Darren
Williams D Darren
Williams
Associate
Professor of Physics and Astronomy
Program Chair, Behrend
Physics
Author,
Halley orbital
software
School of
Science
Penn State Erie,
The Behrend College
4205 College
Drive
Erie, PA
16563-0203
814-898-6008
(phone)
814-898-6213
(fax)
dmw145@psu.edu
Education
1990 A.S.
Science; Jamestown
Community College (Jamestown, NY)
1992 B.S.
Physics; University
of Pittsburgh
1998 Ph.D.
Astronomy and Astrophysics; The
Pennsylvania State University
Research
Interests
Origin and
dynamical evolution of planets and moons
Climate and
habitability of Earth and Earth-like worlds (3D
Climate Simulations)
Characterization
of extrasolar planets
Comet and
asteroid impacts on Earth
Honors and
Awards
NASA Graduate Student Research Fellowship (Penn State),
1995-1998
Steven Dwornik
poster award. Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, 1996
First place (Physical Science) Pennsylvania State
University Graduate Research Exhibition, 1997
Recent
Courses
ASTRO 001
Astronomical Universe (SP08:SP09)
ASTRO 010
Elementary Astronomy (FA07:FA08:FA09)
ASTRO 011
Elementary Astronomy Laboratory (FA07:FA08:FA09)
ASTRO 291
Astronomical Methods and the Solar System (FA07:FA09)
ASTRO 292
Astronomy of the Distant Universe (FA08)
PHYS 237
Introduction to Modern Physics (SP08:SP09)
PHYS 419
Theoretical Mechanics (FA07)
Recent Talks
July 2009
“Planets, Planets, Everywhere!” Open House Nights in Astronomy; Penn State
Behrend
July 2009 WJET
TV Interview on 40th anniversary of Apollo 11 lunar landing (Erie,
PA)
March 2009
“Scoping out the Extrasolar Planet Zoo” Open House Nights in Astronomy; Penn
State Behrend
December 2008
“Cosmic Cataclysm: Why Do Stars Explode?” Open House Nights in Astronomy; Penn
State Behrend
November
2008 “Sifting the Sands of Mars: Recent Exploration of the Red Planet” Harlow
Shapley Lecture
at Keystone
College
in Wilkes Barre PA
June
2008 “Looking for Water on Extrasolar Planets” The
Pennsylvania State University
(University Park campus) Lunar
Sandbox teacher workshop
April
2008 “Recent Discoveries of Planets around Nearby Stars” SUNY
Fredonia (Fredonia
NY)
March 2008 “Using Interplanetary Spacecraft to search for Water on the Blue Dot of the Earth” Paris Observatory (Paris, France) and at Venus Express workshop in La Thuile, Italy
February
2008 “Asteroid Apophis: Will It Hit the Earth?” Open House
Nights in Astronomy; Penn State Behrend
November 2007
“Planet Paparrazi” Harlow
Shapley Lecture at Lewis University (Chicago,
IL)
October 2007
Mercyhurst North East (North East,
Pennsylvania)
October 2007
“Planet Paparrazi” Harlow
Shapley Lecture at the University of Great Falls (Great Falls,
Montana)
September 2007
“Planet Paparrazi” Open House Nights in Astronomy; Penn State
Behrend
March 2007
“Oceans of Water on Distant Earth-like Planets” Carnegie Science Center (Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania)
March 2007
“Astronomical Perspective on Global Warming” Open House Nights in Astronomy;
Penn State Behrend
December 2006
“We’re in This Together” Graduation
address at Penn State Behrend
November 2006
“What is a Planet? Why not Pluto?” Harlow
Shapley Lecture at the University of Maine (Orono,
Maine)
November 2006
“What is a Planet? Why not Pluto?” The
Pennsylvania State University
(University Park campus)
October 2006
“What is a Planet? Why not Pluto?” University of Vermont (Burlington,
Vermont)
September 2006
“Looking for Oceans on Earth-like Planets” University of Vermont (Burlington,
Vermont)
September 2006
“The Search for Extrasolar Planets” University of Vermont (Burlington,
Vermont)
August 2006
“Oceans of Water on Distant Earth-like Planets” Black Forest Star Party (Cherry
Springs, Pennsylvania)
Publications
Moskovitz,
N.A., Gaidos, E., and Williams, D.M. 2009. The Effect of
Lunar-like Satellites on the Orbital Infrared Light Curves of Earth-Analog
Planets. Astrobiology.
9(3): 269-277.
Williams, D.M.,
and Gaidos, E. 2008. Detecting the Glint of Starlight on the Oceans of Distant
Planets. Icarus 195(2): 927-937.
Gaidos,
E. and D.M. Williams. 2004. Seasonality on terrestrial extrasolar planets:
inferring obliquity and surface conditions from infrared light curves.New
Astronomy 10(1), 67-77.
Williams,
D.M. and R. Knacke. 2004. Looking for Planetary Moons in the Spectra of Distant
Jupiters. Astrobiology 4(3), 400-403.
Williams,
D.M. and D. Pollard. 2002. Earth-Like Worlds on Eccentric Orbits: Excursions
Beyond the Habitable Zone. International Journal of Astrobiology.
1(1), 61-69.
Williams,
D.M. and D. Pollard. 2002. Habitable Planets on Eccentric Orbits. In The
Evolving Sun and its Influence on Planetary Environments. B.A. Montesinos,
A. Gimenez, and E.F. Guinan, eds., ASP Conference Series Vol. 269. pp. 201-213.
Williams,
D.M. and Szklenski, S. 2001. Following the Martian Sun. Astronomy (Jul.
2001) p. 51.
Williams,
D.M. and Pollard, D. 2000. Earth-Moon Interactions: Implications For Terrestrial
Climate and Life. In The Origin of the Earth and Moon. R.M. Canup and K.
Righter Eds., Arizona Press; pp. 513-525.
Heath,
M.J., Williams, D.M., and Doyle, L.R. 2000. Extrasolar Planetary Complex
Biosphere Organization as Exemplified by Earth-Type Forest Ecosystems.
Bioastronomy `99: A New Era in Bioastronomy. Lemarchand, G.A. and Meech,
K.J., eds. ASP Conference Series Vol. 213. pp 183-186.
Williams,
D.M., Kasting, J.F., and Frakes, L.A. 1998. Low-latitude glaciation and rapid
changes in the Earth's obliquity explained by obliquity-oblateness feedback.
Nature 396, 453-455.
Williams,
D.M. 1998. The stability of habitable planetary environments. Ph.D.
Dissertation, The Pennsylvania State University. 140 pp.
Williams,
D.M. 1997. The susceptibility of Earth-like planets to large obliquity
variations. In the proceedings of the workshop on "Planetary Systems: the Long
View", 9th Rencontres de Blois, June 22-28 1997; Blois, France. L. Celnikier ed.
pp. 415-419.
Williams,
D.M., and J.F. Kasting 1997. Habitable planets with high obliquities.
Icarus 129, 254-268.
Williams,
D.M., J.F. Kasting, and R.A. Wade 1997. Habitable moons around extrasolar giant
planets. Nature 385, 234-236.
Williams,
D.M., J.F. Kasting, and K. Caldeira 1996. Chaotic obliquity variations and
planetary habitability. In Circumstellar Habitable Zones--Proceedings of the
First International Conference. L. Doyle ed. Travis House Pub.; Menlo Park
CA, pp. 43-62.
Selected
Research Presentations
“Orbital
Evolution of Primordial Material Beyond the Moon Around the Early Earth”
Division of Planetary Science Conference; (October 2008) Ithaca,
NY
“Using Interplanetary Spacecraft to
search for Water on the Blue Dot of the Earth” Astrobiology Science Conference
’08; (April 2008) Santa Clara, CA
“Detecting the Glint of Starlight off the
Oceans of Distant Planets” Pale Blue Dot III Conference; (September 2006)
Chicago, IL
“Seasonal
Variation in the Optical Appearance of Earth-like Planets” Division of Planetary
Science Conference; (September 2005) Cambridge, England
“Simulating
the Gas-Assisted Capture of Earth-sized Moons around Extrasolar Giant Planets”
Division of Planetary Science Conference; (September 2003) Monterey
CA
Popular
Press
“Space on the
Plane: Encouraging Tales of a Traveling Astronomer”
Sky and Telescope focal
point (Feb. 2009)
“Ocean
Glints Could Reveal Alien Planets” Space.com (Aug. 2008)
“Interplanetary
Paparazzi: Using Spacecraft to Expose the Water-Covered Earth”
Accuweather.com (Jan. 2008)
“Circles
of Life” Discover. (November 2002). pp. 42-47.
“As
the World Turns, and Maybe, Tilts” National Geographic. (September 1999)
“Habitable
Moons” Sky and Telescope. (December 1998). pp.
50-56.
“Thank
the Moon You’re Here” Sky and Telescope. (March 1998). pp.
20-21.
“Are
Tilted Planets Habitable?” Astronomy. (February 1998.) p.
30.
“Mooning
Over Life in the Cosmos” Science News. (November 1997). p.
328.
“In
Search of Habitable Moons” Science Journal of The Pennsylvania State
University, 
Eberly College
of Science. (Spring 1997). V14:7-8.
“Worlds
Beyond the Sun” Research/Penn State Magazine. (January 1997).
V18:14-18.
“All
Possible Worlds” Economist. (January 1997). pp. 71-73.
Recent Student
Projects
2008-2009 Michael
Dulaney “Timing the Eclipses of the Moons of Jupiter to Measure the Speed
of Light”
2008-2009 Matt
Crowell “Using a Gravitational Tractor to Tow the Asteroid
Apophis?”
2007-2008 Adam Carlisle "Dynamical Evolution of Impact Debris
Launched from the Early Earth"
2008 Charles
Moore "Polarized Light Reflected from Planetary Surfaces" and "Determining
the Appearance of Earth as seen from Venus Express"
2007 Charles Moore
"Calculating the Free-Return Flight Paths of the Apollo Spacecraft" and
"Simulating the Orbit of Asteroid Apophis"
2006-2007 Blake Autin
"Orbital Stability of the Galilean Satellites around
Jupiter"