Mineralogy of Fine-Grained Extraterrestrial Materials

This NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) fellowship focuses on exploring the early history of the solar system through detailed characterization of minerals and noncrystalline phases composing primitive extraterrestrial materials. The research is performed principally by analytical electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, electron back-scattered diffraction, and synchrotron X-ray microdiffraction. Current research examines carbonaceous chondrites, interplanetary dust particles, asteroid Itokawa and comet Wild 2 grains, and fluid inclusions and primitive organics in meteorites. 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.