Solar System Exploration: Grain Catalysis in the Protosolar Nebula

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

To understand the results of analyses of organics in natural samples and help us interpret their significance, we perform laboratory experiments to simulate processes, which we suspect contribute to the formation of these organics. In the laboratory, we simulate gas-grain Fischer-Tropsch and Haber-Bosch type reactions catalyzed by synthetic mineral grains and ground minerals, which are similar to those in the proto-Solar nebula. These produce a variety of organic compounds, including amines, nitriles, alkanes, alkynes, amino acids, lipid-like species, alcohols, amines, and amides. These reactions deposit significant amounts of carbonaceous matter onto the grain surfaces and these coatings have been shown to trap noble gases. We believe that such coated grains were incorporated into forming solar system planetesimals, were modified by internal heating and hydration processes and then accreted to the ancient Earth. Thus, we are striving to realistically simulate exogenous processes and characterize the organic material of pre-biotic interest produced therein, including the ratios of trapped noble gases and compare this data to authentic extraterrestrial samples to constrain their formation conditions and their potential impact on the origin of life.

Location

Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland

Field of Science

Astrophysics

Advisors

• Joseph Andrew Nuth
  joseph.a.nuth@nasa.gov
  301-286-9467
• Natasha Johnson
  Natasha.M.Johnson@nasa.gov
  301-286-3919

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

Please email npp@orau.org

Application Requirements

• Research proposal
• Three letters of recommendation
• Official doctoral transcript documents