Astrophysics: Stellar Activity

About the role

The NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) offers unique research opportunities to highly-talented scientists to engage in ongoing NASA research projects at a NASA Center, NASA Headquarters, or at a NASA-affiliated research institute. These one- to three-year fellowships are competitive and are designed to advance NASA’s missions in space science, Earth science, aeronautics, space operations, exploration systems, and astrobiology.

Description

Partially and fully convective stars (< 1.8 solar masses) produce magnetic fields that inject energy into the photosphere, chromosphere, and corona producing a broad array of observable phenomena called “stellar activity“. Manifestations of stellar activity, for example starspots, flares, and quiescent chromospheric emission, can be observed with spectroscopy or photometry across the entire electromagnetic spectrum. Recent studies have prioritized the lowest-mass stars (M dwarfs) for their high levels of stellar activity and their importance as exoplanet host stars. Many NASA observatories including Chandra, NICER, Swift, Hubble, and TESS have produced rich multiwavelength data sets of stellar time-variability and X-ray and ultraviolet emission that can inform our understanding of stars and provide valuable inputs into exoplanet atmosphere models.

Qualifications

• A Ph.D. in astronomy, physics, or a related discipline.
• Prior experience with time-domain astrophysics analyses, multi-wavelength studies, and other relevant skills are desirable.

Contact Information

We are particularly interested in multi-wavelength approaches to understanding activity. Potential topics of study include: stellar rotation and flares, relationships between different activity indicators, the time evolution of stellar activity, and the influence of activity on exoplanets. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center hosts several time-domain astrophysics missions currently in operation (TESS, Swift, NICER, etc.) and others in development (e.g. Pandora and Dorado). Proposed projects that capitalize on more than one resource are encouraged.

Location

Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland

Field of Science

Astrophysics

Advisors

• Allison Youngblood
  allison.a.youngblood@nasa.gov
  N/A
  301 286 2584
• Joshua Schlieder
  joshua.e.schlieder@nasa.gov
  301 286 5079
• Paul Scowen
  paul.a.scowen@nasa.gov
  (602) 617-3330
• Thomas Barclay
  thomas.barclay@nasa.gov
  301.286.5079

Application Instructions

Interested applicants are encouraged to contact the advisor(s).

Eligibility

• U.S. Citizens;
• U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR);
• Foreign Nationals eligible for an Exchange Visitor J-1 visa status;
• Applicants for LPR, asylees, or refugees in the U.S. at the time of application with 1) a valid EAD card and 2) I-485 or I-589 forms in pending status

Questions

Questions about this opportunity? Please email npp@orau.org