Lee Anne Mordy Willson
University Professor
Department of Physics and Astronomy
Iowa State University
Ames IA 50011
515 294 6765 lwillson@iastate.edu
Education
1973
1970
1968-9
1968
Employment
Ph.D., Astronomy, University of Michigan
M.S., Astronomy, University of Michigan
Fulbright and American-Scandinavian Foundation Scholar, Stockholm, Sweden
A.B. (cum laude), Physics, Harvard University
1973-present Faculty, Iowa State University, Department of Physics and Astronomy
2007 Visiting astronomer, Cambridge University, Cambridge UK
2003-4 Visiting Professor, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Uppsala University, and
University of Minnesota
Visiting Professor, University of Minnesota 1994
1991 Visiting Professor, Uppsala University, Sweden
1985 Visiting Fellow, Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics, and Astronomy Department,
University of Toronto
Honors and awards
Merit Award, American Association of Variable Star Astronomers (2008)
Outstanding Board Member, Ames Community Arts Council (2007)
AAAS Fellow (1994)
Award for outstanding teaching at the introductory level, ISU, (1993)
Annie Jump Cannon Award (1980)
National and international service in astronomy
American Astronomical Society: VP 2009-2012; Publication Board 2006-2010; Council (1993-96).
AURA Board of Directors (1989-2002).
American Association for the Advancement of Science: Various offices 1992 - 2002 including a turn as Chair of
Section D (= Astronomy section).
American Association of Variable Star Observers: Councilor (4 terms) plus Senior VP (2 years), President (2 years), and Ex-President (2 years) ending October 2004.
IUE Users’ Committee (1983-90) & NASA / ESA / SERC “Three Agency” committee (1984-90)
Other
Founding President, Creative Artists’ Studios of Ames, Inc. (2000).

Publications
L. A. Willson, "Fluorescent FeI Emission in Long-Period Variables," A & A . 17 , 354 (1972).
L. A. Willson, "FeI Fluorescence in T Tauri Stars," Ap. J . 191 , 143-155 (1974).
L. A. Willson, "FeI Fluorescence in T Tauri Stars II: Clues to the Velocity Field in the Circumstellar Envelope," Ap. J.
197 , 365-370 (1975).
L. A. Willson, "Shockwave Interpretation of Emission Lines in Long Period Variable Stars I: The Velocity of the
Shock," Ap. J.
205 , 172-181 (1976).
J. N. Pierce, L. A. Willson, and W. I. Beavers, "Radial Velocity Observations of Long Period Variables," P. A.S.P., 91 ,
372 (1979).
L. A. Willson and S.J
. Hill, "Shock Wave Interpretation of Emission Lines in Long Period Variable Stars II. Periodicity and Mass Loss," Ap J . 228 , 854-869 (1979).
S. J. Hill and L. A. Willson, "Theoretical Velocity Structure of Long-Period Variable Star Photospheres," Ap. J.
229 ,
1029 (1979).
A. Sanyal and L. A. Willson, "Evolution of Balmer Line Emission Profiles of V1500 Cygni in the Early Decline Phase,"
Ap. J . 237 , 529, (1980).
L. A. Willson, "Theoretical Relationships between Observable Quantities for Mira Variables," in Physical Processes in
Red Giants , Reidel, edited by I. Iben, Jr. and A. Renzini, p. 225-229 (1981)
L. A. Willson, "Miras, Mass Loss, and the Origin of Planetary Nebulae," IAU Colloquium #59 Effects of Mass Loss on
Stellar Evolution , Reidel, ed. by C. Chiosi and R. Statio, p. 353-356 (1981)
L. A. Willson, "Properties of Mira Variables" (review), Pulsations in Classical and Cataclysmic Variable Stars , J. P.
Cox & C.J. Hansen, editors; p. 269-283 (1982).
L. A. Willson, P. G. Garnavich, and I.
A. Mattei, "The 1978 Eclipse of R Aquarii," International Bulletin of Variable
Stars Number 1961 , p. 1-4 (1981).
L. A. Willson, G. Wallerstein, and C. Pilachowski, "Atmospheric Kinematics of High Velocity Long Period Variables,"
MNRAS 198, 483-516 (1982).
L. A. Willson and G. H. Bowen, "Atmospheric Structure and Mass Loss for Pulsating Stars, " in The Relation Between
Chromospheric/Coronal Heating and Mass Loss in Stars , Stalio & Zirker, eds., 1985 (Tabographis, Italy) p. 127-156.
Willson, L. A. Study of Variable Stars using Small Telescope s 219 “The O-C Diagram - a Useful Tool” in The Study of
Variable Stars using Small Telescopes . Editor, John R. Percy; Publisher, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge,
England, New York, p219 (1986)
L. A. Wi11son and G. Bowen, "Effects of Pu1sation and Mass Loss on Stellar Evolution” Nature 312 , 429- 431 (1984).
L. A. Willson, J. Salzer, G. Wallerstein, and E. Brugel, "Winds in Collision I. Geometric Implications of the Emission
Lines for V1016 Cyg and HM Sge," A&A . 133 , 137-153 (1984).
L. A. Willson, G. Wallerstein, E. Brugel, and R. E. Stencel, "Winds in Collision II. An Analysis of the X-Ray Emission from the Eruptive Symbiotic HM Sge," A&A . 133 , 154-164 (1984).
Bowen, G. H. and Willson, L. A. “Large Early Solar Mass Loss - 1. Solar System Evolution“ Meteoritics 21 338 (1986)
Willson, L. A. and Bowen, G. H. “Pulsation and mass loss for post-main sequence stars “ Irish Astronomical Journal 17
249 10 (1986)
L. A. Willson, "Atmospheric Structure and Mass Loss From Pulsation with Speculative Application to Be Stars," PASP
98 , 37-40, 1986.

J. Guzik, L. A. Willson, and W. Brunish, "A Comparison Between Mass-Losing and Standard Solar Models," ApJ 319 , pp. 957-965 (1987).
Brunish, W. M.; Willson, L. A. “Evolution of Cepheids with Pulsationally Driven Mass Loss” in Stellar Pulsation,
Lecture Notes in Physics Vol. 274, edited by A. N. Cox, W. M. Sparks, and S. G. Starrfield. Springer-Verlag, Berlin,
1987, p.27 (1987)
L. A. Willson, G. H. Bowen, and C. Struck-Marcell, "Mass Loss on the Main Sequence,' Comments on Astrophvsics ,
Vol. XII, pp. 17-34, (1987).
T. Girard and L. A. Willson, "Modeling the Interaction nebulae of Eruptive Symbiotics Winds Collision III," A&A 183 ,
247-256 (1987).
T. E. Beach, L. A. Willson, and G. H. Bowen, "The Effects of Pulsation-Extended Atmospheres on the Apparent
Diameters of Mira Variables," Ap. J .
329 , 241-252 (1988).
H. Olofsson, U. Carlstrom, K. Eriksson, B. Gustafsson, and L. A. Willson, “Bright Carbon Stars with Detached
Circumstellar Envelopes-A Natural Consequence of Helium Shell Flashes?” A&A . 230 , L13-16 (1990).
L. A. Willson and G. H. Bowen, "Atmospheric Structure and Polarization for Red Giants," Polarized radiation of circumstellar origin ed. G. Coyne, S.J., Vatican Observatory/University of Arizona Press, p. 485-510.
(1988)
L. A. Willson, “IUE Observations of Pulsating Stars: Atmospheric Structure, Shock Waves, and Stellar Winds,” in A
Decade of UV Astronomy with the IUE Satellite, ed. Y. Kondo, W. Wamsteker, and R. Wilson, ESA SP 281 , p. 29-40
(1988).
Bowen, G. H. and L. A. Willson. (1991). "From Wind to Superwind: The Evolution of Mass-Loss Rates for Mira
Models." A. J. 375 : L53-L56.
Bowen, G. H. and Willson, L. A., "From Wind to Superwind: The Evolution of Mass-Loss Rates for Mira Models," Ap.
J., 375 , L53-L56 (1991).
Cadmus, R.R., Jr., Willson, L. A., "Observation of Possible Mode Switching in Three Semiregular Variable Stars," A. J .
101 , 1043 (1991).
Patten, B. M. and Willson, L. A., "An IRAS Survey of Main Sequence B, A, and F Stars," A. J.
102 , 323-332 (1991).
Wallerstein, G., Gilroy, K. K., Willson, L. A. and Camavich, P., "The Spectrum of the Symbiotic Nova AS 296 (=FG
Serpentis) from 1988 July to 1992 March," PASP 105 , 859-862 (1993).
Hoard, D., Wallerstein, G. and Willson, L. A., "ROSAT Observations of PU Vul, FG Ser, and V Sge" PASP 108 , 81
(1996).
Willson, L. A. , Bowen, G. H., and Struck, C. "Metallicity Dependence of Terminal AGE Luminosity", in From Stars to
Galaxies: The Impact of Stellar Physics on Galaxy Evolution, ed. C. Leitherer, U. Fritze-von Alvensleben, and J.
Huchra, ASP Conf. Series Vol. 98 , 197-201 (1996).
Mattei, J. A., Foster, G., Hurwitz, L. A., Malatesta, K. H., Willson, L. A., and Mennessier, M. O. “Classification of Red
Variables“, Hipparcos ESA SP 402 269 31 (1997)
Willson, L. A., Struck, C., and Bowen, G. H. “Winds from Pulsating Stars“ in Cosmic Winds and the Heliosphere,
Edited by J.R. Jokipii, C.P. Sonett, and M.S. Giampapa. Tucson: University of Arizona, 155 (1997)
Willson, L. A. and Bowen, G. H. “Pulsation and Stellar Winds: Some Lessons Learned from Dynamical Models of the
Atmospheres of Cool Stars”, in Cyclical Variability in Stellar Winds , Kaper and Fullerton, eds. p294 (1998).
Willson, L. A. “Mass Loss from Cool Stars: Impact on the Evolution of Stars and Stellar Populations”, Annual Reviews of Astronomy and Astrophysics 38 , 573-611.
Struck, C., Cohanim, B, and Willson, L. A. “Models of Planets and Brown Dwarfs in Mira winds”, ApJ (Letters) 572 ,
L83-86. (2002)

Struck, C.; Smith, D., Willson, L. A. “The Self-Regulated Winds of Long Period Variables”, MNRAS 353 , 2004.
Templeton, M. R., Mattei, J. A., and Willson, L. A. (2005) "Secular Evolution in Mira Variable Pulsations", AJ 130 ,
776 (2005)
Ragland, S., Traub, W. A., Berger, J.-P., Danchi, W. C., Monnier, J. D., Willson, L. A., Carleton, N. P., Lacasse, M. G.,
Millan-Gabet, R., Pedretti, E., Schloerb, F. P., Cotton, W. D., Townes, C. H., Brewer, M., Haguenauer, P., Kern, P.,
Labeye, P., Malbet, F., Malin, D., Pearlman, M., Perraut, K., Souccar, K., and Wallace, G. First Surface-resolved
Results with the Infrared Optical Telescope Array Imaging Interferometer: Detection of Asymmetries in Asymptotic
Giant Branch Stars” ApJ 652 650 2006
Ragland, S., Le Coroller, H., Pluzhnik, E., Cotton, W. D., Danchi, W. C., Monnier, J. D., Traub, W. A., Willson, L. A.,
Berger, J.-P., and Lacasse, M. G. “First Images of R Aquarii and Its Asymmetric H
2
O Shell“, ApJ 679 746 (2008)
Pluzhnik, Eugene A., Ragland, Sam, LeCoroller, Herve, Cotton, William D., Danchi, William C., Traub, Wesley A., and Willson, Lee Anne “The Structure and Kinematics of the Envelope Around U Ori from Iota Observations”, ApJ 700
114 (2009)
Popular and Semi-Popular Review Articles:
Willson, L. A. “Why do Planets have Rings ?” Astronomy, 5 , 6 (1977)
Willson, L. A. “The dark sky paradox and the origin of the universe. Astronomy 6, 52 (1978)
Richardson, S. M. and Willson, L. A. “Cosmic Contamination: Elemental Clues to the Sun's Birth” Astronomy 8, 6
(1980)
T. G. Barnes and L. A. Willson, "Recent Work on Mira Variables," JAAVSO 2 , 3 (1980).
Willson, L. A. The Strangest of Mira-Type Stars - R-Aquarii Sky and Telescope 62 108 (1981)
L. A. Willson, "Mira Variables," JAAVSO 12 , 228-235, 1986
L. A. Willson, “Theoretical Glue: Understanding the Observed Properties of Miras with the help of Theoretical
Models”, JAAVSO 28 , 165, 2000.
Willson, L. A. and Struck, C. “Hot Flashes on Miras”, JAAVSO 30 , p23, (2001)
Willson, L. A. “Miras and Janet Mattei” JAAVSO 33 , 181 (2005)
Willson, L. A. “What Makes a Star Act Like a Mira?—and Other Conclusions From Dynamical Atmosphere Models”
JAAVSO 35 , p 62 (2006)
Templeton, M., Willson, L. A., & Foster, G. “Period Change in the Semiregular Variable RU Vulpeculae”, JAAVSO 36 , p1, (2008 )
Books
Angular Momentum and Mass Loss for Hot Stars, L. A. Willson and R. Stalio, eds. Kluwer Press 1990. (Proceedings of a NATO-ARW held in Ames in October 1989).
Stellar Pulsation and Mass Loss, Proceedings of the 1987 Trieste Workshop; edited by R. Stalio and L. A. Willson;
Reidel, 1988.