A couple of preprints from the upcoming special issue of the Journal of Geophysical Research-Planets reporting results from Spirit have been posted to the JGR-Planets in Press page.

The word is that the first batch of papers (six or seven) from this special issue will begin to be published online tomorrow. And I believe this first batch will include the 22-page Arvidson et al. paper, which gives a Spirit mission overview from "Landing site to Backstay Rock in the Columbia Hills."

As "predicted," the first seven papers of JGR-Planets (Special Section: Results From the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit Mission) were published online today.

Thanks for the heads up Alex - I've been looking forward to these

Doug

Alex,

I guess these require a subscription to view, unlike the preprints mentioned earlier in the thread?

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you for your indefatigable efforts, across many internet sites, to alert space enthusiasts to opportunities for reading professional papers like these.

TTT

Unfortunately, yes. I've been an AGU member for several years and the prices for the various journals (especially if one wants a printed version mailed) have skyrocketed.

My advice is that if you really want to see the final version of a paper and, like most people, do not wish to pay exhorbitant subscription or single-purchase fees, then when all else fails, contact the lead author. Most scientists are happy when someone reads their papers and almost all readily share reprints (either electronic or hardcopy).

And grab the JGR-Planets in Press preprints while you can. Usually they are taken down fairly soon after each paper is published.

Thank you, Tom. Call it my contribution to FTGFTSOIOTI (aka "fighting the good fight to stamp out ignorance on the Internet").

Lately, I've gotten a little lazy, though. I used to try to track down URLs to free preprints/reprints and include those in the posts as well. Occasionally, I still do; however, most people can Google these on their own.

Two new papers for this special issue, Golombek et al. and Li et al., were published online today.

Alex - I have been a member of AGU since 1985 or so, and have subscribed to electronic editions of JGR-Planets and JGR-space Physics since 2003. I consider the cost of AGU memberships and these two electronic journal subscriptions to be one of the bargains of the century (including the last century too)!

The good thing about AGU is its low cost and open membership policy.

Now if someone could only point me to an inexpensive way to subscribe to Icarus electronic edition (not merely abstracts), I would be grateful. I subscribed to the print editions as a non-DPS member from <checks bookcase> Nov 1980 through Mar 2000. Toward the end I could no longer justify the cost no matter how much I enjoyed reading the articles...

I'll agree with that. AGU membership and (online-only) subscriptions to its journals is a pretty good bargain when compared to, say, the Elsevier-owned journals (e.g., Icarus, Planetary and Space Science, etc.). The costs of the latter are so outrageous that even some academic institutions are dropping subscriptions.

I guess what I was driving at was that I noticed that the cost of combined print and online subscription for 2006 to JGR-Planets and Geophysical Research Letters, the two AGU journals to which I subscribe, went up substantially from last year. Or at least I don't remember it being so high when I renewed for 2005.

And no way am I going to pay the costs for individual papers. Now those costs, even for AGU journals, are ridiculous.

From: http://www.agu.org/pubs/agu_jourinfo.html
"Personal copy prices ($10 above the AGU member rate) are available for JGR-Planets"

Am I reading this right? A subscription from Jan 2006 to Mar 2007 is only $10? That sounds too good to be true!!

No, I seriously doubt it.

I believe they are talking about price per issue if one is not an AGU member. Naturally, non-members pay a higher rate.

If memory serves, an AGU member who needs a "replacement" copy of a lost issue of JGR-Planets is charged $20, which, I believe, is the single issue cost. A non-member would, I presume, pay $30 for an issue, or $360 for a year's worth.

Click here for 2006 member subscription rates. It doesn't take a PhD in mathematics to see that it is far cheaper to become a member (annual dues of $20) and then subscribe.

Thanks for clarifying that, Alex. The $20 is still a great deal & I'll be signing up when I get home tonight.

The APXS paper by Gellert et al. was published online today.

The Ming et al. paper was published online today.

Two Pancam-related papers, Johnson et al. and Alexander et al., were published online today.

The Fergason et al. paper was published online today.

And from what I understand, the Squyres et al. paper, "The Rocks of Columbia Hills," will be published online on Monday.

Squyres, Steven W.; Arvidson, Raymond E.; Blaney, Diana L.; Clark, Benton C.; Crumpler, Larry; Farrand, William H.; Gorevan, Stephen; Herkenhoff, Kenneth E.; Hurowitz, Joel; Kusack, Alastair; McSween, Harry Y.; Ming, Douglas W.; Morris, Richard V.; Ruff, Steven W.; Wang, Alian; Yen, Albert
Rocks of the Columbia Hills
J. Geophys. Res., Vol. 111, No. E2, E02S11
10.1029/2005JE002562
14 February 2006
Abstract
Special Section

Published online today:

Wang, Alian; Korotev, Randy L.; Jolliff, Bradley L.; Haskin, Larry A.; Crumpler, Larry; Farrand, William H.; Herkenhoff, Ken E.; de Souza, Paulo, Jr.; Kusack, Alastair G.; Hurowitz, Joel A.; Tosca, Nicholas J.
Evidence of phyllosilicates in Wooly Patch, an altered rock encountered at West Spur, Columbia Hills, by the Spirit rover in Gusev crater, Mars
J. Geophys. Res., Vol. 111, No. E2, E02S16
10.1029/2005JE002516
15 February 2006
Abstract
Special Section

Published online today:

Herkenhoff, Ken E., et al.
Overview of the Microscopic Imager Investigation during Spirit's first 450 sols in Gusev crater
J. Geophys. Res., Vol. 111, No. E2, E02S04
10.1029/2005JE002574
16 February 2006
Abstract
Special Section

Wang, Alian; Haskin, L. A.; Squyres, S. W.; Jolliff, B. L.; Crumpler, L.; Gellert, R.; Schröder, C.; Herkenhoff, K.; Hurowitz, J.; Tosca, N. J.; Farrand, W. H.; Anderson, Robert; Knudson, A. T.
Sulfate deposition in subsurface regolith in Gusev crater, Mars
J. Geophys. Res., Vol. 111, No. E2, E02S17
10.1029/2005JE002513
21 February 2006
Abstract
Special Section

These two (the final two, I believe) were published online today:

Cabrol, N. A.; Farmer, J. D.; Grin, E. A.; Richter, L.; Soderblom, L.; Li, R.; Herkenhoff, K.; Landis, G. A.; Arvidson, R. E.
Aqueous processes at Gusev crater inferred from physical properties of rocks and soils along the Spirit traverse
J. Geophys. Res., Vol. 111, No. E2, E02S20
10.1029/2005JE002490
22 February 2006
Abstract
Special Section

Morris, R. V.; Klingelhöfer, G.; Schröder, C.; Rodionov, D. S.; Yen, A.; Ming, D. W.; de Souza, P. A., Jr.; Fleischer, I.; Wdowiak, T.; Gellert, R.; Bernhardt, B.; Evlanov, E. N.; Zubkov, B.; Foh, J.; Bonnes, U.; Kankeleit, E.; Gütlich, P.; Renz, F.; Squyres, S. W.; Arvidson, R. E.
Mössbauer mineralogy of rock, soil, and dust at Gusev crater, Mars: Spirit's journey through weakly altered olivine basalt on the plains and pervasively altered basalt in the Columbia Hills
J. Geophys. Res., Vol. 111, No. E2, E02S13
10.1029/2005JE002584
22 February 2006
Abstract
Special Section

I'm reviving this thread to note that a few more papers in this special section have been published recently. Note McSween et al., "Alkaline volcanic rocks from Columbia Hills, Gusev Crater, Mars," which was published online last week.