Mineralogy and aqueous alteration of the martian surface

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.

Responsibilities

The goal of this research is to reconstruct the history of liquid water on Mars through mineralogical and geochemical measurements of the martian surface and analog materials. Studies of phyllosilicate, iron oxide, sulfate, and carbonate minerals and amorphous or poorly crystalline phases are encouraged. Studies of mineral sorting and segregation in fluviolacustrine and aeolian environments on Earth as a means to interpret the mineralogy of martian surface deposits are also of great interest.

Requirements

• Analytical instruments available at JSC include X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, thermal and evolved gas analysis, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy, ion chromatography, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and electron microprobe.
• JSC also has test bed instruments for the CheMin X-ray diffractometer on the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover, the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument on Curiosity, the Thermal and Evolved Gas Analyzer (TEGA) on Phoenix, ChemCam on Curiosity, and the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, and data collected on these instruments are directly comparable to those collected on Mars.
• Scientists with experience analyzing weathering products or amorphous materials using Synchrotron techniques are also encouraged to apply.

Qualifications

• A Doctoral Degree.

Skills

Experience analyzing weathering products or amorphous materials using Synchrotron techniques is encouraged.

Benefits

Not specified.

Pay

Not specified.

Schedule

Not specified.

Contact Information

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

Point of Contact

Mikeala