Qualifications

Degrees

• B Sc (Hons), Australian National University, 1968
• M Sc, University of Saskatchewan, Canada, 1971 (by thesis)

Fellowships and memberships

• Fellow of the Australian Institute of Physics (elected March 1992).
• Member of the Astronomical Society of Australia (April 2009)
• Member of the Australian Academy of Science National Committee on Astronomy, 1994-1998
• Member of the Australian Institute of Physics Strategic Plan Implementation Committee
• Board Member of the National Informational Technology Council Inc., 1985-1988.
• Member, American Association of Variable Star Observers
• Member, Canberra Astronomical Society
• Visitor, John Curtin School of Medical Research, ANU, 2004-2006

Publications

Thesis related papers

Some stuff I have prepared since arriving at Mt Stromlo:

• My PhD thesis proposal, submitted on 6 November 2009 [PDF]
• Notes for Stellar Lunch on 24 November 2009 [PDF]
• Keynote/Powerpoint slides for Thesis Proposal presentation, 4 December 2009 [PDF]
• First major paper, accepted by The Astronomical Journal, tentative issue vol. 142, No. 3, September 2011. See astro-ph preprint.

Radio & TV broadcasts

Adi Chopra and I starred as guests on the 2XX-FM science radio program "Fuzzy Logic" on 20 December 2009. Here is the link to the mp3 file (first few minutes missing - as the track starts we were talking about the Ashen Light glow on the dark side of Venus, which was initially attributed to celebrations for a new ruler of the planet. This happened rather too often to inspire confidence in the stability of the Venusian Government).

More recently (July 2011), I had the opportunity to talk on Channel Seven's Sunrise program about the coming sunspot cycle and whether the sunspots might be disappearing, and if so, whether this might cool the Earth's climate. My first TV broadcast.

MSc Thesis

• "Hydroxyl Rotational Temperatures in the Airglow" (M Sc thesis, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, 1972)

Research papers:

• Mathewson DS & Nicholls DC (1968) "The Local Spiral Arm magnetic field", Astrophysical Journal (Letters) 154, L11-17 *
• Harrison AW, Llewellyn EJ & Nicholls DC (1970) "Night airglow hydroxyl rotational temperatures", Canadian Journal of Physics 48 (15) 1766-1768
• Nicholls DC, Evans WFJ & Llewellyn EJ (1972) "Collisional relaxation and rotational intensity distributions in spectra of aeronomic interest", Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer 12 549-558 *
• Nicholls DC & Stewart ICF (1974) "The location of meteorite impacts by seismic methods", Meteoritics 9 (3) 223-231 *
• Wood FQ, Nicholls DC & Meek VL (1993) "The importance of 'seed' research funds in science and technology: an Australian case study", Australian Educational Researcher 20 (3) 83-100
• Nicholls DC (2001) "Fractal ferns", Pteridologist, 6 149-154 **

* refereed paper
** invited paper

Government reports:

• "Asbestos as an Environmental Hazard", Department of Science and Environment, 1979
• "An Evaluation of the Bilateral Science and Technology Collaboration Program", Department of Industry, Technology & Commerce, 1993

Books

• "Playing with Fire. Tapping the Power of Macromedia Fireworks" Wiley, 2001. (with Linda Rathgeber)
• Chapter: "Accessibility: Seeing as Others See, or Otherwise" in Dreamweaver MX Magic, New Riders, 2002.