I am a doctoral student in physics at the University of Texas (UT) at Dallas (in Richardson). My work is in space physics, the study of the space environment, encompassing realms from the ionosphere to the magnetosphere to interplanetary space.

Specifically, I am currently using data taken in the Earth's ionosphere by DMSP satellites to address questions about dynamics of the Earth's plasmasphere and the relationship of the plasmasphere to the Earth's radiation belts. My advisor is Phillip C. Anderson.

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:

Wm. Robert Johnston
William B. Hanson Center for Space Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas
WT15, Box 830688
Richardson, TX 78083-0688

Publications

• W. R. Johnston, P. C. Anderson, and T. P. O'Brien, 2009, Stormtime occurrence of precipitating electron microbursts relative to the plasmapause, in preparation.
• 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.
• 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, 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, 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, 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, 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, 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.

© 2002-2008, 2009 by Wm. Robert Johnston.
Last modified 3 February 2009.
Return to Home.