Geological fluid processes on other worlds

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. This specific opportunity focuses on interpretation and modeling of geological fluid mechanical processes on other worlds, especially cryo-volcanic and hydrologic processes, using a combination of remote sensing techniques, terrestrial analog studies, geological interpretation, laboratory measurements and physical modeling. The research investigates coupled evolution of geologic fluid pathways, including volcanic vents, hydrological channels and caves, with associated hypothesis-driven science requirements for future missions to icy worlds. Research topics include studies of how Enceladus' jets and plume are erupted, the nature of karst-like processes on Titan, the viability of cryovolcanism on relatively unexplored worlds especially the moons of Uranus, and the formation of plumes and enigmatic landforms on Neptune's captured moon Triton. The fellowship is located at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, under the advisement of Dr. Karl Mitchell. Candidates are encouraged to pursue their own research ideas that overlap with the advisor's interests and capabilities in planetary science and geological fluid processes on icy worlds.