Dr. Robert F. Pfaff, Jr. NASA/GSFC, Code 696 Greenbelt, MD 20771 Phone: (301) 286-6328 Fax: (301) 286-1648 Email: Robert.F.Pfaff@nasa.gov

PRESENT POSITION:

Space Scientist, Electrodynamics Branch
Laboratory for Extraterrestrial Physics
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

EDUCATION:

Ph.D, Electrical Engineering, Cornell University, 1985
D.E.S., Physics, University of Paris, 1977
A.B., Astronomy, Brown University, 1975

RESEARCH INTERESTS:

DC and wave electric fields, Ionospheric physics, Space flight instrumentation

EXPERIENCE:

1985-present -- Space Scientist, Laboratory for Extraterrestrial Physics,NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771
1985 -- Research Support Specialist, School of Electrical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
1979-1984 -- Research Assistant, School of Electrical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
1977-1979 -- Teaching Assistant, School of Electrical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
1976-1977 -- Stagiaire, Office National d'Etudes et de Recherches Aérospatiales (O.N.E.R.A.), Châtillon, France
1975 -- Research Assistant, Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics, University of Oslo, Norway

PROJECT EXPERIENCE:

Project Scientist, (NASA), C/NOFS Satellite (US Air Force)
Project Scientist, F.A.S.T. Small Explorer Satellite
Project Scientist, Sounding Rockets
Study Scientist, Living With a Star, Ionospheric Mappers (2000-2001)
Campaign Scientist, NASA "Guará" Rocket Campaign (33 rockets) carried out in Alcântara, Brazil in Fall, 1994.
Project Scientist (NASA), Viking Satellite (Sweden)
Deputy Study Scientist, Magnolia Satellite

INSTRUMENT EXPERIENCE:

Principal Investigator:  Vector Electric Field Instrument, C/NOFS Satellite
Principal Investigator, 16 Sounding rockets:
    E-Region Rocket Radar Instability Study (3 rockets launched from Esrange, Sweden, 1988-1989)
    Spread-F Instability Study (Rocket launched from Kwajalein Atoll, South Pacific, 1990)
    Mid-Latitude Sporadic-E Electric Field Study (Dual payloads rocket launched from Puerto Rico, 1992, 1998)
    Dip Equator/Equatorial Electrojet Experiments (4 rockets launched from Alcântara, Brazil, Fall, 1994)
    Cusp Dynamics Experiment (Rocket launched from Spitzbergen, Norway, 1997)
    Cusp High Altitude Experiment (Rocket launched from Spitzbergen, Norway, 2002)
    Equatorial Electrojet Experiment (2 rockets to be launched from Kwajalein Atoll, South Pacific, 2004)

Co-Investigator, (Hardware P.I.) on 20 additional sounding rockets launched since 1988.
Co-Investigator, POLAR (ISTP) Electric Field Investigation
Co-Investigator, CLUSTER (ISTP) Electric Field Investigation
Co-Investigator, San Marco Satellite Electric Field Investigation
Participating scientist, DEMETER Satellite Electric Field Investigation

FELLOWSHIP:

Bourse de Recherche de Haut Niveau, Ministère des Affaires Etrangères, France

PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES:

American Geophysical Union (1978 to present)
International Union of Radio Science
American Association for the Advancement of Science
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

ADDITIONAL PROJECT ACTIVITIES:

Chair, NASA Sounding Rocket Working Group (1995 to present)
Member, NASA Science Definition Team, Geospace Electrodynamic Connections
Member, NASA Geosphace Mission Definition Team, Living With a Star
Member, Magnetospheric MOWG (Management and Operations Working Group), NASA HQ, 1992 -1995
Member, NASA Sounding Rocket Working Group (1991-1994)
Member, International Auroral Study (STEP Project 2.6) Working Group
Member, International Equatorial Electrojet Year (IEEY) Working Group
Deputy Study Scientist, Magnolia Satellite Project

HONORS:

NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal  --  1996
NASA Special Act Award:  1992, 1995, 1996, 2001
NASA Performance or Quality Increase Award:  1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000
NASA Group Achievement Award  --  FAST Integration and Test Team, 1994
NASA Group Achievement Award  --  Guará Campaign Team, 1995
NASA Group Achievement Award  --  FAST Development and Launch Team, 1997
NASA Group Achievement Award  --  Polar Electric Field Investigation Team, 1998
NASA Group Achievement Award  --  Coqui II Sounding Rocket Campaign, 1999
NASA Group Achievement Award  --  NASA Sounding Rocket Team, 1999
AGU (JGR) Editor’s Citation for Excellence in Refereeing  --  1999

PRESENTATIONS AND MAJOR MEETINGS CONVENED:

Co-convener, AGU Chapman Conference, "Measurement Techniques for Space Plasmas", April, 1995, and co-editor, AGU monograph on spaceflight plasma instrumentation.
Co-convener of special URSI Workshop on "Combined Rocket and Radar Studies of E-Region Instabilities", Prague, 1990.

NUMEROUS INVITED TALKS AND/OR CONTRIBUTED PAPERS DELIVERED ORALLY TO:

American Geophysical Union semi-annual meetings
URSI (XX, XXI, XXII, XXIII)
International Symposium on Equatorial Aeronomy (6, 7, 8, 9)
COLAGE (I, II)
COSPAR (29)
IUGG (XX, XXI), IAGA (6, 7, 8, 9)
Various colloquia, seminars presented at Universities and/or Space Agencies in the United States, Canada, Europe, Brazil, Russia, and China.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS:

1. Pfaff, R. F., M. C. Kelley, B. G. Fejer, E. Kudeki, C. W. Carlson, A. Pedersen, and B. Hausler, Electric field and plasma density measurements in the auroral electrojet, J. Geophys. Res., 89, 236, 1984.
2. Kelley, M. C., R. F Pfaff, and G. Haerendel, Electric field measurements during the Condor Critical Velocity Experiment, J. Geophys. Res., 91, 9939, 1986.
3. Pfaff, R. F., M. C. Kelley, E. Kudeki, B. G. Fejer, and K. D. Baker, Electric field and plasma density measurements in the strongly driven daytime equatorial electrojet: 1. The unstable layer and gradient drift waves, J. Geophys. Res., 92, 13,578, 1987.
4. Pfaff, R. F., M. C. Kelley, E. Kudeki, B. G. Fejer, and K. D. Baker, Electric field and plasma density measurements in the strongly given daytime equatorial electrojet: 2. Two-stream waves, J. Geophys. Res., 92, 13,597, 1987.
5. Pfaff, R. F., Rocket observations in the equatorial electrojet: Current status and critical problems, J. Atmos. Terr. Physics, 53, 709, 1991.
6. Pfaff, R. F., J. Sahr, J. F. Providakes, W. E. Swartz, D. T. Farley, P. M. Kintner, I. Häggström, A. Hedberg, H. Opgenoorth, G. Holmgren, A. McNamara, D. Wallis, B. Whalen, A. Yau, S. Watanabe, F. Creutzberg, P. Williams, E. Nielsen, K. Schlegel, T. R. Robinson, The E-region rocket/radar instability study (ERRRIS): scientific objectives and campaign overview, J. Atmos. Terr. Physics, 54, 779, 1992.
7. Pfaff, R. F., Jr., In-situ measurement techniques for ionospheric research, chapter in Modern Ionospheric Science, ed. by H. Kohl, R. Rüster, K. Schlegel, European Geophysical Society, 459-551, 1996.
8. Pfaff, R. F., Jr., M. H. Acuña, P. A. Marionni, and N. B. Trivedi, DC polarization electric field, current density, and plasma density measurements in the daytime equatorial electrojet, Geophys. Res. Lett., 24, 1667, 1997.
9. Pfaff, R. F., Jr., P. A. Marionni, and W. E. Swartz, Wavevector observations of the two-stream instability in the daytime equatorial electrojet, Geophys. Res. Lett., 24, 1671, 1997.
10. Pfaff, R.F., Jr. and P. A. Marionni, Multiple-Baseline Spaced Receivers, in Measurement Techniques in Space Plasmas: Fields, ed. by R. F. Pfaff, J. E. Borovsky, and D. T. Young, American Geophysical Union, 161-167, 1998.
11. Pfaff, R., M. Yamamoto, P. Marionni, H. Mori, and S. Fukao, Electric field measurements above and within a sporadic-E layer, Geophys. Res. Lett., 25, 1769, 1998.
12. Pfaff, R., J. Clemmons, C. Carlson, R. Ergun, J. McFadden, F. Mozer, M. Temerin, D. Klumpar, W. Peterson, E. Shelley, E. Moebius, L. Kistler, R. Strangeway, R. Elphic, and C. Cattell, Initial FAST observations of acceleration processes in the cusp, Geophys. Res. Lett., 25, 2037, 1998.
13. Carlson, C. W., R. F. Pfaff, and J. G. Watzin, The Fast Auroral SnapshoT (FAST) mission, Geophys. Res. Lett., 25, 2013, 1998.
14. Pfaff, R. F., Jr. and P. A. Marionni, Multiple-Baseline Spaced Receivers, Measurement Techniques in Space Plasmas: Fields, ed. R. F. Pfaff, J. E. Borovsky, and D. T. Young, American Geophysical Union, 161-167, 1998
15. Pfaff, R. F., Jr. et al., Rocket probe measurements of electric field irregularities in the polar summer mesosphere, Geophys. Res. Lett., 28, 1431, 2001.
16. Pfaff, R. F., Jr., C. Carlson, J. Watzin, D. Everett, T. Gruner, An Overview of the FAST Auroral Snapshot (FAST) Satellite, Space Sci. Rev., 98, 1, 2001.

Last Modified: 24 March, 2004

Curator: Albert Davison, ITMI
Email: Albert.E.Davison@gsfc.nasa.gov

Responsible NASA Representative: Dr. James A. Slavin
Email: jim.slavin@gsfc.nasa.gov