Rob Sheldon

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)

Books:

1. 2022 The Long Ascent, Volume 3: Genesis 1-11 in Science and Myth (Amazon) ( Google preview)
2. 2019 The Long Ascent, Volume 2: Genesis 1-11 in Science and Myth (Amazon) ( Google preview)
3. 2017 The Long Ascent, Volume 1: Genesis 1-11 in Science and Myth (Amazon) ( Google preview)
4. 2000 Laser Satellite Communication: The Third Generation

Papers:

1. CBI 2021: Comets, Water and Big Bang Nucleosynthesis(Acrobat PDF) Journal (pdf)
2. NETS 2016: A Six Component Model for Dusty Plasma Nuclear Fission Fragment Propulsion(Acrobat PDF)
3. NETS 2016: A Gigawatt Space Power System using Dusty Plasma Fission Fragment Reactor(Acrobat PDF)
4. SPIE 2015: Big Bang Nucleosynthesis, Comets and Life(Acrobat PDF)
5. SPIE 2015: Arrhenius Reconsidered: Astrophysical Jets and the Spread of Spores(Acrobat PDF)
6. SPIE 2015: The Wet Comet Model: Rosetta Redux(Acrobat PDF)
7. NETS 2014: Dusty Plasma Fission Fragment Rocket Engine (Acrobat PDF)
8. SPIE 2013: Comets and Entropy Hydrodynamics: How Does Evolution Violate the 2nd Law? (Acrobat PDF)
9. NETS 2013: Dusty Plasma Fission Fragment Rocket (Acrobat PDF)
10. SPIE 2012: Carbonaceous Chondrites as Bio-engineered Comets (Acrobat PDF)
11. SPIE 2011: More Evidence of Liquid Water on Comets (Acrobat PDF)
12. SPIE 2011: The Cometary Biosphere and the Origin of Life (Acrobat PDF)
13. Chapter in Cellular Origin, Life in Extreme Habitats and Astrobiology 2011: Comets, Information, and the Origin of Life
14. JASTP 2008: The Quadrupole as a Source of Energetic Particles III. Outer Radiation Belt and MeV electrons. (Acrobat PDF or ask for published PDF)
15. Space Sciences, in Mass Spectrometry: Instrumentation, Interpretation, and Applications (2009): (Acrobat PDF)
16. SPIE 2008: Cosmological Evolution: Spatial Relativity and the Speed of Life (Acrobat PDF)
17. SPIE 2007: The Cometary Biosphere (Acrobat PDF)
18. Physics of Plasmas 2006: On the Current Sheet Model with κ-distribution (Acrobat PDF)
19. SPIE 2006: Water on Comets: Deep Impact, Stardust, and Hayabusa (Acrobat PDF)
20. JGR 2005: Solid and grid sphere current collection in view of the tethered satellite system (Acrobat PDF). ( Abstract)
21. JGR 2005: Comparison of energetic ions in cusp and outer radiation belt. ( Abstract)
22. JGR 2005: Multiple spacecraft observations of energetic ions during a high solar wind pressure event. ( Abstract)
23. AIAA 2005: A Dusty Plasma Based Fission Fragment Rocket (Acrobat PDF)
24. SPIE 2005: Evidence for Liquid Water on Comets (Acrobat PDF)
25. SPIE 2005 Historical Development of the Distinction between Bio- and Abiogenesis (Acrobat PDF)
26. 2004 SPIE Proceedings: Astrobiology of Comets (Acrobat PDF)
27. Accepted in AGU Monograph 2006 (Chattanooga Workshop 2004): The Quadrupole as a Source of Cusp Energetic Particles: II. The Static Equinoctal Cusp (Acrobat PDF)
28. AGU Monograph 2005 (Lake Guntersville Workshop 2002): The Quadrupole as a Source of Cusp Energetic Particles: I. General Considerations (Acrobat PDF)
29. NFFP 2003: Dusty Plasma Solar Sail Feasibility Study (PostScript) (Acrobat PDF)
30. JGR 2003: Comment on "Origins of energetic ions in the cusp" by Trattner et al. (PostScript) (Acrobat PDF)
31. JGR 2003: Comment on "MeV magnetosheath ions energized at the bow shock" by S.-W. Chang et al." (PostScript) (Acrobat PDF)
32. JGR 2003: Radiation Pressure Measurements on Micron Grains (PostScript) (Acrobat PDF)
33. STAIF 2002: Dynamic and Optical Characterization of Dusty Plasmas for Use as Solar Sails (PostScript) (Acrobat PDF)
34. POP 2001 Physics of Plasmas: The UAH Spinning Terrella Accelerator (PostScript) (Acrobat PDF)
35. Submitted to: JGR Special POLAR issue, On the Origin of Outer Radiation Belt Electrons (PostScript) (Acrobat PDF)
36. UAH Minigrant 1999: The UAH Spinning Terrella Accelerator (PostScript) (Acrobat PDF) The Website
37. 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)
38. JGR 1999: Simulation of off-equatorial ring current ion spectra measured by POLAR for a moderate storm at solar minimum.
39. COSPAR 1998: The Role of the Cusp as a Source of Magnetospheric Particles: A New Paradigm?
40. COSPAR 1998: The Bimodal Magnetosphere and Radiation Belt, Ring Current and Tail Transducers (PostScript) (Acrobat PDF)
41. Russian Conference, 1997: Cusp energetic particle events measured by POLAR Spacecraft
42. 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)
43. GRL 1998: The Discovery of Trapped Energetic Electrons in the Outer Cusp (PostScript) (Acrobat PDF)
44. GRL 1998: Observation of 40keV Field-Aligned Subauroral Ion Beams (PostScript) (Acrobat PDF) (GRL)
45. JGR 1998: Cusp Energetic Particle Events: Implications for a Major Acceleration Region of the Magnetosphere (PostScript)
46. AGU 1997: Science Closure and Enabling Technologies for Constellation Class Missions, 1998. The Kilo-satellite Constellation Concept (Acrobat PDF)
47. GRL 1997: A New Temporarily Confined Population in the Polar Cap During the August 27, 1996 Geomagnetic Field Distortion Period (PostScript)
48. GRL 1997: Particle Transport in the Magnetosphere: A New Diffusion Model (PostScript) (Acrobat PDF)
49. GRL 1997: First energetic neutral atom images from Polar (PostScript) (Acrobat PDF) Correspondence
50. COSPAR 1996: Alfven Boundaries: Noses and Zippers (PostScript) (Acrobat PDF)
51. WWW 1996: George Siscoe's White Paper (April 96) on Multiprobes (PostScript) (Acrobat PDF)
52. Huntsville 1996: A New Magnetic Storm Model (PostScript) (Acrobat PDF)
53. SSR 1995: The solar wind and suprathermal ion composition investigation of the WIND spacecraft (PDF)
54. JGR 1994: On Transport and Loss in the Earth's Symmetric Quiet Ring Current: II. Diffusion and Magnetosphere-Ionosphere Coupling (Acrobat PDF)
55. JGR 1993: Ion Transport and Loss in the Earth's Symmetric Quiet Ring Current: I. Data and Standard Model (Acrobat PDF)
56. GRL 1993: Particle Tracing in the Magnetosphere: New Algorithms and Results (Acrobat PDF)
57. STEP 1992: Plasmasheet Convection into the Inner Magnetosphere During Quiet Conditions (Acrobat PDF)

Unpublished Papers:

1. The Parable of the Sower (Mark 4:1-20) DRAFT
2. Jesus the Exegete (Mark 12:26-28) (Rough Draft)
3. The Parables & Miracles of Jesus and His Use of Recursion (John 2:1-11)
4. A Scientific Study of Genesis 1-2 and Surprising Support for Trichotomy: Body, Soul and Spiritual Being"
5. "Particulates in NLC and PMSE during DROPPS 1 Flight: PID and PAT Sensors (10/2006)"
6. "Spinning Terrella Plasma Experiment: Plasma Trapping and Transport", Physics of Plasmas 2002 (HTML)

Rejected Papers:

1. 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
2. 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
3. Publish & Perish: Lessons Learned.
4. Science, 1998: Discovery of 2nd Trapping Region in Magnetosphere
5. Nature, 2005: A July 4 prediction "Will Deep Impact Make a Splash?":
   Cover : Paper : Receipt : Reply : (Other formats)
6. JASTP 2006,2008 "Cusp II.
   The Quadrupole as a Source of Energetic Particles: II. The Static Equinoctal Cusp
PDF version Correspondence
7. JGR 2006, "Cusp III.
   The Quadrupole as a Source of Energetic Particles: III. High Speed Solar Wind Streams and MeV electrons
PDF version Correspondence

Conferences Organized:

1. 2008 Huntsville Workshop
2. Huntsville 2000: A New View of Geospace

Talks:

1. 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
2. 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
3. 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
4. Huntsville RTB Chapter Meeting:
   • March 2014:Genesis Flood in Hebrew
   • April 2014:Genesis Flood and Science
   • May 2014:Other lectures
5. NETS 2014 Slidell, LA: Dusty Plasma Fission Fragment Rocket Engine
6. SPIE 2013 San Diego Astrobiology section: Comets and Entropy Hydrodynamics: How Does Evolution Violate the 2nd Law?
7. NETS 2013 Albuquerque:
   • Dusty Plasma Fission Fragment Rocket
   • FFRE Powered Spacecraft
8. SPIE 2012 San Diego Astrobiology section: Carbonaceous Chondrites as Bio-engineered Comets
9. NSSTC Spring 2012:The Dynamic Quadrupole: Jars, Mars, and Stars
10. SPIE 2011 San Diego Astrobiology section:
    • Cometary Biosphere and the Origin of Life
    • More Evidence for Liquid Water on Comets
11. NSSTC Spring 2010: There and Back Again: Nuclear Propulsion for a Manned Mission to Mars( PDF)
12. SPIE 2008 San Diego Astrobiology section: Cosmological Evolution: Spatial Relativity and the Speed of Life
13. Reasons To Believe, 2008, Huntsville: The Bible and the Evidence for Extra-Terrestrial Life (Real Media video, 16MB)
14. SPIE 2007 San Diego Astrobiology section: The Cometary Biosphere
15. NSSTC Spring 2007: The NanoSat Revolution
16. NSSTC Fall 2006: Noctilucent Clouds, Polar Mesospheric Summer Echoes, and Dusty Plasmas
17. Huntsville Workshop 10/2006: The ionospheric source of radiation belt particles
18. SPIE 2006 San Diego Astrobiology section: Implications of Cometary Water: Deep Impact, Stardust, and Hayabusa
19. NSSTC Summer 2006 Seminar: The 4th Law of Thermodynamics: power laws, coronal heating, reconnection & life
20. Taylor University, Physics Dept: The Outer Van Allen Radiation Belt and the RBSP Mission
21. NSSTC Spring 2006 Seminar: The Outer Van Allen Radiation Belt and the RBSP Mission
22. ESSE 2006 (Earth Sun System Exploration): Solar Wind Energy Coupling Through The Cusp(Poster)
23. SPIE 2005 San Diego Astrobiology section: Evidence for Liquid Water on Comets
24. AIAA Joint Propulsion Conference 7/2005 Tucson: A Dusty Plasma Based Fission Fragment Nuclear Reactor/Rocket
25. 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
26. NSSTC 5/2005: Fission Fragment Nuclear Rocket
27. APW 4/05 Huntsville: Dusty Solar Plasma Sails
28. Chapman Conference 2/2005 Manaus (Corotating Solar Wind Streams and Recurrent Geomagnetic Activity): High Speed Streams & Earth's Quadrupole Cusp: Implications for ORBE
29. NSSTC 10/2004: Can Comets Contain Water? A "Wet" Comet Theory
30. Huntsville Workshop 10/2004: A High Latitude Source for -Radiation Belt Particles?
31. ORBITALS Conference 9/2004: A High Latitude Source for Outer Radiation Belt Electrons?
32. NSSTC 7/2004: High Resolution Mass Spectrometry in Space Exploration: Past Triumphs, Present Goals, Future Progress
33. 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
34. RTB 4/2004 Huntsville: Augustine & 20th Century Cosmology
35. NSSTC 3/2004: The Quadrupole Cusp: A Universal Accelerator (HTML)
36. NSSTC 10/2003: Magnetized Laboratory Plasmas and Astrophysical Jets (HTML)
37. NFFP 8/2003 Huntsville: Dusty Plasma Solar Sails (HTML) (Paper)
38. IPELS 6/2003 Montana: Magnetically Inhomogeneous Plasmas & Space Charge (HTML)
39. Wheaton College Science Symposium 3/2003: Augustine and 20th Century Cosmology (HTML)
40. Wheaton College Seminar 2/2003: Rockets, Stars and Jars (HTML)
41. Wheaton College Science Division Seminar 11/2002: Physics Nobel Prize 2002: Riccardo Giacconi (HTML)
42. 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)
43. Wheaton College Science Division Seminar 10/2002: Augustine and 20th Century Physics (PostScript) (Acrobat PDF)
44. MOP 8/2002: Electrostatic trapping of 3u SiO2 dust around a dipole magnet (Postscript) (PDF) (HTML)
45. AGU Spring 02:
    • The Consequences of Cusp Trapping (HTML)
    • Field-aligned potentials (HTML)
46. STAIF 02 (Space Technologies and Applications International Forum): Characterization of Dusty Plasmas for Solar Sails (HTML)
47. 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)
48. 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)
49. NSSTC April 12, 2001 (Astrophysical Jets Mini-Symposium): The Spinning Magnet Accelerator (HTML)
50. APW Spring 01 (Advanced Propulsion Workshop): Can Ultralight Sails be Made from Dust? (HTML)
51. AGU 2000 Spring/Fall: The UAH Spinning Terrella Accelerator
52. Huntsville 2000 : Ionospheric Sources of Stormtime RC and Plasmasheet Populations (HTML version)
53. UAH Fall 00 Colloquium/PH110: Magnetic Ballooning Through the Solar System (HTML)
54. Chapman Conference 2000: The Prediction of MeV Killer Electrons at GEO
55. AGU Spring 00: Cusp Diamagnetic Cavities (HTML)
56. MSFC Spring 00: Cusp Diamagnetic Cavities and Space Lightning (HTML)
57. CCA FALL 99: COMETS:Past and Future
58. UAH Fall 99: A History of Space Physics: PHYSICS 110, November 3, 1999 ( HTML )
59. 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
60. UAH SEDS 99: The Future in Space: the Promise of Nanosats
61. Yellowstone 99: Transport in the Magnetosphere Charged Fluid Transport in the Magnetosphere ( HTML)
62. AGU Spring 99: Composition and Acceleration Processes of Magnetic Storms
63. UAH Advanced Propulsion Workshop, April 99: Solar Sails with Tether Propulsion
64. MSFC Mar 99: The Nano-Satellite Kilo-Constellation
65. SEC Mar 99: Nanosat Magnetometry (PDF)
66. AGU Fall 98:The Quasi-Neutrality Catastrophe: kV Field-Aligned Potentials
67. UAH Fall 98 Colloquium: Space Plasma Accelerators: Cosmic CERNs and SLACs
68. Lake Guntersville 98:TENACIOUS: The Tomographic ENA Comprehensive Ion and Optical University Satellite
69. COSPAR 98 Meeting: The Bimodal Magnetosphere
70. AGU Spring 98: The Bimodal Magnetosphere: RC vs MeV Storms
71. UAH Spring 98 Colloquium :Two Storm Accelerators
72. GSFC Spring 98 SEC WORKSHOP : Stochastic Acceleration
73. AGU Fall 97 Meeting: The Difference between Storms and Substorms
74. IAGA/GEM 97:
    • The Bimodal Magnetosphere
    • The New Storm Model: Comparing Jan 10,1997 and Apr 15, 1996
75. AGU Spring 97:
    • The Magnetospheric Mapping Mission
    • The Energetic Particle Response to the January 10 Magnetic Cloud
76. Dartmouth College Seminar (Feb 97)
77. BU Spring 97 Seminar
78. AGU Fall 96 Meeting:
    • Dynamic Data Driven Diffusion Coefficients
    • The Greater Cusp Accelerator
    • A New Magnetic Storm Model
79. Guntersville Meeting (Sep 96)
80. COSPAR 96:A New Storm Model
81. AGU Spring 96 Meeting:
    • High Latitude Alfven Boundaries: New Polar Results
82. Older Posters

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 geomagnetic storm:

Bible Studies

• Bible Readings
• John's Gospel
• Paul's letter to Galatia
• Paul's letter to Ephesus
• Paul's letter to Philippi
• Paul's letter to Colossi
• Paul's 1st letter to Thessaloniki
• Paul's 2nd letter to Thessaloniki
• Ballad of the White Horse
• 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

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