Prof. Bo Ake Sture Gustafson

Areas of Specialty

Physics of primitive matter in space, cosmic dust grains, meteoroids/meteorites, comets, asteroids, gravitational/non-gravitational dynamics, light scattering / electromagnetic interactions with complex bodies.

Research Interests

Physics, formation and evolution of planetary systems with emphasis on their most primitive bodies. Interaction / material exchange between solar system and interstellar matter and the planets. Using space craft data, modeling of dust and meteoroid interplanetary dynamics and atmospheric entry in combination with optical scattering and thermal radiation studies I seek ways to characterize and model primitive matter in our solar system.

I seek to develop a new generation of low cost space craft to address Earth based issues of social value such as land management in developing countries as well as addressing astronomical questions.

Biography

I have been a Co-I or science team member on several NASA and/or ESA missions including: the Giotto Halley mission, Ulysses mission above the solar poles, the Galileo , mission to Jupiter, the Cassini mission to Saturn and Space shuttle / International Space Station missions.

I developed and built the microwave analogue to light scattering scaled laboratory which probably is the leading facility of its kind.

HIGHER EDUCATION DEGREES:

M.Sc., with honors, 1977. Majors: Mathematics, Physics, Astronomy. Lund University, Sweden.

B.Sc., with honors, 1976. Majors: Mathematics, Physics, Astronomy. Lund University, Sweden.

DOCTORAL DEGREE

Ph.D. 1981, Astronomy Department, Lund Observatory, Lund University, Sweden. Thesis: Scattering by Ensembles of Small Particles, Experiment, Theory, and Application, Reports Obs. Lund, Vol. 17, ISSN # 0349-4217, Lund, Sweden, 134 pages, (1980). Adviser: Prof. J.M. Greenberg, Leiden University, Netherlands. Opponent: Prof. R.H. Giese, Ruhr Universität Bochum, Germany.

CURRENT ACADEMIC POSITIONS

Full Professor, Department of Astronomy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA. 2000-

Director, "Laboratory for Astrophysics", University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA. 1994-

Previous Academic Positions

1977-1980. Research Assistant, Space Astronomy Laboratory, State University of New York at Albany, Albany NY, USA

1981-1990. Assistant Research Scientist (Assistant Prof), Space Astronomy Laboratory, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.

1990-1991. Assistant Research Scientist (Assistant Prof.), Department of Astronomy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.

1991-1994. Associate Research Scientist (Associate Prof.), Department of Astronomy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.

1994-2000. Associate Professor, Department of Astronomy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.

Fellowships, Visiting POSITIONS and Non-Academic Functions

Visiting Scientist, Natural Sciences Research Council, Uppsala Univ., Sweden, 1988.

Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellow, Ruhr Univ., Bochum, Germany, 1988-89.

Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellow, MPI-Kernphysik, Heidelberg, Germany, 1989.

Fellow, Astronomy Unit, School of Mathematical Sciences, Queen Mary and Westfield College, London University, 1990. (Lifetime fellow).

Consultant, Electro-magnetic radiation, DEVEX SA, Chatel-St-Denis, Switzerland, 1983-1986

Consultant, Sokymat SA, RF-ID & Electromagnetics, Palezieux, Switzerland, 1985-1988

Consultant, RTS-Laboratories Inc., Alachua, Florida, USA, Florida, 1986-1987

President, Scientific Technology Applied Research Inc., Gainesville, Florida, USA, May 1999-

President, DataGrid Inc., Gainesville, Florida, USA, July 2000-

POST DOCS AND STUDENTS SUPERVISED

PostDocs: Edwin T. Rusk, (1986-1988), Yu-lin Xu, (1994-2000), Lars-Göran Adolfsson (1996-1998), Karl Wilhelm T. Waldemarsson