
SSR 1995:
The solar wind and suprathermal ion composition investigation of the WIND spacecraft (PDF)
JGR 1994:
On Transport and Loss in the Earth's Symmetric Quiet Ring Current: II. Diffusion and Magnetosphere-Ionosphere Coupling
(Acrobat PDF)
JGR 1993:
Ion Transport and Loss in the Earth's Symmetric Quiet Ring Current: I. Data and Standard Model
(Acrobat PDF)
GRL 1993:
Particle Tracing in the Magnetosphere: New Algorithms and Results
(Acrobat PDF)
STEP 1992:
Plasmasheet Convection into the Inner Magnetosphere During Quiet Conditions
(Acrobat PDF)
Unpublished Papers:
The Parable of the Sower (Mark 4:1-20) DRAFT
Jesus the Exegete (Mark 12:26-28)
(Rough Draft)
The Parables & Miracles of Jesus and His Use of Recursion (John 2:1-11)
A Scientific Study of Genesis 1-2 and Surprising Support for Trichotomy: Body, Soul and Spiritual Being"
"Particulates in NLC and PMSE during DROPPS 1 Flight: PID and PAT Sensors (10/2006)"
"Spinning Terrella Plasma Experiment: Plasma Trapping and Transport", Physics of Plasmas 2002
(HTML)
Rejected Papers:
GRL 1996: A paper rejected without rebuttal first for being "not believable".
(PostScript)
(Acrobat PDF)
and
The GRL correspondence.
The revised and finally rejected version:
Revised: A New Magnetic Storm Model
(PostScript)
(Acrobat PDF)
and the
Cover letter
and
Final comments
GRL 1997: A paper more properly rejected. (Kudos to GRL editor Robert Winglee for due process.)
1st Draft:
On the Physical Origin and Prediction of Killer Electron Storms
and
Comments to Version 1
2nd Draft:
On the Physical Origin of Outer Radiation Belt 1-10 MeV Electrons
(PostScript)
(Acrobat PDF)
and
Comments to Version 2
Last and Rejected Draft:
On the Physical Origin of Outer Radiation Belt 1-10 MeV Electrons
(PostScript)
(Acrobat PDF)
and
Comments to Version 3
Publish & Perish: Lessons Learned.
Science, 1998: Discovery of 2nd Trapping Region in Magnetosphere
Nature, 2005: A July 4 prediction "Will Deep Impact Make a Splash?":
Cover
: Paper
: Receipt
: Reply
: (Other formats)
JASTP 2006,2008 "Cusp II.
The Quadrupole as a Source of Energetic Particles: II. The Static Equinoctal Cusp
PDF version
Correspondence
JGR 2006, "Cusp III.
The Quadrupole as a Source of Energetic Particles: III. High Speed Solar Wind Streams and MeV electrons
PDF version
Correspondence
Recent Conferences Organized:
2008 Huntsville Workshop
Huntsville 2000: A New View of Geospace
Recent Talks:
(PowerPoint slides)
NETS 2016 Huntsville:
A Six Component Model for Dusty Plasma Nuclear Fission Fragment Propulsion
A Half-Gigawatt Space Power System using Dusty Plasma Fission Fragment Reactor
SPIE 2015 San Diego Astrobiology section:
Big Bang Nucleosynthesis, Comets and Life
Arrhenius Reconsidered: Astrophysical Jets and the Spread of Spores
The Wet Comet Model: Rosetta Redux
MSFC γ-ray journal club:
10-15-2015:
Magnetic Big Bang Nucleosynthesis: A Baryonic Dark Matter Candidate
05-21-2015:
Intergaactic magnetic field spectra from diffuse gamma-rays: Chen et al. 2015
04-02-2015:
Ian Axford's Cosmic Ray Conundrum
11-13-2014:
Dark Matter Detection with Femtolensing GRB
06-26-2014:
GRB jets opening angle and highest energy
Huntsville RTB Chapter Meeting:
March 2014:
Genesis Flood in Hebrew
April 2014:
Genesis Flood and Science
May 2014:
Other lectures
NETS 2014 Slidell, LA:
Dusty Plasma Fission Fragment Rocket Engine
SPIE 2013 San Diego Astrobiology section:
Comets and Entropy Hydrodynamics: How Does Evolution Violate the 2nd Law?
NETS 2013 Albuquerque:
Dusty Plasma Fission Fragment Rocket
FFRE Powered Spacecraft
SPIE 2012 San Diego Astrobiology section:
Carbonaceous Chondrites as Bio-engineered Comets
NSSTC Spring 2012:
The Dynamic Quadrupole: Jars, Mars, and Stars
SPIE 2011 San Diego Astrobiology section:
Cometary Biosphere and the Origin of Life
More Evidence for Liquid Water on Comets
NSSTC Spring 2010:
There and Back Again: Nuclear Propulsion for a Manned Mission to Mars
(
PDF
)
SPIE 2008 San Diego Astrobiology section:
Cosmological Evolution: Spatial Relativity and the Speed of Life
Reasons To Believe, 2008, Huntsville:
The Bible and the Evidence for Extra-Terrestrial Life
(
Real Media video, 16MB
)
SPIE 2007 San Diego Astrobiology section:
The Cometary Biosphere
NSSTC Spring 2007:
The NanoSat Revolution
NSSTC Fall 2006:
Noctilucent Clouds, Polar Mesospheric Summer Echoes, and Dusty Plasmas
Huntsville Workshop 10/2006:
The ionospheric source of radiation belt particles
SPIE 2006 San Diego Astrobiology section:
Implications of Cometary Water: Deep Impact, Stardust, and Hayabusa
NSSTC Summer 2006 Seminar:
The 4th Law of Thermodynamics: power laws, coronal heating, reconnection & life
Taylor University, Physics Dept:
The Outer Van Allen Radiation Belt and the RBSP Mission
NSSTC Spring 2006 Seminar:
The Outer Van Allen Radiation Belt and the RBSP Mission
ESSE 2006 (Earth Sun System Exploration):
Solar Wind Energy Coupling Through The Cusp(Poster)
SPIE 2005 San Diego Astrobiology section:
Evidence for Liquid Water on Comets
AIAA Joint Propulsion Conference 7/2005 Tucson:
A Dusty Plasma Based Fission Fragment Nuclear Reactor/Rocket
NSF/GEM 6/2005 Santa Fe:
Earth's Quadrupole Cusp
Third Invariant Kinetic Codes: 4D phase space
Comments on Non-resonant Acceleration
Space Weather Prediction: Cosmic Rays
NSSTC 5/2005:
Fission Fragment Nuclear Rocket
APW 4/05 Huntsville:
Dusty Solar Plasma Sails
Chapman Conference 2/2005 Manaus (Corotating Solar Wind Streams and Recurrent Geomagnetic Activity):
High Speed Streams & Earth's Quadrupole Cusp: Implications for ORBE
NSSTC 10/2004:
Can Comets Contain Water? A "Wet" Comet Theory
Huntsville Workshop 10/2004:
A High Latitude Source for -Radiation Belt Particles?
ORBITALS Conference 9/2004:
A High Latitude Source for Outer Radiation Belt Electrons?
NSSTC 7/2004:
High Resolution Mass Spectrometry in Space Exploration: Past Triumphs, Present Goals, Future Progress
NSF/GEM 6/2004:
The Quadrupole Cusp: The Most Efficient Accelerator of MeV Electrons
The Quadrupole Electric Field as seen in the Lab and Space: an effective method for extracting ionospheric plasma
RTB 4/2004 Huntsville:
Augustine & 20th Century Cosmology
NSSTC 3/2004:
The Quadrupole Cusp: A Universal Accelerator
(
HTML
)
NSSTC 10/2003:
Magnetized Laboratory Plasmas and Astrophysical Jets
(
HTML
)
NFFP 8/2003 Huntsville:
Dusty Plasma Solar Sails
(
HTML
) (
Paper
)
IPELS 6/2003 Montana:
Magnetically Inhomogeneous Plasmas & Space Charge
(
HTML
)
Wheaton College Science Symposium 3/2003:
Augustine and 20th Century Cosmology
(
HTML
)
Wheaton College Seminar 2/2003:
Rockets, Stars and Jars
(
HTML
)
Wheaton College Science Division Seminar 11/2002:
Physics Nobel Prize 2002: Riccardo Giacconi
(
HTML
)
COSPAR 10/2002:
Electromagnetically trapped dusty plasma ring
(
HTML Version
)
A Scalable Model of Radiation Belt Dynamics (Powerpoint Poster)
HELIX: A versatile plasma composition spectrometer (Powerpoint Poster)
(
dataplot
)
Wheaton College Science Division Seminar 10/2002:
Augustine and 20th Century Physics
(
PostScript
) (
Acrobat PDF
)
MOP 8/2002:
Electrostatic trapping of 3u SiO2 dust around a dipole magnet
(
Postscript
) (
PDF
) (
HTML
)
AGU Spring 02:
The Consequences of Cusp Trapping
(
HTML
)
Field-aligned potentials
(
HTML
)
STAIF 02 (Space Technologies and Applications International Forum):
Characterization of Dusty Plasmas for Solar Sails
(
HTML
)
AGU Fall 01:
UBK-space visualization tool for the magnetosphere (
HTML)
Laboratory visualization of the global Magnetic Topology
(
HTML
)
HELIX: A Solar Wind Composition Instrument
(
HTML
)
AGU Spring 01:
Solar Wind Heating as a non-Markovian Process: Levy Flight, Fractional Calculus and k-functions
(
HTML
)
The Spinning Terrella Experiment: A Laboratory Model of Geomagnetic Storms (
HTML)
The Spinning Terrella Experiment: Laboratory Analog of Earth's Magnetosphere
(
HTML
)
NSSTC April 12, 2001 (Astrophysical Jets Mini-Symposium):
The Spinning Magnet Accelerator
(
HTML
)
APW Spring 01 (Advanced Propulsion Workshop):
Can Ultralight Sails be Made from Dust?
(
HTML
)
AGU 2000 Spring/Fall:
The UAH Spinning Terrella Accelerator
Huntsville 2000 :
Ionospheric Sources of Stormtime RC and Plasmasheet Populations
(
HTML version
)
UAH Fall 00 Colloquium/PH110:
Magnetic Ballooning Through the Solar System
(
HTML
)
Chapman Conference 2000:
The Prediction of MeV Killer Electrons at GEO
AGU Spring 00:
Cusp Diamagnetic Cavities
(
HTML
)
MSFC Spring 00:
Cusp Diamagnetic Cavities and Space Lightning
(
HTML
)
CCA FALL 99: COMETS:Past and Future
UAH Fall 99:
A History of Space Physics: PHYSICS 110, November 3, 1999
(
HTML
)
AGU Fall 99 Meeting:
HELIX: A Triple-Focussing Mass Spectrometer for Space Missions
The Spinning Terrella Accelerator
The Magnetospheric Cusp: A Quadrupole Trap and Stochastic Accelerator at the Planets
UAH SEDS 99: The Future in Space: the Promise of Nanosats
Yellowstone 99: Transport in the Magnetosphere
Charged Fluid Transport in the Magnetosphere
(
HTML
)
AGU Spring 99:
Composition and Acceleration Processes of Magnetic Storms
UAH Advanced Propulsion Workshop, April 99:
Solar Sails with Tether Propulsion
MSFC Mar 99:
The Nano-Satellite Kilo-Constellation
SEC Mar 99:
Nanosat Magnetometry
(PDF)
AGU Fall 98:
The Quasi-Neutrality Catastrophe: kV Field-Aligned Potentials
UAH Fall 98 Colloquium:
Space Plasma Accelerators: Cosmic CERNs and SLACs
Lake Guntersville 98:
TENACIOUS: The Tomographic ENA Comprehensive Ion and Optical University Satellite
COSPAR 98 Meeting:
The Bimodal Magnetosphere
AGU Spring 98:
The Bimodal Magnetosphere: RC vs MeV Storms
UAH Spring 98 Colloquium :
Two Storm Accelerators
GSFC Spring 98 SEC WORKSHOP : Stochastic Acceleration
AGU Fall 97 Meeting: The Difference between Storms and Substorms
IAGA/GEM 97:
The Bimodal Magnetosphere
The New Storm Model: Comparing Jan 10,1997 and Apr 15, 1996
AGU Spring 97:
The Magnetospheric Mapping Mission
The Energetic Particle Response to the January 10 Magnetic Cloud
Dartmouth College Seminar (Feb 97)
BU Spring 97 Seminar
AGU Fall 96 Meeting:
Dynamic Data Driven Diffusion Coefficients
The Greater Cusp Accelerator
A New Magnetic Storm Model
Guntersville Meeting (Sep 96)
COSPAR 96:A New Storm Model
AGU Spring 96 Meeting:
High Latitude Alfven Boundaries: New Polar Results
Older Posters
Recent Courses Taught
Spring 2013, High School Stellar Astronomy
Fall 2012, High School Planetary Astronomy
Spring 2003, Physics 494, Senior Seminar
Spring 2003, Physics 341, Analytical Mechanics
Spring 2003, Physics Lab, Introductory Physics 2nd Sem
Fall 2002, Physics Lab, Introductory Physics 1st Sem
Fall 2002, Physics 231, Introductory Physics w/Calculus, 1st Sem
Spring 2002, Honors Seminar H399: Physics, Philosophy, and Fundamentalism
Spring 2001, Honors Seminar H399: Physics, Philosophy, and Fundamentalism
Fall 2000, Physics 106: Introduction to Astronomy
Summer 2000, Physics 113: Introductory Physics w/Calculus, 3rd Semester
Spring 2000, Physics 113: Introductory Physics w/Calculus, 3rd Semester
Fall 1999, Physics 337: Electronics for Physicists
Spring 1999, Physics 112: Introductory Physics w/Calculus, 2nd Semester
A not so recent geomagnetic storm:
April 10-11, 1997
Recent Bible Studies
The Book of Revelation
Wheaton Dept Chapel 2002
The Book of Job
On Cloning
On Creationism and Evolution
Viruses, Genes, and Sin
Augustine and 20th Century Cosmology
HTML Paper
(addenda
Paper On Materialism
)
PowerPoint (2.7MB)
HTML slides of PowerPoint
RealVideo (Small) of 3hr lecture (44MB)
or
LARGE (571MB)
(requires
Real Player (Windows 10MB)
or go to
free download
)
MPEG Lecture 1/3 (716MB)
and
Lecture 2/3 (630MB)
and
Lecture 3/3 (600MB)
Time, Eternity, and Quantum Mechanics
The Idea of a Christian University
Recent Book/Article Reviews
BICEP2 I: Detection of B-mode Polarization at degree angular scales
Naming Infinity, by Loren Graham
Darwin's Doubt, by Stephen Meyer
God and Stephen Hawking, by John Lennox
The End of Christianity, by William Dembski
Signature in the Cell, by Stephen Meyer
The Myth of Junk DNA, by Jonathan Wells
In the Image and Likeness of Christ, by Vladimir Lottsky
Harry Potter
Other Links
Westminster Seminary
:
A Blog Attempt
:
Wheaton College
:
Taylor University"
:
UAH CSPAR
:
Huntsville Workshop:
MSFC Space Plasma Branch
:
CAMMICE Data
:
CCR Homepage
:
:
UniBern stuff
:
Soli Deo Gloria Curricula
Caretaker and author of this page:
r*bs@rbsp.info
(due to spamming, edit out the asterisk)