Dirk Terrell

Education

Ph.D. Astronomy, University of Florida, 1994
M.S. Astronomy, University of Florida, 1989
B.S. Physics, Clemson University, 1987

Professional Record

Senior Systems Analyst, Southwest Research Institute, 1999-
President and CEO, Falcon Networking, Inc., 1996-1999
Adjunct Professor, Department of Natural Sciences, Santa Fe Community College, 1990-1998
University Fellow and Sessional Instructor, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Calgary, 1994-1995
NASA Graduate Research Fellow, Department of Astronomy, University of Florida, 1991-1994
Teaching Assistant, Department of Astronomy, University of Florida, 1987-1991
Research Associate, Morgantown Energy Technology Center, US Dept. of Energy, 1985

Membership in Professional Societies

American Astronomical Society

Honors

University Fellow 1994-1995 (University of Calgary)
NASA Graduate Student Research Fellow 1991-1994 (University of Florida)
Daniel Foundation Scholar 1983-1987 (Clemson University)
Alumni Presidential Scholar 1983-1984 (Clemson University)
President's List and Dean's List (Clemson University)
1983 US Army Reserve National Scholar-Athlete

Presentations at Professional Conferences and Meetings

A New Damped Least Squares Version of a Wilson-Devinney-Based Program for Binary Star Analysis, (with J. Kallrath, E.F. Milone, and A.T. Young), AAS Meeting, Summer 1997.
Further Evolution of Light Curve Modeling, (with E.F. Milone, J. McVean, J. Kallrath, W. Van Hamme, and A.T. Young), AAS Meeting, Winter 1996.
Is the Eclipsing Binary SAO 76494 a Hyad or Escaped Hyad?, (with E.F. Milone, F.M. Babott, D. Kaiser, and J. Gunn), International Symposium on the Origins, Evolution, and Destinies of Binary Stars in Clusters, Calgary, AB, June, 1995.
A Search for Variables in Clusters Using the Automated Photographic Patrol, (with D. Kaiser), International Symposium on the Origins, Evolution, and Destinies of Binary Stars in Clusters, Calgary, AB, June 1995.
Modeling of the Contact Binary H235 in the Open Cluster NGC 6791, (with E.F. Milone), International Symposium on the Origins, Evolution, and Destinies of Binary Stars in Clusters, Calgary, AB, June 1995.
Analysis of the Contact System V7 in the Old Open Cluster NGC 6791, (with E.F. Milone), International Symposium on the Origins, Evolution, and Destinies of Binary Stars in Clusters, Calgary, AB, June 1995.
Modeling and Impersonal Fitting of Asteroid Light Curves, (with D. Durda), AAS-DPS meeting, Washington, DC, November 1994.
Large Superluminous Areas on W UMa Systems II. YZ Phoenicis, (with R.G. Samec), AAS Meeting, Washington, DC, January, 1994.
Vela X-1 vis a vis HD 77581 - Self-consistent Parameter Adjustment, (with R.E. Wilson), Maryland Conference on the Evolution of X-ray Binaries, College Park, October 1993.
A User Interface for the Wilson-Devinney Light Curve Program, AAS Meeting, Phoenix, January, 1993.
Simultaneous Solutions for X-ray Binary Parameters, (with R.E. Wilson), AAS Meeting, Phoenix, January, 1993.
Mass Transfer in Algols - Computation of Observables, (Invited) IAU General Assembly, Buenos Aires, July 1991.

Participation in Invited Workshops

Information Potential of Algol Disks, Sixth Florida Workshop on Non-linear Astronomy, September, 1991.

Books

Binary Stars: A Pictorial Atlas, Dirk Terrell, J.D. Mukherjee, and R.E. Wilson, Krieger Publishing, Malabar, FL, 1992 (ISBN 0-89464-041-0)

Publications in Refereed Journals and Conference Proceedings

(principal author listed first)

Recent Improvements to a Version of the Wilson-Devinney Program, Kallrath, Josef, Milone, E. F., Terrell, Dirk, and Young, Andrew T., Astrophysical Journal, 508, 308 (1998).
X-ray binary unified analysis: pulse/RV application to Vela X1: GP Velorum, Wilson, R.E. and Terrell, Dirk, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 296, 33 (1998).
Preliminary Analysis of the Contact System V7 in NGC 6791, Milone, E.F. and Terrell, Dirk, in The Origins, Evolution, and Destinies of Binary Stars in Clusters, Astronomical Society of the Pacific Conference Series,Volume 90 (1996).
Analysis of the Contact System 1-1235 in the Open Cluster NGC 752, Terrell, Dirk, Milone, E.F., Babbott, F.M., and Kaiser, Daniel H., in The Origins, Evolution, and Destinies of Binary Stars in Clusters, Astronomical Society of the Pacific Conference Series,Volume 90 (1996).
Is the Eclipsing Binary SAO 76494 a Hyad or Escaped Hyad?, Milone, E.F. and Terrell, Dirk, in The Origins, Evolution, and Destinies of Binary Stars in Clusters, Astronomical Society of the Pacific Conference Series,Volume 90 (1996).
A Search for Variables in Clusters, Kaiser, Daniel H., and Terrell, Dirk, in The Origins, Evolution, and Destinies of Binary Stars in Clusters, Astronomical Society of the Pacific Conference Series,Volume 90 (1996).
Observations and Analysis of the Field Contact Binary V728 Herculis, R.H. Nelson, E.F. Milone, J. VanLeeuwen, Dirk Terrell, and J.E. Penfold, A.J., 110, 2400, 1995.
YZ Phoenicis: Photometric Study of a W UMa Binary near the Short Period Limit, Ronald G. Samec and Dirk Terrell, PASP, 107, 427, 1995.
V1061 Tauri: Analysis of a Newly Discovered Eclipsing Binary, Dirk Terrell, Dan Kaiser, and David Williams, PASP, 107, 653, 1995.
New Light Curves and Analysis of the Short Period Algol XZ Canis Minoris, Dirk Terrell, J.B. Gunn, and Daniel H. Kaiser, Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 106, 149 (1994).
Photometric Investigation of a Very Short Period W UMa-type Binary: Does CE Leonis Have a Large Superluminous Area?, Ronald G. Samec, Wen Su, Dirk Terrell, and Douglas P. Hube, Astronomical Journal, 106, 318 (1993).
Sub-Synchronous Rotation and Tidal Lag in HD 77581/Vela X-1, R.E. Wilson and Dirk Terrell, in The Evolution of X-ray Binaries, Am. Inst. of Physics Conference Proceedings #308 (1993).
Spectral Energy Distributions of Circumstellar Gas in Algols, Dirk Terrell and R.E. Wilson, in Light Curve Modeling of Eclipsing Binary Stars, ed. E.F. Milone, pp. 27-35, Springer-Verlag, New York, 1993.
Learning About Algol Disks - Learning From Algol Disks, R.E. Wilson and Dirk Terrell, in Astrophysical Disks, eds. S.F. Dermott, J.H. Hunter, Jr. and R.E. Wilson, New York Academy of Sciences, New York, 1992.
A Re-discussion of Four Early-Type Eclipsing Binaries, Dirk Terrell, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 250, 209 (1991).
The Photometric Elements of XZ Canis Minoris, Dirk Terrell and R.E. Wilson, Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 102, 646 (1990).

Unrefereed Publications

CCD UBVRI Photometry of the Pre-contact Eclipsing Binary V361 Lyrae, Samec, R.G., Terrell, D., Gray, J.D., and Carrigan, B.J., Bull. Am. Astron. Soc., vol 186, #47.06, 1995.
Period Correction for the New Eclipsing Binary DHK41, Information Bulletin on Variable Stars, #4168, 1995.
A Photometric Campaign on OW Geminorum, Information Bulletin on Variable Stars #4102, 1995.
Early Results from the APP - An Eclipsing Binary in Hercules and a Potential Eclipsing Hyad, Dirk Terrell and Daniel H. Kaiser, Bull. Am. Astron. Soc., 185, 85.09, 1994.
Complete BVRI Light Curves of the Very Short Period W UMa Variable YZ Phoenicis, Marcelo B. Arruda, Ronald G. Samec and Dirk Terrell, Information Bulletin on Variable Stars #3884, 1993.
A Prime Opportunity to Observe a Close Passage of the Earth-Crossing Asteroid 4179 Toutatis, Daniel D. Durda and Dirk Terrell, IAPPP Communications, Summer 1992.
Photometric Observations and Methods, and Results of Light Curve Analysis, R.E. Wilson, J.D. Mukherjee, and Dirk Terrell, IAU Triennial Report, 1991.
Problems of Interacting Binary Stars Requiring Observations from Space, R.E. Wilson, J.C. Liou, J.D. Mukherjee, and Dirk Terrell, Proceedings of the 11th Annual Smithsonian/Fairborn/IAPPP Symposium on Automated Photometric Telescopes, Fairborn Press, Mesa, AZ (1990).
Azimuthal Variation of Stellar Magnitudes at the South Pole, Kwan-Yu Chen and Dirk Terrell, Antarctic Journal of the US, 1990 Review.

General Publications

Demon Variables, Dirk Terrell, Astronomy, October 1992.

Journals Served as Manuscript Referee

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Astronomy and Astrophysics

Courses Taught

AST 1022L, astronomy laboratory course
AST 1022, Discovering the Universe, lecture course covering all areas of modern astronomy
ISC 1001/PSC 1341, Introduction to Physical Science, lecture course covering topics in physics, chemistry, geology, and astronomy
PSC 2121, Fundamentals of Physical Science with Laboratory, lecture course covering topics in physics, chemsitry, geology, and astronomy with an integrated lab for experiments in those topics.
PHY 207, Non-calculus physics covering waves and periodic motion, electricity and magnetism, and optics.

Computer Software

Nitrogen Absorption Program (NAP) - A computer program for scuba divers that enables them to simulate dives on a PC compatible and follow the absorption of nitrogen by body tissues and hence the risk of getting decompression sickness (i.e., the bends).
PC Interface for WD - A user-friendly "front-end" for the Wilson-Devinney light curve program that runs on PC compatibles. The program enables users to compute light and velocity curves for binary stars using the WD code without having to be concerned with the format of the WD input file.
VHLIMB - A Windows program that displays limb darkening coefficients for stars based on the Van Hamme limb darkening tables.
FLIST - A Windows program that enables the user to search for and display information on close binaries from The Finding List for Observers of Interacting Binary Stars.
HTML Wizard - An OS/2 program that makes the preparation of World Wide Web documents much simpler.

Interests

My hobbbies include cave diving, martial arts, computer programming, riding my motorcycle, and increasing public understanding and awareness of scientific issues. I have extensive experience with the DOS, Windows, OS/2 and Unix operating systems as well as the BASIC, FORTRAN, C/C++, REXX, Java, and Pascal programming languages. I have also done a fair amount of SQL database work.