Energetics and Kinematics of Feedback from Massive Young Stars

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. This specific position focuses on massive young stars that return energy to their surroundings via radiative and mechanical processes. The fellowship holder will work at JPL with a group of scientists involved in analysis of fine structure lines and modeling of photon dominated regions, developing improved methods of data reduction and extraction of key parameters for determining the kinematics and dynamics of the gas surrounding massive young stars. The research involves measurement of momentum and energy inputs from stars using far infrared fine structure line emission, particularly of ionized carbon, ionized nitrogen, and atomic oxygen. The fellow will work with data from SOFIA, GUSTO ultra-long duration balloon mission, and the ASTHROS mission. The Astrophysics and Space Sciences Section at JPL provides a broadly stimulating environment with opportunities to interact with engineers developing new instrumentation and scientists working on concepts for new missions.