Fellow
Center for Integrated Plasma Studies
and Professor of Physics
University of Colorado
Ph.D. 1972, Cornell University

Office: Gamow Tower room F819
Phone: 303-492-5565
Fax: 303-492-0642

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Research

Professor Robertson does laboratory experiments relating to dust in ionospheric and space plasma. Exploration activities on the surfaces of small moons expose robotic instrument to hazards from the dusty soil. The dust is exposed to solar UV and the solar wind causing charging of the dust particles which enhances dust transport. Laboratory experiments are aimed at understanding charging mechanisms in dusty plasma environments. There are smoke particles in the ionosphere from the ablation of meteors that collect charge and create dusty plasmas. These particles are probably the nucleation sites for mesospheric clouds. Professor Robertson continues to develop rocket payloads for launch into the polar mesosphere to determine the location and charge to mass ratio of these particles.

Research Group

Dusty Plasmas

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Selected Publications

Sternovsky, Z. and S. Robertson, “Numerical solutions to the weakly collisional plasma and sheath in the fluid approach and the reduction of the ion current to the wall,” IEEE Transactions on Plasma Sci. 34(3), 850-854, (June 2006).

Robertson, S., S. Knappmiller and Z. Sternovsky, “Energy balance and plasma potential in low-density hot-filament discharges,” IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science 34(3), 844-849, (June 2006).

Knappmiller, Scott, S. Robertson, and Z. Sternovsky, “Comparison of Two Microwave and Two Probe Methods for Measuring Plasma Density,” IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science 34(3), pp. 786-791, (June 2006).

Knappmiller, S., S. Robertson and Z. Sternovsky, “Method to find the electron distribution function from cylindrical probe data,” Physical Review E 73, 066402 (9 pages) (2006).

Robertson, S. “A radially resolved kinetic model for nonlocal electron ripple diffusion losses in tokamaks,”

Smiley, B., M. Rapp, T.A. Blix, S. Robertson, M. Horanyi, R. Latteck and J. Fiedler, “The charge and size distribution of mesospheric aerosol particles measured inside NLC and PMSE during MIDAS MacWAVE2002”, Journal of Atmospheric and Solar Terrestrial Physics 68, pp. 114-123 (on line in Dec. 2005, in print in 2006).

Krauss, C. E., M. Horanyi, and S. Robertson, “Modeling the formation of electrostatic discharges on Mars”, J. Geophys. Res. 111, E02001, doi:10.1029/ 2004JE002313 (2006), 8 pages.

Colwell, J. E., S. R. Robertson, M. Horanyi, X. Wang, and P. Wheeler, “Charged Dust Dynamics Near the Lunar Surface”, Earth & Space 2006 Engineering, Construction, and Operations in Challenging Environments Proceedings of the Tenth Biennial ASCE Aerospace Division International Conference on Engineering, Construction, and Operations in Challenging Environments 188, 24 (2006). Ramesh B. Malla, Wieslaw K. Binienda, Arup K. Maji - Editors, March 5–8, 2006, League City/Houston, Texas, USA.

C. E. Krauss, M. Horányi and S. Robertson, “Experimental evidence for the electrostatic discharging of dust near the surface of Mars,” New Journal of Physics 5, 70.1-70.9, June 2003.

Z. Sternovsky, S. Robertson and M. Lampe, "Ion collection by cylindrical probes in weakly collisional plasmas: Theory and experiment," Phys. 94(3), 1374-1381, August 2003.

S. Robertson and Z. Sternovsky, "Monte Carlo model of ion mobility and diffusion for low and high electric fields," Phys. Rev. E 67, 046405 (2003).

B. Smiley, S. Robertson, M. Horányi T. Blix, M. Rapp, R. Latteck and J. Gumbel, "Measurement of positively and negatively charged particles inside PMSEs during MIDAS/SOLSTICE 2001," J. Geophys. Res. 108(D8), pp. PMR 11-1 to PMR 11-10, 19 Feb. 2003. doi: 10.1029/2002JD002425.

Z. Sternovsky, A. Sickafoose, J. Colwell, S. Robertson and M. Horányi, "Contact charging of lunar and martian dust simulants," J. Geophys. Res. 107(E11), 15-1 to 15-8, 15 Nov. 2002. Doi: 10.1029/2002JE001897.

Z. Sternovsky and S. Robertson, "The effect of charge exchange ions upon Langmuir probe current," A. Phys. Lett. 81, 1961-1963 (2002).

Q. Quraishi, S. Robertson and R. Walch, "Electron diffusion in the annular Penning-trap" Phys. Plasmas. 9, 3264 (2002).