Home Page of Dr. David A. Roffman (PhD, Physics)

HOME PAGE Web Site Contents Mars Report Contents Mars Report Abstract CV for Dr. David Roffman Diplomas PhD Thesis PhD Thesis Powerpoint Mars PowerPoint MSL Weather Reports Seasonal Pressure Altitude Calculations Seismic Activity on Mars? MSL Year 5 SPRING MSL Years 4-5 Winter MSL Year 4 FALL MSL Year 4 Summer Weather MSL Year 4 Spring Weather MSL Yr 3-4 Winter Weather MSL Fall Yr 3 Weather MSL Yr. 3 Summer Weather MSL Yr. 3 Spring Weather Martian plume March 25 2017 MSL Ultraviolet 3 YEARS OF MSL UV Desai, EDL, Parachutes & ExoMars Mars winter vs. summer temps Helo to Mars Sea at Utopia Planitia, Mars Tree Stump at MSL? Spherical life on Mars? Mars Report Abstract, 1-1.2 Mars Report Sec.2-2.1 Report 2.2-2.4 Report 2.5-2.5.2 Report 2.5.3-2.7 Report 3-4 Report 4.1-4.1.2 Report 5 to 6 Report 7-7.2.1 Report 8 Report 9 Report 10 Report 11 Global Dust Storm Report 12 Report 13-13.2 Report 13.3-13.5 Report 13.6 Report 14-15 Report 15.1 Report 15.2-15.3 Report 15.4-15.6.2 Report 15.6.2.1 - 15.6.2.3 Report 15.6.2.4-15.7 Report 16-16.1 Report 17-20 Report References Report Afterword Rebuttal of REMS Report Running water on Mars MSL Year 0 Weather MSL Yr 2 Winter-Spring Weather MSL Yr 2 Summer Weather MSL Yr 2 Fall Weather MSL Yr 2-3 Winter Weather Adiabatics MSL Hi Temps MSL Low Temps Organic Chem found by MSL Oxygen in Mars Air MSL Day length & Temp Warm winter ground temps 155-Mile High Mars Plume Radiation Diurnal Air Temp Variation Mars Temps Fahrenheit Beagle found JPL/NASA Pressure Mistakes Enter MarsCorrect Sol 370, 1160 & 1161 Histories Mars-Radio-Show JPL Fudges Pressure Curves MSL Temp. ∆ Mast to Ground High & Low Pressures Normalized Mars soil 2% water Moving rock Mars MAVEN MSL Relative Humidity Claim Ashima Concedes Original MSL Weather Record Old MSL Weather Record MSL Summer Weather Pressure Estimate REMS Wind MSL Pressures REMS Reports Curiosity Geology CERN-2013-pics Daylight Math MSL Errors P1 MSL Errors P2 MSL-Chute-Flap MSL daylight Ashima Sols 15 to 111 Ashima Sol 112 to 226 Ashima Sol 227 on New Ashima Sols 270+ MSL Summer to Sol 316 Updated Secrets of Mars Weather Forecast Wind Booms MSL Credibility MSL Temp. Swings MSL Temperatures Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) VL2 - MSL Ls Comparson Ashima MIT Mars GCM Dust Storm Nonsense Mars Slideshow Moving Sand & Martian Wind 3 DEC12 Press Conf. MSL Press Conf. 15NOV2012 Sol Numbering MSL Pressure Graph to Ls 218.8 MSL Sky Color Mars Sky Color DATA DEBATE! Zubrin's Letter Phoenix Vaisala Vaisala Pressure Sensors Phoenix &MSL Flawed MSL REMS Viking pressure sensors failed MSL landing site Mars Landings Phobos Grunt Martian Air Supersaturation Mars & CH4 Mars and MSL Time Viking Pressure Audit Links Mars Society 2008 Quant Finance Frontiers Home Front. Preface Frontiers Ch. 1 Frontiers Ch. 2 Antimatter Lightning Frontiers Ch. 3 Frontiers Ch. 4 Frontiers Ch. 5 Frontiers Ch. 6 Frontiers Ch. 7 Frontiers Ch. 8 Frontiers Ch. 9 Frontiers Ch 10 Frontiers Ch 11 Frontiers Ch 12 Frontiers Ch 13 Frontiers Ch 14 Frontiers Ch 15 Frontiers Ch 16 Frontiers Ch 17 Frontiers Ch 18 Frontiers Ch 19 Frontiers Ch 20 Frontiers Ch 21 Frontiers Ch 22 World Tour Spring-Break -13 Other Travels Asteroid Impact? ExoMars data Unit Issues Viking Pressures Tavis CADs Landing Long Scale Heights LS of Max/Min Pressures Tavis Report Tavis Failures Lander Altitude Martian Trees? Code Experiment Gedanken Report Mars Nuke? Martian Flares Mach Numbers MOLA (altitude) Original Mars Report Mariner 9 & Pressure Mars Temps MSL Time MPF Pressure Blog Debates Spring Pendulum Plasma Model Reporting Errors Orbital Parameters Anderson Localization P. 1 Anderson Localization P. 2 Moving rock old Navigating Mars Mars Report Section Links Mars Report Figure Link Gillespie Lake rock outcrop MSL Sol 200 Anomaly Sol 1300&1301 Anomalies Gilbert Levin & Labeled Release Brine on Mars Ceres Lights Yr 1 Table 1 Missing data Mitchell Report Old Mars Report All MPF Temps ExoMars fails Did Spirit find past life? MSL ground temps go haywire OPACITY AT MSL Luminescence on Mars Dust Storms & Microorganisms 2018 Global Dust Storm Links to Sections of the Basic Report

This page was updated on 7/8/2020.

Welcome to DavidARoffman.com. This site documents 10 years of research about Martian meteorology that I have conducted in conjunction with my father, Barry S. Roffman (Lieutenant, U.S. Coast Guard-Retired). It also summarizes what I have been able to learn about Breakthrough Propulsion Physics, and it explores some of the physics projects that I wrote about while earning my B.S. in space physics at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Daytona Beach, Florida) and my Master’s and PhD in physics with a specialization in Computational Condensed Matter Theory at the University of Florida. If you have questions about any of our research please contact us at Davidaroffman@gmail.com or MarsCorrect@Gmail.com.

EXTENSIVE ROFFMAN INTERVIEW ABOUT MARS IN ENGLISH AND ITALIAN: My father and I were interviewed about Mars for 3 hours 42 minutes on September 3, 2017. The interview was conducted via Skype by Marco de Marco in Amsterdam, and simultaneously translated into Italian. You can view it at this link.

The Table of Contents for this site is here.

MAIN DOCUMENTS SUPPORTING OUR POSITION THAT ALL NASA MARS WEATHER DATA IS FLAWED:

APRIL 16, 2020: BASIC REPORT for MARS CORRECT – CRITIQUE OF ALL NASA MARS WEATHER DATA

ABSTRACT: We present evidence that NASA is seriously understating Martian air pressure. Our 10-year study critiques 2,753 Sols (~7.74 terrestrial years, 4.11 Martian years) of highly problematic MSL Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS) weather data, and offers an in depth audit of over 8,311 hourly Viking 1 and 2 weather reports. We discuss analysis of technical papers, NASA documents, and personal interviews of transducer designers. We troubleshoot pressures based on radio occultation/spectroscopy, and the previously accepted small pressure ranges that could be measured by Viking 1 and 2 (18 mbar), Pathfinder and Phoenix (12 mbar), and MSL (11.5 mbar – altered to 14 mbar in 2017). For MSL there were several pressures published from August 30 to September 5, 2012 that were from 737 mbar to 747 mbar – two orders of magnitude high – only to be retracted. We challenged many pressures and NASA revised them down. However there are two pressure sensors ranges listed on a CAD for Mars Pathfinder. We long thought the CAD listed two different sensors, but based on specifications of a new Tavis sensor for InSight that is like that on PathFinder, it appears that the transducer could toggle between two pressures ranges: 0-0.174 PSIA/12 mbar (Tavis Dash 2) and 0-15 PSIA/1,034 mbar (Tavis Dash 1). Further, for the MSL according to an Abstract to the American Geophysical Union for the Fall 2012 meeting, The Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) states of their MSL (and Phoenix) Vaisala transducers, “The pressure device measurement range is 0 – 1025 hPa in temperature range of -45°C - +55°C (-45°C is much warmer than MSL night temperatures), but its calibration is optimized for the Martian pressure range of 4 – 12 hPa.” So while we first thought that of the first five landers that had meteorological suites, none could measure Earth-like pressures, in fact, three landers were actually equipped to get the job done. Further, all original 19 low UV values were removed when we asked about them, although they eventually restored 12 of them. REMS always-sunny opacity reports were contradicted by Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter photos. Why REMS Team data was so wrong is a matter of speculation, but we demonstrate that their weather data was regularly revised after they studied online critiques in working versions of this report. REMS even labelled all dust 2018 Global Dust Storm weather as sunny, although they did list the UV values then as all low.

Vikings and MSL showed consistent timing of daily pressure spikes which we link to how gas pressure in a sealed container would vary with Absolute temperature, to heating by radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs), and to dust clots at air access tubes and dust filters. Pathfinder, Phoenix and MSL wind measurements failed. Phoenix and MSL pressure transducer design problems included confusion about dust filter location, and lack of information about nearby heat sources due to International Traffic and Arms Regulations (ITAR). NASA Ames could not replicate dust devils at 10 mbar. Rapidly filled MER Spirit tracks required wind speeds of 80 mph at the assumed low pressures. These winds were never recorded on Mars. Nor could NASA explain drifting Barchan sand dunes. Based on the above and dust devils on Arsia Mons to altitudes of 17 km above areoid (Martian equivalent of sea level), spiral storms with 10 km eye-walls above Arsia Mons and similar storms above Olympus Mons (over 21 km high), dust storm opacity at MER Opportunity blacking out the sun, snow that descends 1 to 2 km in only 5 or 10 minutes, excessive aero braking, liquid water running on the surface in numerous locations at Recurring Slope Lineae (RSL) and stratus clouds 13 km above areoid, we argue for an average pressure at areoid of ~511 mbar rather than the accepted 6.1 mbar. This pressure grows to 1,050 mbar in the Hellas Basin.

ANIMATED GIF BELOW: Evidence for running water at Recurring Slope Lineae on Mars. A time-lapse animation of Palikir Crater shows how the streaks extend and darken during warmer months on Mars, then gradually fade as temperatures cool. Source: NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory/University of Arizona

JULY 16, 2018: PowerPoint version of our Basic Report is found at Mars Correct? Mars is Wet!

TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR MARS CORRECT - CRITIQUE OF ALL NASA MARS WEATHER DATA (Updated 9/23/2018)
ABSTRACT	1
1. INTRODUCTION	2
*1.1 Comparison of Martian and terrestrial dust devils*	3
**1.1.1 Geographic Occurrences and the Greenhouse and Thermophoresis Effect**	3
*1.1.2 Seasonal Occurrences and Electrical Properties*	4
*1.1.3. Size and Shape*	4
*1.1.4. Diurnal Formation Rate and Lifetime*	4
*1.1.5 Wind Speeds*	4
*1.1.6 Core Temperature Excursions*	4
*1.1.7 Dust Particle Size – The Problem of Martian Dust <2 Microns and Wind Speeds*	4
*1.1.8. Core Pressure Excursions*	5
**1.2. NASA Ames Test of Martian Pressures and Dust Devils**	8
2. OVERVIEW OF PRESSURE INSTRUMENTATION PROBLEMS	9
*2.1 Viking 2 and Gay-Lussac’s Law*	11
*2.2 Pathfinder and Phoenix Pressure Issues*	16
*2.3. Which Transducers Were Used?*	19
*2.4. Issues Raised by the FMI*	20
2.5. DID ANY TAVIS OR VAISALA TRANSDUCERS PEG OUT AT THEIR MAXIMUM PRESSURES?	26
*2.5.1 How extraordinary was the (temporary) 1,149 Pa pressure spike of MSL Sol 370?*	27
**2.5.2. The importance of gleaning data from identification of our web site readers**	27
2.5.3 Why is it so wrong to alter data to fit an expected curve?	34
*2.6 The Dust filter on Viking*	37
*2.6.1. The issue of Viking pressure reports and digitization*	37
2.6.2. The issue of daily pressure spikes at consistent time-bins.	38
2.7. MSL Weather Reporting Fiasco	43
3. CAVES ON AND SPIRAL CLOUDS ABOVE ARSIA MONS AND OLYMPUS MONS ON MARS.	46
4. THE ISSUES OF SNOW, WATER ICE, AND CARBON DIOXIDE ON MARS .	48
*4.1. Annual Pressure Fluctuations Recorded by Viking 1, Viking 2, and Phoenix - Maximum Pressure in the Northern Winter?*	48
*4.1.1. Ls of minimum pressure*	49
*4.1.2. Ls of maximum pressure*	49
5. RADIO OCCULTATION	62
*5.1 Shifting Standards – The Relationship of the MOLA Topography of Mars to the Mean Atmospheric Pressure.*	64
6. SPECTROSCOPY PRESSURE READINGS BY MARS EXPRESS ORBITER .	68
7. MARTIAN WIND PROBLEMS	69
*7.1 Anemometer/Telltale Wind Speed Issues*	70
*7.2 Martian Bedforms – Too Much Movement of Sand Dunes and Ripples for 6.1 mbar*	72
*7.2.1 Issues Raised by the paper on Planet-wide sand motion on Mars by Bridges et al. (2012)*	72
8. DO DOWNRANGE LANDINGS MEAN THINNER OR THICKER AIR?	78
9. DUST OPACITY AND PRESSURE	83
10. EXCESSIVE DECELERATION DURING AEROBRAKING OPERATIONS	90
*10.1 Mars Global Surveyor (MGS)*	90
*10.2 Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO)*	91
11. THE GLOBAL DUST STORM OF 2018	91
*11.1 Pressures Claimed for the 2018 Global Dust Storm*	94
*11.2 Brief Summary of 2018 Dust Storm Data*	104
*11.3 Possibility of a Biological Factor in Lifting Dust*	104
*11.3.1 Martian Dust Storm Seasons*	105
*11.4 Martian Dust Storm Paths and Radioactive Areas*	105
12. MARS PATHFINDER PRESSURES	106
13. THE POTENTIAL PRESSURE ON MARS	109
*13.1 Did NASA ever publicly back 20 mbar on Mars?*	109
*13.2 Biology, Methane, and a Possible Hint of the Real Martian Air Pressure*	110
*13.3 Recurring Slope Lineae (RSL), Perchlorates and Running Water on Mars*	115
*13.3.1 Length of daylight where RSL are found*	115
*13.3.2 Latitudes, times and temperatures for evidence of running water*	117
*13.3.3 The role of perchlorates in RSL*	118
*13.4 Other Water on Mars – the Frozen Sea at Utopia Planitia*	120
13.5 The High End of Pressure Estimates for Mars….	123
13.6. Pressure Drop as MSL Climbs Mt. Sharp vs. Scale Height Predictions.	128
14. RELATIVE HUMIDITY	137
15. TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT CONCERNS	140
15.1. Ground Temperature Problems	141
15.2. Winter Ground Temperatures above freezing in MSL Year 2	149
**15.3. Why the early winter ground temperatures are so important and possible life seen on Sol 1185**	149
15.4. MSL Air and Ground Temperature Differences.	154
**15.5. MSL Diurnal Temperature Variations**	157
**15.5.1. Why does the temperature fall more degrees at MSL in summer nights than winter nights?**	161
15.6. Probable Failure of the Ground Temperature Sensor or Personnel Issues?	161
15.6.1 Failure of the Temperature Sensor.	168
15.6.2 Personnel Issues.	168
15.6.3 Mixed messages about the range and sensitivity of pressure sensors sent to Mars.	170
15.6.4. A Possible Excuse for REMS Errors.	175
15.7 Temperature, Pressure and Albedo	176
16. ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION AND CLOUD COVER AT MSL.	180
*16.1 Solar Longitude for sols at MSL with very high and low ultraviolet radiation.*	182
17. CRASH OF THE EXOMARS 2016 SCHIAPARELLI LANDER	191
17.1 ESA gets smarter – Raises ExoMars orbit due to excessive density of Mars’s atmosphere	194
18. CONCLUSIONS	196
19. RECOMMENDATIONS	203
20. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS	204
AFTERWORD: What difference could this all possibly make?	205
21. REFERENCES	211

ANNEXES AND APPENDICES TO MARS CORRECT - CRITIQUE OF ALL NASA MARS WEATHER DATA:

SECTION	TOPIC	PAGE
Annex Abstract	Overview of data in the Annexes	A-1
ANNEX A	VIKING 1 MORNING PRESSURE AND TEMPERATURE CHANGES and Mars Time-Bin Clock.	A-2 to A-59
ANNEX A Appendix 1	VL-1 pressures of .26 to .3 time-bins & .3 to .34 time-bins. Sols 1-116.	A-3 to A-22
Appendix 2	VL-1 pressures of .26 to .3 time-bins & .3 and .34 time-bins. Sols 134-199.	A-23 to A-34
Appendix 3	VL-1 pressures of .26 to .3 time-bins & .3 and .34 time-bins. Sols 200-219.	A-35 to A-38
Appendix 4	VL-1 pressures of .26 to .3 time-bins & .3 and .34 time-bins. Sols 220-304	A-39 to A-50
Appendix 5	VL-1 pressures of .26 to .3 time-bins & .3 and .34 time-bins. Sols 305-334	A-51 to A-55
Appendix 6	VL-1 pressures of .26 to .3 time-bins & .3 and .34 time-bins. Sols 335-350	A-56 to A-59
ANNEX B	VIKING 2 MORNING PRESSURE AND TEMPERATURE CHANGES	B-1 to B-39
Appendix 1	VL-2 pressures of .26 to .3 time-bins & .3 and .34 time-bins. Sols 156-175	B-2 to B-5
Appendix 2	VL-2 pressures of .26 to .3 time-bins & .3 and .34 time-bins. Sols 176-199.	B-6 to B-10
Appendix 3	VL-2 pressures of .26 to .3 time-bins & .3 and .34 time-bins. Sols 201-260.	B-11 to B-20
Appendix 4	VL-2 pressures of .26 to .3 time-bins & .3 and .34 time-bins. Sols 261-290.	B-21 to B-26
Appendix 5	VL-2 pressures of .26 to .3 time-bins & .3 and .34 time-bins. Sols 291-305.	B-27 to B-30
Appendix 6	VL-2 pressures of .26 to .3 time-bins & .3 and .34 time-bins. Sols 306-361	B-31 to B-39
ANNEX C	VIKING 2 STUCK PRESSURE GAUGE	C-1 to C-54
ANNEX D	PERCENT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MEASURED PRESSURES ON VIKING AND GAY-LUSSAC/ AMONTON’S LAW-BASED PREDICTIONS	D-1 to D-171
Appendix 1	Viking 1 Sols 1 to 199	D-3 to D-94
Appendix 2	Viking 1 Sols 200 to 350	D-95 to D-171
ANNEX E	Measured vs. Predicted Pressure Percent Differences for Viking-1 Time-bins 0.3 and 0.34	E-1 to E-14
ANNEX F	Percent Difference Experimental Summary	F-1 to F-18
Appendix 1	Percent Difference Flow Chart for Viking 1 Sols 1 to 116 & 200 to 350	F-5 to F-16
Appendix 2	Histogram with temperatures at successful predictions per time-bins	F-17 to F-18
ANNEX G	Tavis Transducer Specifications and Test Results	G-1 to G-13
ANNEX H	Calibration Effort for the Mars Pathfinder Tavis Pressure Transducer and IMP Windsock Experiment	H-1 to H-43
ANNEX I	Pressures Reported by the Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS).	I-1 to I-28
Appendix 1	Print Screen Record of Original REMS Team and Ashima Research MSL Weather Reports	I-12 to I-28
ANNEX J	Concessions by Ashima Research and How to Correctly Calculate Daylight Hours for MSL	J- 1to J-19
ANNEX K	REMS Team and Ashima Research Weather Reports from Sol 15 to Sol 299.	K-1 to K-34
ANNEX L	How Martian Day Length Varies with Ls and Latitude	L-1 to L-10
ANNEX M	One Year of MSL Weather Reports	M-1 to M-38
ANNEX N	Weather Reports for MSL Year 2 Ls 151 to Ls 270 (late winter to end of spring), Sols 670 to 864	N-1 to N-13
ANNEX O	Weather Reports for MSL Year 2 Ls 270 to Ls 0 (summer), Sols 865 to 1,020	O-1 to O-11
ANNEX P	Weather Reports for MSL Year 2 Ls 0 to Ls 90 (autumn), Sols 1019 to 1,213	P-1 to P-15
ANNEX Q	Weather Reports for MSL Year 2 to 3 Winter, Ls 90 to Ls 180 (Sols 1,213 to 1,392)	Q-1 to Q-18
ANNEX R	Weather Reports for MSL Year 3 Spring, Ls 180 to Ls 270 (Sols 1,392 to 1,534	R-1 to R-37
ANNEX S	Source: Document: Two Martian Years of MSL High Air and Ground Temperatures.	S-1 to S41
ANNEX T	Source Document: Two Martian Years of MSL Low Air and Ground Temperatures.	T-1 to T-64
ANNEX U	Comparison of Ultraviolet Radiation and Pressures at Gale Crater, Mars for MSL Years 1 and 2	U-1 to U-28
ANNEX V	Weather Reports for MSL Year 3 Summer, Ls 270 to Ls 0 (Sols 1,534 to 1,686.	V-1 to V-28
ANNEX W	Weather Reports for MSL Year 3 Fall, Ls 0 to 90 (Sols 1,687 to 1,881	W -1 to W-24
ANNEX X	Weather Reports for MSL Year 3-4 Winter, Ls 90 to 180 (Sols 1,881to 2060	X-1 to X-31

Table 1 - Record of all MSL weather data published by NASA with printscreens showing how the data was altered over time, often in response to suggestions or comments made on this site and at http://marscorrect.com.
MARS SCIENCE LABORATORY DAILY WEATHER REPORTS
MARS SCIENCE LAB SOLS and LINKS	SOLAR LONGITUDE (Ls)	SEASONS
1-669	150 to 150	4 SEASONS: Note: JPL labels the first year of MSL on Mars as Year 0. We call it Year 1. Although we looked at revising everything we have on all web sites to conform with JPL, the number of changes required is too massive. When it doubt about the year check the sol number involved. Their Year 1 is our Year 2, their Year 2 is our Year 3.
670 to 866	151 to 270	WINTER TO SUMMER YEAR 2
865 to 1,020	270 to 0 (360)	SUMMER YEAR 2
1,019 to 1,213	0 to 90	FALL YEAR 2
1,213 to 1,392	90 to 180	WINTER YEAR 2-3
1,392 to 1,534	180 to 270	SPRING YEAR 3
1,534 to 1687	270 to 0 (360)	SUMMER YEAR 3
1688 to 1,881	0 to 90	FALL YEAR 3
1881 to 2020	90 to 180	WINTER YEAR 3-4
2060 and onward	180 to 270	SPRING YEAR 4
COMPARISONS BETWEEN MSL YEAR 0 AND MSL YEAR 1 DATA FOR THE SAME LS
Pressure and Ultraviolet Radiation
High Air and Ground Temperatures for MSL		Note 1: Ground temperature sensor is only accurate to 10K. Note 2 dated February 5, 2016: There are unexpected ground temperatures at or above freezing for almost every sol for 3 weeks after the start of MSL Year 1's winter.
Low Air and Ground Temperatures for MSL
Diurnal Air Temperature Variation at MSL		New on August 1, 2016

To access the weather at MSL for sols during the 2018 Martian Global Dust Storm see 2060 and onward.

NASA / JPL-Caltech / Texas A&M

This movie clip above shows several dust devils moving across Gusev Crater on Mars.

BREAKTHROUGH PROPULSION PHYSICS

Those with an interest in breakthrough propulsion physics should see my notes on the textbook, Frontiers in Propulsion Science (Edited by Marc G. Millis and Eric M. Davis; published by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc.). The book, hereafter referred to only as The Textbook, provides information for engineering physics as it relates to spaceship propulsion. It was last updated in 2012. Originally I posted questions (highlighted in red) to pursue at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University where I earned a B.S. in space physics. However, it only took me 5 semesters to earn my B.S., and much of that time was spent researching the density of the Martian atmosphere. This means that some of the questions remain to be addressed even though I now have my PhD in physics with a specialization in Computational Condensed Matter Theory.

My notes are broken up into sections that match the chapters of The Textbook, with links to the chapter notes in Table 2 below. Comments, corrections, updates to my notes and questions by the AIAA textbook authors or other knowledgeable authorities are most welcome and will be published in the appropriate sections unless they are of a private or potentially classified nature.

Table 2 - Breakthrough Propulsion Notes
CHAPTER	TITLE	STATUS OF NOTES
Preface	Preface for Frontiers in Propulsion Science	Updated 2/12/2012
1	Recent History of Breakthrough Propulsion Studies	Updated 2/12/2012
2	Limits of Interstellar Flight Technology	Updated 2/12/2012
3	Prerequisites for Space Drive Science	Updated 2/12/2012
4	Review of Gravity Control Within Newtonian and General Relativistic Physics	Updated 2/10/2012
5	Gravitational Experiments with Superconductors: History and Lessons	Updated 2/10/2012
6	Nonviable Mechanical “Antigravity” Devices	Updated 2/10/2012
7	Null Findings of Yamishita Electrogravitical Patent	Updated 6/28/11
8	Force Characterization of Asymmetrical Capacitor Thrusters in Air	Updated 5/12/11
9	Experimental Findings of Asymmetrical Capacitor Thrusters for Various Gasses and Pressures	Updated 2/12/12
10	Propulsive Implication of Photon Momentum in Media	Updated 5/13/11
11	Experimental Results of the Woodward Effect on a Micro-Newton Thrust Balance	Updated 2/3/12
12	Thrusting Against the Quantum Vacuum	Updated 6/20/11
13	Inertial Mass from Stochastic Electrodynamics	Updated 2/3/12
14	Relativistic Limits of Spaceflight	Updated 5/16/11
15	Faster-than-Light Approaches in General Relativity	Updated 2/10/12
16	Faster-than-Light Implications of Quantum Entanglement and Nonlocality	Updated 2/9/12
17	Comparative Space Power Baselines	Updated 2/7/12
18	On Extracting Energy from the Quantum Vacuum	Updated 2/7/12
19	Investigating Sonoluminescence as a Means of Energy Harvesting	Updated 2/7/12
20	Null Tests of “Free Energy” Claims	Text Repaired and Updated 2/7/12
21	General Relativity Computational Tools and Conventions for Propulsion	Updated 2/7/12
22	Prioritizing Pioneering Research	Updated 5/16/11
	Text Typos to fix for Second Edition	First Draft (9/25/09)