Laboratory Studies of Solar System and ISM-relevant Ices spanning Near- to Far-infrared Wavelengths

About the role

The Planetary Systems Laboratory (693) in the Solar System Exploration Division (690) at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) seeks a qualified postdoctoral applicant to work in the Spectroscopy for Planetary ICes Environments (SPICE) laboratory. This position is strictly laboratory based, with the NPP project aim to generate both outer solar system and ISM-relevant ice analogs by performing laboratory IR transmission spectroscopy spanning the far- to near-IR.

Responsibilities

To enhance the science return from past flight missions (e.g., ISO, Herschel, Cassini), current missions (e.g., SPHEREx, JWST, New Horizons), and to prepare for upcoming missions (e Dragonfly, Astrophysics Far-IR Probe), a dedicated laboratory effort to determine the optical and chemical properties of pure, layered, and co-condensed ices embedded within a wide variety of astrophysical environments (e.g., outer solar system, protoplanetary and debris disks, etc.) is vital. This is especially true for dedicated experiments performed at far-IR wavelengths longward of ~20 um, over a large range of temperatures representing a diverse set of astrophysically-relevant environments, especially for water ice-containing co-condensed mixtures. The far-IR is a robust spectral region that comprises low energy intermolecular and lattice vibrational modes of many astrophysically-relevant ices, which provides unique views of the ice composition, ice structure, porosity, and its thermal history.

Since pure and layered ice experiments do not reproduce the characteristics of co-condensed ices, targeted co-condensed experiments must be performed to determine the ice band position, shape, and strength, as well as its optical properties, which are all innately unique to co-condensed ices, especially at far-IR wavelengths. Thus, a large emphasis of this NPP project will be placed on co-condensation studies.

Requirements

• Doctoral Degree

Qualifications

Since this is a laboratory-based position, applicants should have a strong background in IR spectroscopy, cryogenic techniques, and experience with laboratory instrumentation. Experience with co-condensation techniques and familiarity with astrophysical ices is preferred but not required.

Skills

• IR spectroscopy
• Cryogenic techniques
• Laboratory instrumentation
• Co-condensation techniques

Benefits

The NASA Postdoctoral Program 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.

Pay

The salary range for this position is $70,000 - $90,000 per year, depending on qualifications and experience.

Schedule

This is a full-time position with a flexible schedule to accommodate research needs.

Contact Information

For questions about this opportunity, please email npp@orau.org.