What are the responsibilities and job description for the Postdoctoral Research Fellow position at Bay Area Environmental Research Institute?
Laboratory Studies of Astrophysical Ices and Organic Compounds
Description of the Research Opportunity:
Our group at the Ices, Ice Irradiation, and Organics Laboratory for Astrobiology (I 3 OLAB) at NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA, studies the composition, evolution, and the physical and chemical properties of interstellar and planetary materials. More specifically, we focus on the evolution of astrophysical ices (on interstellar grains in dense molecular clouds, on grains in protoplanetary disks, in comets, and on the surface of icy worlds in our Solar System) and their interaction with energetic radiation (photons and energetic particles). In particular, we are interested in how radiation processes lead to the formation of organic residues which contain a large variety of organic molecules including compounds of astrobiological interest. Such astrophysical ice analogs are produced in the laboratory under conditions that are realistically close to those expected in the interstellar medium, protoplanetary disks, and the surface of cold Solar System objects by adjusting experimental parameters such as the temperature and the pressure. Resulting samples are then analyzed using a range of analytical techniques which include infrared (IR) spectroscopy and microscopy, gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS), fluorescence microscopy, and X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy. We also have national and international collaborations to use other analytical instruments in order to study the organic materials produced in
our experiments and determine their chemical and isotopic compositions. The study of these materials provides us with qualitative and quantitative information to: (1) interpret astronomical observations; (2) interpret data taken from extraterrestrial samples (cosmic dust, meteorites, samples returned by spacecraft missions such as Hayabusa2 and OSIRIS-REx); (3) interpret data obtained by missions going to other Solar System objects; (4) help improve existing astrophysical and astrochemical models which need experimental inputs; and (5) guide instrument development for future missions. More information on the Astrophysics Astrochemistry Laboratory can be
found on our website at http://www.astrochem.org.
Note that the selected candidate will be hired as a Bay Area Environmental Research Institute (BAERI) employee.
Preferred Qualifications for Applicants:
Required: PhD degree in physics, astrophysics, chemistry, astrochemistry, astrobiology, or related scientific field.
Preferred: Experience in conducting and designing laboratory experiments in the fields of astrophysics, astrochemistry, photochemistry, surface chemistry, chemistry at low temperature, analysis of extraterrestrial materials.
Preferred: Experience with spectroscopy techniques (IR, UV, X-ray) and/or chemical analytical techniques (HPLC, GC-MS, LC-MS).
Encouraged: Experience in publishing scientific papers and presenting scientific results at domestic and international conferences.
Citizenship Requirements:
Applications from U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents (Green Card), and foreign nationals* are accepted.
*Notes to foreign national applicants:
(1) Applicants from foreign countries will need to interact with BAERI to apply for an H-1B (work) visa in order to be able to be hired. The H-1B visa application and process may take a few weeks or months to complete.
(2) Citizens of designated countries, unless they are legal permanent residents of the U.S. or a waiver has been granted, will require an escort at all times, which is why applications from designated countries are accepted but not encouraged. The list of
designated countries is available at http://oiir.hq.nasa.gov/nasaecp/.
Salary : $85,000 - $90,000