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Darren Williams
Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy
Penn State Erie, The Behrend College
School of Science
Station Road; Erie PA 16563-0203
phone: 814-898-6008
fax: 814-898-6213
email: dmw145@psu.edu
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Education
A.S. Physics, Jamestown Community College, 1990
B.S. Physics, The University of Pittsburgh, 1992
Ph.D. Astronomy and Astrophysics, The Pennsylvania State University, 1998
Research Interests
I am primarily interested in the origin
and evolution of planet/satellite systems, and particularly in the climatic
and dynamic factors which affect whether a planet or moon can support life.
My research fits best in the category of astrobiology, a new field that has
received considerable professional and public attention lately with the recent
discoveries by other astronomers of Jupiter-sized planets around nearby stars.
These discoveries have opened up many exciting areas of research on the origin
of planets and life that can be tackled by faculty and students at Behrend College.
Most of my work involves theoretical
modeling of planetary climates and spin-orbit dynamics using computers.
Students are invited to work with me on any research project, and have
the opportunity to do so using the the campus computer labs and available
software to simulate hypothetical planetary systems or to analyze model
data. An attempt is made to engage all interested students in meaningful
research at a level appropriate for their backgrounds and abilities. Some
of the research that I am either working on or thinking about at the moment
includes:
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Climates of Earth-like planets
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Dynamical stability of satellite systems
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Origin of planetary satellites
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Habitability of extrasolar planets
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Frequency of impacts on planet and satellite surfaces
Links
NASA Astrobiology
Astronomy at Behrend College
Research Publications
Listing
Classes
Penn State ANGEL Website
Last Revised: 24 January 2005 |
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