Dr. Patrick Durrell

Professor
Patrick R. Durrell - profile photo

Patrick R. Durrell

Professor

Physics, Astronomy, Geology, & Environmental Sciences

prdurrell@ysu.edu

  • Education
    • 1996

      Ph D, Physics & Astronomy

      McMaster University

    • 1992

      MS, Physics & Astronomy

      McMaster University

    • 1990

      BS, Astronomy - Honours

      University of Victoria

  • Awards and Honors
    • September 2021

      Youngstown State University

      The Dr. Warren M. Young Chair in Physics and Astronomy

      Award for Ward Beecher Planetarium Director to continue teaching, scholarship, and community outreach through the Planetarium.

    • April 2016

      Youngstown State University

      Distinguished Professorship in Scholarship

      Awarded Distinguished Professorship Award in Scholarship

    • April 2016

      Youngstown State University

      Distinguished Professor

      Awarded title of Distinguished Professor based on receiving awards in all three categories of service, teaching and scholarship.

    • April 2012

      Youngstown State University

      Distinguished Professorship in Teaching

      Awarded Distinguished Professorship Award in Teaching

    • April 2007

      Youngstown State University

      Distinguished Professorship in Service

      Awarded Distinguished Professorship Award in Service

  • Intellectual Contributions
    • 2022

      "HI observations of the MATLAS dwarf and ultra-diffuse galaxies"

      \aap, volume 659, p. A14

    • 2022

      "The Distance and Dynamical History of the Virgo Cluster Ultradiffuse Galaxy VCC 615"

      \apj, volume 924, issue 2, p. 87

    • 2021

      "Dwarf Galaxies in the MATLAS Survey: Hubble Space Telescope Observations of the Globular Cluster System in the Ultra-diffuse Galaxy MATLAS-2019"

      \apj, volume 923, issue 1, p. 9

    • 2021

      "Ultra diffuse galaxies in the MATLAS low-to-moderate density fields"

      \aap, volume 654, p. A105

    • 2021

      "Structure and morphology of the MATLAS dwarf galaxies and their central nuclei"

      \mnras, volume 506, issue 4, p. 5494-5511

    • 2021

      "Flattened structures of dwarf satellites around massive host galaxies in the MATLAS low-to-moderate density fields"

      \aap, volume 654, p. A161

    • 2020

      "Shedding light on the formation mechanism of shell galaxy NGC 474 with MUSE"

      \aap, volume 644, p. A164

    • 2020

      "Census and classification of low-surface-brightness structures in nearby early-type galaxies from the MATLAS survey"

      \mnras, volume 498, issue 2, p. 2138-2166

    • 2020

      "The Next Generation Virgo Cluster Survey. XXXIV. Ultracompact Dwarf Galaxies in the Virgo Cluster"

      \apjs, volume 250, issue 1, p. 17

    • 2020

      "The Next Generation Virgo Cluster Survey (NGVS). XXX. Ultra-diffuse Galaxies and Their Globular Cluster Systems"

      \apj, volume 899, issue 1, p. 69

    • 2020

      "Spectroscopic study of MATLAS-2019 with MUSE: An ultra-diffuse galaxy with an excess of old globular clusters"

      \aap, volume 640, p. A106

    • 2020

      "The PIPER Survey. I. An Initial Look at the Intergalactic Globular Cluster Population in the Perseus Cluster"

      \apj, volume 890, issue 2, p. 105

    • 2020

      "The Next Generation Virgo Cluster Survey (NGVS). XIV. The Discovery of Low-mass Galaxies and a New Galaxy Catalog in the Core of the Virgo Cluster"

      \apj, volume 890, issue 2, p. 128

    • 2020

      "Newly discovered dwarf galaxies in the MATLAS low-density fields"

      \mnras, volume 491, issue 2, p. 1901-1919

    • 2019

      "Chapter 6: Practical Considerations for Using a Planetarium for Astronomy Instruction"

      IOP Publishing, volume 1, p. 6-1 to 6-18

    • 2019

      "The Next Generation Virgo Cluster Survey. XXIII. Fundamentals of Nuclear Star Clusters over Seven Decades in Galaxy Mass"

      \apj, volume 878, issue 1, p. 18

    • 2019

      "The ultra-diffuse galaxy NGC 1052-DF2 with MUSE. II. The population of DF2: stars, clusters, and planetary nebulae"

      \aap, volume 625, p. A77

    • 2019

      "The ultra-diffuse galaxy NGC 1052-DF2 with MUSE. I. Kinematics of the stellar body"

      \aap, volume 625, p. A76

    • 2019

      "IDEAS: Immersive Dome Experiences for Accelerating Science"

      arXiv

    • 2018

      "A Virgo Environmental Survey Tracing Ionised Gas Emission (VESTIGE). IV. A tail of ionised gas in the merger remnant NGC4424"

      \aap, volume 620, p. A164

    • 2018

      "The Next Generation Virgo Cluster Survey (NGVS). XXXI. The Kinematics of Intracluster Globular Clusters in the Core of the Virgo Cluster"

      \apj, volume 864, issue 1, p. 36

    • 2018

      "Stellar Populations in the Outer Disk and Halo of the Spiral Galaxy M101"

      \apj, volume 862, issue 2, p. 99

    • 2018

      "A Virgo Environmental Survey Tracing Ionised Gas Emission (VESTIGE). III. Star formation in the stripped gas of NGC 4254"

      \aap, volume 615, p. A114

    • 2018

      "A Virgo Environmental Survey Tracing Ionised Gas Emission (VESTIGE). II. Constraining the quenching time in the stripped galaxy NGC 4330"

      \aap, volume 614, p. A57

    • 2018

      "The Next Generation Virgo Cluster Survey (NGVS). XVIII. Measurement and Calibration of Surface Brightness Fluctuation Distances for Bright Galaxies in Virgo (and Beyond)"

      \apj, volume 856, issue 2, p. 126

    • 2018

      "The Next Generation Virgo Cluster Survey (NGVS). XXXII. A Search for Globular Cluster Substructures in the Virgo Galaxy Cluster Core"

      \apj, volume 856, issue 1, p. 84

    • 2017

      "The Next Generation Virgo Cluster Survey (NGVS). XXVI. The Issues of Photometric Age and Metallicity Estimates for Globular Clusters"

      \apj, volume 844, issue 2, p. 104

    • 2017

      "The Next Generation Virgo Cluster Survey (NGVS). XXIV. The Red Sequence to \raisebox-0.5ex\textasciitilde10$^{6}$ L $_{{\ensuremath{\odot}}}$ and Comparisons with Galaxy Formation Models"

      \apj, volume 836, issue 1, p. 120

    • 2017

      "Globular Clusters as Tracers of Fine Structure in the Dramatic Shell Galaxy NGC 474"

      \apj, volume 835, issue 2, p. 123

    • 2016

      "The Next Generation Virgo Cluster Survey (NGVS). XXV. Fiducial Panchromatic Colors of Virgo Core Globular Clusters and Their Comparison to Model Predictions"

      \apjs, volume 227, issue 1, p. 12

    • 2016

      "New Constraints on a Complex Relation between Globular Cluster Colors and Environment"

      \apjl, volume 829, issue 1, p. L5

    • 2016

      "A tale of two tails: exploring stellar populations in the tidal tails of NGC 3256"

      \mnras, volume 461, issue 1, p. 36-50

    • 2016

      "The ultraviolet and infrared star formation rates of compact group galaxies: an expanded sample"

      \mnras, volume 459, issue 3, p. 2948-2963

    • 2016

      "The Next Generation Virgo Cluster Survey (NGVS). XIII. The Luminosity and Mass Function of Galaxies in the Core of the Virgo Cluster and the Contribution from Disrupted Satellites"

      \apj, volume 824, issue 1, p. 10

    • 2016

      "The Next Generation Virgo Cluster Survey. VII. The Intrinsic Shapes of Low-luminosity Galaxies in the Core of the Virgo Cluster, and a Comparison with the Local Group"

      \apj, volume 820, issue 1, p. 69

    • 2016

      "Spectacular tails of ionized gas in the Virgo cluster galaxy NGC 4569"

      \aap, volume 587, p. A68

    • 2015

      "The Next Generation Virgo Cluster Survey. X. Properties of Ultra-compact Dwarfs in the M87, M49, and M60 Regions."

      \apj, volume 812, issue 1, p. 34

    • 2015

      "Galaxies at the Extremes: Ultra-diffuse Galaxies in the Virgo Cluster"

      \apjl, volume 809, issue 2, p. L21

    • 2015

      "The Next Generation Virgo Cluster Survey. IX. Estimating the Efficiency of Galaxy Formation on the Lowest-mass Scales"

      \apj, volume 807, issue 1, p. 88

    • 2015

      "The Next Generation Virgo Cluster Survey. XII. Stellar Populations and Kinematics of Compact, Low-mass Early-type Galaxies from Gemini GMOS-IFU Spectroscopy"

      \apj, volume 804, issue 1, p. 70

    • 2015

      "A comprehensive HST BVI catalogue of star clusters in five Hickson compact groups of galaxies"

      \mnras, volume 449, issue 3, p. 2937-2973

    • 2015

      "The Next Generation Virgo Cluster Survey. VI. The Kinematics of Ultra-compact Dwarfs and Globular Clusters in M87"

      \apj, volume 802, issue 1, p. 30

    • 2014

      "The Next Generation Virgo Cluster Survey. XV. The Photometric Redshift Estimation for Background Sources"

      \apj, volume 797, issue 2, p. 102

    • 2014

      "The Next Generation Virgo Cluster Survey. VIII. The Spatial Distribution of Globular Clusters in the Virgo Cluster"

      \apj, volume 794, issue 2, p. 103

    • 2014

      "The Next Generation Virgo Cluster Survey. V. Modeling the Dynamics of M87 with the Made-to-measure Method"

      \apj, volume 792, issue 1, p. 59

    • 2014

      "The Next Generation Virgo Cluster Survey-Infrared (NGVS-IR). I. A New Near-Ultraviolet, Optical, and Near-Infrared Globular Cluster Selection Tool"

      \apjs, volume 210, issue 1, p. 4

    • 2013

      "Stellar Populations in Compact Galaxy Groups: A Multi-wavelength Study of HCGs 16, 22, and 42, their Star Clusters, and Dwarf Galaxies"

      \apj, volume 770, issue 2, p. 114

    • 2013

      "Under Pressure: Star Clusters and the Neutral Hydrogen Medium of Tidal Tails"

      \apj, volume 768, issue 2, p. 194

    • 2013

      "The Next Generation Virgo Cluster Survey. IV. NGC 4216: A Bombarded Spiral in the Virgo Cluster"

      \apj, volume 767, issue 2, p. 133

    • 2012

      "Stripped gas as fuel for newly formed H ii regions in the encounter between VCC 1249 and M 49: a unified picture from NGVS and GUViCS"

      \aap, volume 543, p. A112

    • 2012

      "Identifying High-metallicity M Giants at Intragroup Distances with Sloan Digital Sky Survey"

      \aj, volume 143, issue 6, p. 128

    • 2012

      "The Next Generation Virgo Cluster Survey (NGVS). I. Introduction to the Survey"

      \apjs, volume 200, issue 1, p. 4

    • 2012

      "A deep view on the Virgo cluster core"

      \aap, volume 538, p. A69

    • 2012

      "The Merger History, Active Galactic Nucleus, and Dwarf Galaxies of Hickson Compact Group 59"

      \apj, volume 745, issue 1, p. 30

    • 2011

      "The GALEX Ultraviolet Virgo Cluster Survey (GUViCS). I. The UV luminosity function of the central 12 sq. deg"

      \aap, volume 528, p. A107

    • 2011

      "Star Clusters in the Tidal Tails of Interacting Galaxies: Cluster Populations Across a Variety of Tail Environments"

      \apj, volume 731, issue 2, p. 93

    • 2010

      "Galaxy Evolution in a Complex Environment: A Multi-wavelength Study of HCG 7"

      \apj, volume 723, issue 1, p. 197-217

    • 2010

      "Deep HST/ACS Photometry of the M81 Halo"

      \apj, volume 718, issue 2, p. 1118-1127

    • 2010

      "Hierarchical Structure Formation and Modes of Star Formation in Hickson Compact Group 31"

      \aj, volume 139, issue 2, p. 545-564

    • 2009

      "Hot Subdwarf Stars Among the Objects Rejected from the PG Catalog: A First Assessment Using GALEX Photometry"

      \aj, volume 138, issue 2, p. 606-614

    • 2007

      "The Resolved Stellar Populations of a Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy in the Virgo Cluster"

      \apj, volume 656, issue 2, p. 746-755

    • 2007

      "The Metallicity Distribution of Intracluster Stars in Virgo"

      \apj, volume 656, issue 2, p. 756-769

    • 2007

      "Virgo's Intracluster Globular Clusters as Seen by the Advanced Camera for Surveys"

      \apj, volume 654, issue 2, p. 835-843

    • 2004

      "Intracluster Planetary Nebulae in the Virgo Cluster. III. Luminosity of the Intracluster Light and Tests of the Spatial Distribution"

      \apj, volume 615, issue 1, p. 196-208

    • 2004

      "The Planetary Nebula System of M33"

      \apj, volume 614, issue 1, p. 167-185

    • 2004

      "Photometry and the Metallicity Distribution of the Outer Halo of M31. II. The 30 Kiloparsec Field"

      \aj, volume 128, issue 1, p. 260-270

    • 2003

      "Intracluster Planetary Nebulae in the Virgo Cluster. II. Imaging Catalog"

      \apjs, volume 145, issue 1, p. 65-81

    • 2003

      "Kinematics of Planetary Nebulae in M51's Tidal Debris"

      \apj, volume 582, issue 1, p. 170-183

    • 2002

      "The Beginning of the End: Hubble Space Telescope Images of Seyfert's Sextet"

      \aj, volume 124, issue 5, p. 2425-2439

    • 2002

      "Planetary Nebulae as Standard Candles. XII. Connecting the Population I and Population II Distance Scales"

      \apj, volume 577, issue 1, p. 31-50

    • 2002

      "Intracluster Red Giant Stars in the Virgo Cluster"

      \apj, volume 570, issue 1, p. 119-131

    • 2001

      "The CFHT Open Star Cluster Survey. III. The White Dwarf Cooling Age of the Rich Open Star Cluster NGC 2099 (M37)"

      \aj, volume 122, issue 6, p. 3239-3257

    • 2001

      "The CFHT Open Star Cluster Survey. II. Deep CCD Photometry of the Old Open Star Cluster NGC 6819"

      \aj, volume 122, issue 1, p. 266-282

    • 2001

      "The CFHT Open Star Cluster Survey. I. Cluster Selection and Data Reduction"

      \aj, volume 122, issue 1, p. 257-265

    • 2001

      "Photometry and the Metallicity Distribution of the Outer Halo of M31"

      \aj, volume 121, issue 5, p. 2557-2571

    • 1998

      "Constraints on the Hubble constant from observations of the brightest red-giant stars in a Virgo-cluster galaxy"

      \nat, volume 395, issue 6697, p. 45-47

    • 1997

      "Unveiling palomar 2: The most obscure globular cluster in the outer halo."

      \aj, volume 114, p. 1043-1050

    • 1997

      "Surface Photometry of Virgo Dwarf Ellipticals"

      \aj, volume 113, p. 531-539

    • 1997

      "Hot HB stars in globular clusters - physical parameters and consequences for theory. IV. sdB candidates in M15."

      \aap, volume 317, p. 83-86

    • 1996

      "Globular Cluster Systems in Dwarf Elliptical Galaxies. II. The Virgo Cluster"

      \aj, volume 112, p. 972

    • 1996

      "Globular Cluster Systems in Dwarf Elliptical Galaxies. I. The dE, N Galaxy NGC 3115 DW1"

      \apj, volume 463, p. 543

    • 1995

      "Evidence for Mass Outflow from the Nucleus of M101: Knots, Rings, and a Geyser"

      \aj, volume 110, p. 2088

    • 1994

      "BR Photometry of the Halo of M31"

      \aj, volume 108, p. 2114

    • 1993

      "A Color-Magnitude Study of the Globular Cluster M15"

      \aj, volume 105, p. 1420

    • 1990

      "Is Age REALLY the Second Parameter in Globular Clusters?"

      \aj, volume 99, p. 221

    • 1988

      "Quasar Candidates in Two Extended CFHT Fields: 1338+27 and 1639+40"

      \aj, volume 96, p. 816

  • Professional Service
    • 2022 - 2022

      Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer
      Space Telescope Science Institute

    • Unknown

      Reviewer, Journal Article
      IOP Publishing - the Astrophysical Journal

    • 2014 - 2014

      Reviewer, Grant Proposal
      National Science Foundation
      Washington, DC

  • Public Service
    • Unknown

      Guest Speaker
      Salem Public Library
      Salem, OH

    • Unknown

      Guest Speaker
      Ward Beecher Planetarium
      Youngstown, OH

    • Unknown

      Participant
      Mahoning Valley Astronomical Society
      Youngstown, OH

    • Unknown

      Guest Speaker
      Columbiana Community Collective
      Columbiana, OH

    • Unknown

      Guest Speaker
      Ward Beecher Planetarium
      Youngstown, OH

    • Unknown

      Guest Speaker
      The Wilderness Center
      Wilmot, OH

    • Unknown

      Guest Speaker
      Mahoning Valley Lifelong Learners Institute
      Youngstown, OH

    • Unknown

      Guest Speaker
      Rupp Observatory
      Bellville, OH

    • Unknown

      Guest Speaker
      Mahoning Valley Lifelong Learners Institute
      Youngstown, OH

    • Unknown

      Guest Speaker
      Astronomy Club of Akron
      Akron, OH

    • Unknown

      Guest Speaker
      Baldwin Wallace University
      Berea, OH

    • Unknown

      Guest Speaker
      Mahoning Valley Lifelong Learners Institute
      Youngstown, OH

    • Unknown

      Guest Speaker
      Penn State University - AstroFest
      State College, PA

    • Unknown

      Guest Speaker
      Lakeside Cautauqua
      Lakeside, OH

    • Unknown

      Guest Speaker
      Lakeside Cautauqua
      Lakeside, OH

    • Unknown

      Guest Speaker
      Lakeside Cautauqua
      Lakeside, OH

    • Unknown

      Guest Speaker
      Lakeside Cautauqua
      Lakeside, OH

    • Unknown

      Guest Speaker
      Penn State - Behrend College
      Erie, PA

    • Unknown

      Guest Speaker
      YSU STEM + Youngstown Phantoms - Hockey for Health program
      Youngstown, OH

    • Unknown

      Guest Speaker
      Cleveland Astronomical Society
      Cleveland, OH

    • 2014 - 2014

      Guest Speaker
      Ward Beecher Planetarium
      Youngstown, OH

    • Unknown

      Guest Speaker
      Boardman Public Library
      Boardman, OH

    • Unknown

      Guest Speaker
      Chagrin Valley Astronomical Society
      Huntsburg, OH

    • Unknown

      Guest Speaker
      Allegheny Observatory
      Pittsburgh, PA

    • Unknown

      Guest Speaker
      Mahoning Valley Astronomical Society
      Newton Falls, OH

Patrick Durrell Professor of Astronomy

Patrick Durrell is an astronomer and Distinguished Professor in the Department of Physics & Astronomy, and is also the Director of the Ward Beecher Planetarium.

Dr. Durrell’s research involves studies of the formation of galaxies through photometric studies of stars and globular clusters both within and outside of galaxies, making use of imaging data from the Hubble Space Telescope and other large ground-based telescopes, including the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. Specific research includes:

  • The distribution and chemical composition of globular clusters surrounding galaxies, as well as searching for globular clusters that lie in the space between the galaxies.
  • Intracluster stars – stars that formed within galaxies, but have since been gravitationally extracted from galaxies, and are now part of intergalactic space.
  • Photometric studies of stars and star clusters of colliding galaxies and in dwarf galaxies in nearby galaxy groups and clusters.
  • Stellar populations of nearby galaxies (eg. M81, M101, M31), specifically the luminous red-giant populations in these galaxies, in order to look at the formation and subsequent evolution of these galaxies.
  • Searching for dwarf galaxies and extremely low-surface-brightness (LSB) galaxies in nearby galaxy clusters. Dr. Durrell has been a part of the massive NGVS (Next Generation Virgo Cluster Survey) project since 2009, and the MATLAS project since 2012.

He is also actively involved in science outreach through YSU’s Ward Beecher Planetarium, and through CosmoQuest. He is also interested in incorporating recent astronomical data into the fulldome, immersive environment of planetariums.

Dr. Durrell received his PhD in Physics in 1996 from McMaster University, in Hamilton, Ontario. He held postdoctoral and teaching positions at the University of Waterloo, Case Western Reserve University, the University of British Columbia, and Penn State University, before coming to YSU in 2004.

Patrick Durrell research images

Selected Publications

Galaxies at the Extreme: Ultra-diffuse Galaxies in the Virgo Cluster, Mihos, J.C. et al. 2015, ApJL, 809, 21

The Next Generation Virgo Cluster Survey. I. Introduction to the Survey, Ferrarese, L., et al. 2012, ApJS, 200, 4

Galaxy Evolution in a Complex Environment: A Multi-wavelength Study of HCG 7, Konstantopoulos, I.K. et al. 2010, ApJ, 723, 197

Hierarchical Structure Formation and Modes of Star Formation in Hickson Compact Group 31, Gallagher, S.G., Durrell, P.R., et al. 2010, AJ, 139, 545

The Resolved Stellar Populations of a Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy in the Virgo Cluster, Durrell, P.R. et al. 2007, ApJ, 656, 746

The Metallicity Distribution of Intracluster Stars in Virgo, Williams, B.F. et al. 2007, ApJ, 656, 756

Intracluster Red Giant Stars in the Virgo ClusterDurrell, P.R., Ciardullo, R., Feldmeier, J.J., Jacoby, G.H., Sigurdsson, S. 2002, ApJ, 570, 119

Ward Beecher Planetarium

CosmoQuest