Dr. Raitt's research interests have spanned a variety of aspects of experimental space physics. He initially studied the properties of the earth's ionosphere from ground-based studies of VLF wave propagation form lightning strokes to in-situ plasma probe measurements of the ion and electron components of the ionosphere from low earth orbiting satellites. In recent years, he has been involved with active experiments performed in the space environment at low earth orbit altitudes. These experiments have included the interaction of electron beams and high electrical potentials with the space environment. The experiments have been carried into space by both sounding rockets and the NASA Space Shuttle. He has also carried out experimental programs in space simulation chambers at NASA's Johnson Space Center and Plum Brook research facilities. The space research programs form part of the space science program at USU administered by the Center for Atmospheric and Space Sciences (CASS) with engineering support from the Space Dynamics Laboratory (SDL) of the USU Foundation.
At present Dr. Raitt is analysing data on the static and dynamic properties of high voltage charge sheaths in the space environment, and on the current collecting properties of electrodynamic tethered systems orbiting in the F-region of the ionosphere. He is also maintaining his interests in the natural properties of the upper atmosphere the its influence of the magnetosphere through a connection with NASA's POLAR spacecraft program.
Dr. Raitt has authored or co-authored over 100 papers published in refereed scientific journals. He participates regularly in national space science meetings sponsored by the American Geophysical Union (AGU) and the American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and in international meetings sponsored by the International Radio Science Union (URSI), the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR), and by the International Association of Geomagnetism and Aeronomy (IAGA).
Raitt, W. J., D. E. Siskind, Banks, and P.R. Williamson, Measurements of the thermal plasma environment of the space shuttle, Planet. Spa. Sci., 32, 457-467, 1984.
Siskind, D. E., W. J. Raitt, P. M. Banks, and P. R. Williamson, Interactions between the orbiting space shuttle and the ionosphere, Planet. Space Sci., 32, 881-896, 1984.
Raitt, W. J., Plasma interactions in the Space Shuttle Orbiter environment, Advances in Space Research, 7, 179-188, 1986.
Banks, P. M., W. J. Raitt, P. R. Williamson, A. B. White, and R. I. Bush, Results from the vehicle charging and potential experiment on STS-3, AIAA J. of Spacecraft & Rockets, 24, 138-149, 1987.
Raitt, W. J., J. V. Eccles, D. C. Thompson , P. M. Banks, P. R. Williamson, and R. I. Bush, Plasma parameters in the near wake of the Space Shuttle., Geophys. Res. Lett., 14, 359-362, 1987.
Raitt, W. J., Vehicle environment interactions: an overview, Advances in Space Research, 8, 177-186, 1988.
Eccles, J. V., W. J. Raitt, and P. M. Banks, A numerical model of the electrodynamics of plasma within the contaminant gas cloud of the Space Shuttle Orbiter at LEO, J. Geophys. Res., 94, 9049-9064, 1989.
Myers, N. B., W. J. Raitt, B. E. Gilchrist, P. M. Banks, T. Neubert, P. R. Williamson, and S. Sasaki, A comparison of current-voltage relationships of collectors in the earth's ionosphere with and without electron beam emission, Geophys. Res. Lett., 16, 365-368, 1989.
Raitt, W. J., D. A. Burt, F. T. Berkey, R. B. Torbert, M. Kelley, J. Pickett and J. Jost, Current collection by electrodes at high voltages exposed to the ionospheric F-region, Adv. Space. Res. Vol. 10, No. 7, pp 7143-7146, 1990.
Myers, N. B., W. J. Raitt, A. B. White, P. M. Banks, B. E. Gilchrist, and S Sasaki, CHARGE-2: A sounding rocket payload to investigate vehicle charging effects due to electron beam emission, J. Spaceraft and Rockets, 27, 25-37, 1990.
Banks, P. M., B. E. Gilchrist, T. Neubert, N. Myers, W. J. Raitt, P. R. Williamson, A. C. Fraser-Smith and S. Sasaki, CHARGE-2 rocket observations of vehicle charging and charge neutralization, Adv. Space Res. 10, (7)133-(7)136, 1990.
Gilchrist, B. E., P. M. Banks, T. Neubert, P. R. Williamson, N. B. Myers, W. J. Raitt and S. Sasaki, Electron collection enhancement arising from neutral gas jets on a charged vehicle in the ionosphere, J. Geophys. Res., 95, 2569-2476, 1990.
Eccles, V. J., W. J. Raitt, Reactive collision terms for the 13-moment approximation, Planet. Space Sci., 40, 47-62, 1992.
Raitt, W. J., N. B. Myers, D. C. Thompson, P. M. Banks, B. E. Gilchrist, T. Neubert, P. R. Williamson and S. Sasaki, Recent experimental measurements of space platform charging at LEO altitudes, Adv. Space Res., Vol. 12 No. 12, pp.(12)49-(12)52, 1992.
Oberhardt, M.R., Hardy, D. A., Thompson, D. C., Raitt, W. J., Melchioni, E., Bonifazi, C., and Gough, M. P., Positive spacecraft charging as measured by the shuttle potential and return electron experiment, IEEE Trans. Nuc. Sci., 40, 1993.
Aguero, V., Banks, P. M., Gilchrist, B., Linscott, I., Raitt, W. J., Thompson, D. Tolat, V., White, A. B., Williams, S. and Williamson, P. R., The Shuttle Electrodynamic Tether system (SETS) on TSS-1, Il Nuovo Cimento, 17, N. 1, 1994.
Raitt, W. J., J. Ernstmeyer, N. B. Myers, A. B. White, S. Sasaki, K-I Oyama, N. Kawashima, A. C. Fraser-Smith, B. E. Gilchrist and T. J. Hallinan, VLF wave experiments in space using a modulated electron beam, J. Spacecraft and Rockets, 32, 670, 1995.
Hardy, D. A., Oberhardt, M. R., Burke, W. J., Thompson, D. C., Raitt, W. J. and Gentile, L. C., Observations of electron beam propagation perpendicular to the Earth's magnetic field during the TSS 1 mission, J. Geophys. Res., 100, 21523-21534, 1995.
Raitt, W. J., Stimulating our piece of the universe: Active experiments in space, Contributed paper, US National Report to the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG) (1991-1994), Rev. Geophys., supp., 559-564, 1995.