Focused Analysis and Research

Steve Christon, Focused Analysis and Research (home)

I wrote the Image Analysis Tool to speed-up the data selection process in a number of scientific studies.

My scientific studies utilize computer analysis and numerical simulation programming to help interpret observational data addressing numerous topics in space physics.

I´ve written 25 papers as lead author and been coauthor on 26 other papers, with a few invited and numerous contributed scientific presentations.

As a Co-Investigator on the Geotail/EPIC spacecraft experiment since 1993, I have been in charge of the EPIC/STICS ion-charge-state-mass spectrometer throughout the Geotail spacecraft´s active lifetime.

I received a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Chicago in 1981, specializing in Space Physics, and am a member of the American Geophysical Union.

In Space Science, I´ve focused on resolving fundamental issues concerning energetic charged particle sources, acceleration, entry, loss, exit, and transport in planetary magnetospheres and in interplanetary space. My studies have extended from describing the global morphology and dynamics of Earth´s magnetosphere to determining the extent of ionospheric ion leakage from Earth´s magnetosphere to the discovery of the low-latitude boundary layer at Mercury. I have participated in and directed calibrations of time-of-flight and solid state charged particle analyzers. These activities involved both hands-on management of and involvement in operations at laboratory facilities as well as programming computer simulations of virtual calibrations.

I have developed and then incorporated numerical simulation, statistical analysis, and visualization applications written in Java, C/C++, and Fortran on various platforms (Macintosh, VAX, UNIX, DOS, and Windows) in support of my scientific studies.

IAT is the latest example of the kind of tools I have developed. My services as a scientist and/or developer are available through my business Focused Analysis and Research.

Here are a few representative publications:

S.P. Christon, D. Delcourt, T.I. Pulkkinen, M.-C. Fok, T.E. Moore, A Modification To Unstretch The T89c Magnetospheric Magnetic Field Model, J. Geophys. Res., submitted, July, 2004.

S.P. Christon, U. Mall, T.E. Eastman, G. Gloeckler, A.T.Y. Lui, R.W. McEntire, E.C. Roelof, Solar cycle and geomagnetic N+1/O+1 variation in outer dayside magnetosphere: Possible relation to topside ionosphere, Geophys. Res. Lett., 29(5), 10.1029, 2002.

S.P. Christon, M.I. Desai, T.E. Eastman, G. Gloeckler, S. Kokubun, A.T.Y. Lui, R.W. McEntire, E.C. Roelof, and D.J. Williams, Low-charge-state heavy ions upstream of Earth´s bow shock and sunward flux of ionospheric O+1, N+1, and O+2 ions: Geotail observations, Geophys. Res. Lett., 27, 2433-2436, 2000.

S.P. Christon, T.E. Eastman, T. Doke, L.A. Frank, G. Gloeckler, H. Kojima, S. Kokubun, A.T.Y. Lui, H. Matsumoto, R.W. McEntire, T. Mukai, S.R. Nylund, W.R. Paterson, E.C. Roelof, Y. Saito, T. Sotirelis, K. Tsuruda, D.J. Williams, and T. Yamamoto, Magnetospheric plasma regimes using Geotail measurements, 2: Statistics, spatial distribution, and geomagnetic dependence, J. Geophys. Res., 103, 23,521-23,542, 1998.

S.P. Christon, C.S. Cohen, G. Gloeckler, T.E. Eastman, A.B. Galvin, F.M. Ipavich, Y.-K. Ko, A.T.Y. Lui, R.A. Lundgren, R.W. McEntire, E.C. Roelof, and D.J. Williams, Concurrent observations of solar wind oxygen by Geotail in the magnetosphere and Wind in interplanetary space, Geophys. Res. Lett., 25, 2987-2990, 1998.

S.P. Christon, D.C. Hamilton, G. Gloeckler, T.E. Eastman, and F.M. Ipavich, High charge state carbon and oxygen ions in Earth's nightside quasi-trapping region, J. Geophys. Res., 99, 13465-13488, 1994.

S.P. Christon, Plasma and energetic electron flux variations in the Mercury 1 C event: Evidence for a magnetospheric boundary layer, J. Geophys. Res., 94, 6481-6505, 1989.

Contact Steve Christon (at mac.com or aol.com ) at Focused Analysis and Research (home)