Education
Doctor of Philosophy, Physics, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Alaska (1993)
Master of Science, Engineering Physics, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio (1983)
Bachelor of Science, Physics, Missouri Southern State College, Joplin, Missouri (1980)
Professional Experience
Director, Space Physics and Atmospheric Research Center, US Air Force Academy, Colorado (2003-Present)
Assistant Professor of Physics, Department of Physics, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado (1993-2003)
Honors & Awards
Frank J. Seiler Research Award for excellence in Basic Research (2012)
NASA Engineering and Safety Center Group Achievement Award for the Stardust Hyper-velocity Entry Observing Campaign, (2006)
Outstanding Academy Educator, Department of Physics, U.S. Air Force Academy (1995)
Research and Scholarly Interests
Development of miniaturized payloads for small satellites
Dynamics of Auroral Precipitation
High Speed Photometry of Sprites
Joule Heating Effects on the Thermosphere
Publications
McHarg, G., Neal, P., Taormina, N., Strom, A. and Balthazor, R., “USAFA integrated miniaturized electrostatic analyzer (iMESA)An undergraduate space weather constellation”. Space Weather, 13(12), pp.827-830 (2015)
Enloe, C.L., Amatucci, W.E., McHarg, M.G. and Balthazor, R.L., “Screens versus microarrays for ruggedized retarding potential analyzers”. Review of Scientific Instruments, 86(9), p.093302 (2015)
Balthazor, R.L., M. G. McHarg, C. L. Enloe, B. M. Muller, D. J. Barnhart, Z. W. Hoener, Robert Brown, Ludger Scherliess, Lance T. Wilhelm (2015). Methodology of evaluating the science benefit of various satellite/ sensor constellation orbital parameters to an assimilative data forecast model. Radio science. 50:4, doi 10.1002/2014RS005426.
Enloe C.L., W.E. Amatucci, M.G. McHarg, and R.L. Balthazor (2015), Screens versus microar-rays for ruggedized retarding potential analyzers, Review of Scientific Instruments, 86, 093302, doi: 10.1063/1.4929532.
R.G. Michell, M.G. McHarg, M. Samara, and D.L. Hampton (2012), Spectral analysis of fickering aurora, J. Geophys. Res., 117, A03321, doi:10.1029/2011JA016703.
Balthazor, R.L., McHarg, M.G., Godbold, C.S., Barnhart, D.J. and Vladimirova, T., “Distributed space-based ionospheric multiple plasma Sensor networks” IEEE Aerospace conference, pp. 1-10 (March 2009)
McHarg M. G., H. C. Stenbaek-Nielsen, T. Kammae (2007), Observations of streamer formation in sprites, Geophys. Res. Lett., 34, L06804, doi:10.1029/2006GL027854.
McHarg M., F. Chun, D. Knipp, G. Lu, B. Emery, A. Ridley (2005), High-latitude Joule heating response to IMF inputs, J. Geophys. Res., 110, A08309, doi:10.1029/2004JA010949.