Everything
else

I am a research physicist in the field of space physics, the study of the space environment, encompassing realms from the ionosphere to the magnetosphere to interplanetary space. My current concentration is in the study of the Earth's radiation belts.

My Ph.D. is in physics from UT-Dallas (in Richardson). My dissertation research examined the relationship of the plasmapause and the outer radiation belt, using observations from the DMSP and SAMPEX satellites. UT-Dallas's William B. Hanson Center for Space Sciences is a leading group in the study of space physics.

My M.S. is in physics from UT-El Paso in cooperation with UT-Brownsville. My work there in the relativity group was concerned with data analysis for gravitational wave detection. While there I worked on data analysis methods for triggered burst searches, on stochastic searches, and made two summer research visits to the LIGO-Livingston site.

My B.A. is in astronomy from UT-Austin. For three years I participated in the Dean's Scholars Program in the College of Natural Sciences.

Contact information:

Dr. Wm. Robert Johnston

Publications

• W. R. Johnston, D. C. Richardson, and K. J. Walsh, 2010, Binary Minor Planets V3.0, submitted to NASA Planetary Data System.
• W. R. Johnston and P. C. Anderson, 2010, Storm time occurrence of relativistic electron microbursts in relation to the plasmapause, J. Geophys. Res., 115:A02205, doi:10.1029/2009JA014328.
• W. R. Johnston, D. C. Richardson, and K. J. Walsh, 2009, Binary Minor Planets V2.0, EAR-A-COMPIL-5-BINMP-V2.0, NASA Planetary Data System, on line (link).
• P. C. Anderson, W. R. Johnston, and J. Goldstein, 2008, Observations of the ionospheric projection of the plasmapause, Geophys. Res. Lett., 35:L15110, doi:10.1029/2008GL033978. (GRL abstract, NASA ADS abstract)
• B. Rooney and W. R. Johnston, 2007, Letter, More on the adverse effects of abortion, J. Am. Phys. Surg., 12(4):97-98.

Thesis and other documents

• W. R. Johnston, April 2009, The role of the plasmasphere in radiation belt particle energization and loss, Ph.D. dissertation, Univ. of Texas at Dallas (advisor Phillip C. Anderson). (Full text and Presentation).
• W. R. Johnston, 12 Sept. 2007, The role of the plasmasphere in radiation belt particle energization and loss, Ph.D. research proposal, Univ. of Texas at Dallas (advisor Phillip C. Anderson). (Full text and Presentation)
• W. R. Johnston, 19 April 2004, Detection strategies for a multi-interferometer triggered search, M.S. thesis, Univ. of Texas at El Paso (advisor Soumya Mohanty). (Full text and Presentation)

Conference/workshop presentations

• W. R. Johnston, C. D. Lindstrom, and G. P. Ginet, June 2010, Characterization of relativistic electron energy spectra from CRRES observations, GEM Workshop 2010.
• W. R. Johnston, P. C. Anderson, J. Goldstein, and T. P. O'Brien, 16 July 2008, Radiation belt dynamics and the plasmasphere, COSPAR Scientific Assembly 2008, abstract #PRBEM2-0017-08. (Presentation)
• W. R. Johnston, 22 June 2008, The inner magnetosphere: a very brief introduction, student tutorial, GEM Workshop 2008.
• W. R. Johnston, 17 June 2007, Introduction to the radiation belts, student tutorial, GEM Workshop 2007.
• W. R. Johnston, P. C. Anderson, J. Goldstein, S. G. Kanekal, and T. P. O'Brien, 22 May 2007, The role of the plasmasphere in radiation belt particle energization and loss, AGU Joint Assembly 2007, abstract #SM24A-07. (Presentation)

Conference/workshop posters

• W. R. Johnston and P. C. Anderson, May 2009, Storm-time occurrence of relativistic electron microbursts in relation to the plasmapause, AGU Joint Session, abstract #SM33A-04.
• W. R. Johnston, P. C. Anderson, J. Goldstein, and T. P. O'Brien, June 2008, Radiation belt dynamics and the plasmasphere, GEM workshop, abstract #G-25.
• W. R. Johnston, P. C. Anderson, J. Goldstein, and T. P. O'Brien, April 2008, Dynamics of the plasmasphere and the outer radiation belt from DMSP, IMAGE, and SAMPEX observations, Space Weather Workshop, abstract #M-10.
• W. R. Johnston, P. C. Anderson, J. Goldstein, T. P. O'Brien, and S. G. Kanekal, Dec. 2007, Dynamics of the plasmasphere and the outer radiation belt, AGU fall meeting 2007, abstract #SM21A-0323.
• W. R. Johnston, P. C. Anderson, J. Goldstein, T. P. O'Brien, and S. G. Kanekal, June 2007, Role of the plasmasphere in radiation belt particle energization and loss from DMSP, IMAGE, and SAMPEX observations, GEM workshop 2007, abstract #IM/S-07.
• W. R. Johnston, P. C. Anderson, J. Goldstein, S. G. Kanekal, and T. P. O'Brien, Dec. 2006, Relationship between the plasmapause and the outer radiation belt from DMSP, IMAGE, and SAMPEX observations, AGU fall meeting 2006, abstract #SM43B-1491.
• W. R. Johnston, P. C. Anderson, J. Goldstein, and S. G. Kanekal, June 2006, Relation of the plasmapause to the outer radiation belt from DMSP, IMAGE, and SAMPEX observations, CEDAR/GEM conferences.
• P. C. Anderson, W. R. Johnston, and J. Goldstein, Dec. 2005, The effects of subauroral electric fields on the structure of the plasmapause, AGU fall meeting 2005, abstract #SM41C-1209.
• W. R. Johnston, 14 Dec. 2003, Detection strategies for a multi-interferometer triggered search, CGWA conference.

Other publications

• W. R. Johnston, 17 March 2005, Review of fall 2001 anthrax bioattacks, in "Evidence Package for the National Academies' Review 2006-2007," A6-45 for Respiratory Diseases Research Program: National Academies Review, NIOSH, Oct. 2006, on line at CDC.
• W. R. Johnston, ed., Jan. 2004, Introduction to Astronomy Lab Book, Univ. of Texas at Brownsville.
• W. R. Johnston, 29 June 2003, Don't downplay risks of abortion, The Brownsville Herald, p. E3.
• W. R. Johnston, 7 April 2003, Iraq violated 21-year-old deal, The Brownsville Herald, p. A8.
• W. R. Johnston, 17 Aug. 2001, U.S. should have missile defense system, The Brownsville Herald, p. A10.
• W. R. Johnston, 4 April 2001, Facts disprove warnings about global warming, The Brownsville Herald, p. A10, and at Global Warming Debunking News and Views.

Unpublished material (selected)

• W. R. Johnston, R. Bates, and Wei-Cheng Wong, 16 April 2007, A numerical simulation of the Earth's electron radiation belts, report for PHYS 5413, UTD.
• W. R. Johnston, 13 April 2006, The Earth's plasmasphere and related electrodynamics, report for PHYS 6388, UTD.
• W. R. Johnston, 13 April 2006, Cosmological gravitational waves, report for PHYS 5V49, UTD.
• W. R. Johnston, 22 Nov. 2005 (updated 8 Sept. 2006), The atmospheres of Pluto and trans-Neptunian objects, report for PHYS 6389, UTD.
• W. R. Johnston, 5 Aug. 2003, Teaching about the solar system and solar energy, inservice presentation, Brownsville ISD.
• W. R. Johnston, 7 Feb. 2003 (updated 3 Nov. 2003), A report on the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention.
• W. R. Johnston, 8 Jan. 2003 (updated 9 Oct. 2008), Reasons given for having abortions in the United States.
• W. R. Johnston, J. D. Zamora, and J. A. R. Oliveira, 17 Oct. 2002, Installation suggestions for Cactus WaveToy and required software, report at UTB.
• W. R. Johnston, 31 July 2002, Gravity gradient noise from ground waves, student research project presentation, LIGO-Livingston Observatory.
• W. R. Johnston, May 1994, Investigation of evolution of orbits similar to that of (4179) Toutatis, senior research project, UTA Astronomy Dept.
• W. R. Johnston, April 1985 (updated 18 Aug. 2003), The effects of a global thermonuclear war, report for Dean's Scholars seminar, UTA.
• W. R. Johnston, 1983 (updated 5 June 2001), The effects of a nuclear attack on the Rio Grande Valley.

Misc.

• A collection of letters to the editor and other opinion pieces may be found here.
• Go here for a selection of my efforts at photography.
• My beautiful wife and I vacationed in the western United States in June 2000. To see some of our vacation pictures, click here.
• Then we took another trip through the western United States in June-July 2007--this time with a better camera! You can see some of those vacation pictures here.
• Views expressed on this web site are mine; you need not blame anyone else.

Okay, enough about me...
What about you? Do you know how to go to heaven?

© 2002-2009, 2010 by Wm. Robert Johnston.
Last modified 24 July 2010.
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