PRESENT POSITION:

Staff Scientist
Planetary Magnetospheres Branch
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

EDUCATION:

Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Iowa (1987)
M.S. in Physics from the University of Iowa (1984)
B.S. in Physics from the University of Iowa (1982)

RESEARCH AREAS:

Low frequency radio research, including radio astronomy, plasma waves, and radiation from planetary lightning.

EXPERIENCE:

Dr. Farrell is a space scientist at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center involved in the research of radio emission at the earth and other planets. The basis of the research involves the interpretation of scientific measurements from spacecraft like Voyager 2, Ulysses, the WIND laboratory, and the space shuttle, and often includes the construction detailed and unique mathematical models, such as electrostatic particle simulations and nonlinear dynamical systems, to compliment and explain the findings. He is also involved in building of scientific instrumentation that optimizes weight, power, and information compression for spaceflight use and for terrestrial lightning studies. In 1996, he won a patent for a unique application and improvement to the AC Magnetic Search Coil Device. His interests remain very diversified, studing atmospheric lightning, magnetospheric plasma process, heliospheric radiation processes, and extrasolar planets. He sits on NASA instrument review panels and internal NASA/GSFC committees. He also reviews proposals for NASA Headquarters and scientific articles published IEEE and AGU Journals. He is a scientific co-investigator on the GGS/WIND mission and CASSINI Saturn mission, and has published over 55 articles in the fields of space science, and atmospheric science, and radio instrumentation.

AWARDS AND DISTINCTIONS:

A NASA Graduate Student Research Fellow (1986-1987)
NASA Certificate of Appreciation (1987)
Principal Investigator on Waveform Capture System (1990-93) & Lightning Detection System (1994-96)
Principal Investigator of magnetopause radar study (1998)
Co-investigator on CASSINI Radio experiment
Co-investigator on WIND magnetometer and radio experiment
Co-investigator on PULSAUR II and SVALVARD/CUSP rockets
Guest investigator on VOYAGER radio experiment (1987-90)
Guest investigator on Gamma Ray Observatory (1995-96)
NASA Public Service Achievement Award (for shuttle studies-1987, for Voyager/Neptune-1990, for Ulysses/Jupiter-1993, for ISTP/GGS program-1998)
NASA Certificate of Recognition for Innovation in Search Coil Design
NASA Certificate of Recognition for New Lightning RF Simulator

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS:

1. On the possibility of coherent cyclotron emission from extrasolar planets, Farrell, WM, MD Desch, and P Zarka, submitted, J. Geophys. Res., 1998.
2. A simple simulation of a plasma void: Applications to WIND observations of the lunar wake, Farrell, WM, ML Kaiser, JT Steinberg, and SD Bale, J. Geophys. Res., in press, 1998.
3. Electrostatic instability in the central lunar wake: A process for replenishing the plasma void? Farrell, WM, ML Kaiser, and JT Steinberg, Geophys. Res. Lett., 24, 1135, 1997.
4. Detecting electrical activity from Martian dust storms, WM Farrell, ML Kaiser, MD Desch, JG houser, SA Cummer, DM Wilt, and GA Landis, in press, J. Geophys. Res., 1998.
5. Modifcation of the upper atmosphere over power lines: A geological effect, WM Farrell, MD Desch, and JG Houser, J. Geophys. Res., 103, 11573, 1998.
6. The UAV: A unique platform for electrodynamic studies of upward lightning, RA Goldberg, MD Desch, and WM Farrell, ESA Symposium on European Rocket and Balloon Programmes, ESA SP-397, 317, 1997
7. Magnetic Antenna using metallic glass, W. M. Farrell, M. D. Desch, and J. G. Houser, NASA Tech Brief; 20, 50, 1996
8. Upstream ULF waves and energetic electrons associated with the lunar wake: Detection of precursor activity, W. M. Farrell, R. J. Fitzenreiter, C. J. Owen, J. B. Byrnes, R. P. Lepping, K. W. Ogilvie, and F. Neubauer, Geophys. Res. Lett, 23, 1271, 1996.
9. Fine structure of the auroral kilometric radiation: A Fermi accelleration process?, W. M. Farrell, Radio Sci., 30, 961, 1995
10. Very Low Frequency (VLF) spheric simulator, W. M. Farrell and J. G. Houser, NASA Tech Briefs, accepted, 1994.
11. Possible radio wave precursors associated with the comet Shoemaker-Levy 9/Jupiter impacts, W. M. Farrell, M. L. Kaiser, M. D. Desch, and R. J. MacDowall, Geophys. Res. Lett, 21, 1067, 1994.
12. Ulysses observation of auroral hiss at high Jovian latitudes, W. M. Farrell, R. J. MacDowall, M. D. Desch, M. L. Kaiser, R. G. Stone, N. Lin, N. Cornilleau-Wehrlin, P. Canu, S. J. Bame, l and J. L. Phillips, Geophys. Res. Lett., 20, 2259, 1994
13. The heliospheric cavity radio emission: Generation of discrete tones by Fermi acceleration via oscillating boundary, W. M. Farrell, Geophys. Res. Lett, 20, 2011, 1993
14. Evidence of Auroral Plasma Cavities at Uranus and Neptune from Radio Burst Observations, W. M. Farrell, M. D. Desch, M. L. Kaiser, and W. Calvert, J. Geophys. Res., 96, 19049-19061, 1991

Last Modified: 30 July 1998

Curator: Jennifer Kalb, Raytheon STX
Email: Jennifer.Kalb@gsfc.nasa.gov

Responsible NASA Representative: Dr. Steven Curtis
E-mail: Steven.Curtis@gsfc.nasa.gov