NASA Postdoctoral Program - Experimental Investigation of the Stability, Formation, and Exchanges in Clathrate Hydrates for Outer Solar System Applications

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 postdoctoral position focuses on experimental investigation of clathrate hydrates for outer solar system applications. The research involves studying crystalline arrangements of icy cages trapping gas molecules, their stability, and physical properties related to interactions between the icy skeleton and trapped gas under various pressure, temperature, and gas composition conditions. The fellow will work with a cryogenic optical gas pressure system at JPL to conduct measurements on the formation, stability, and chemical exchanges in clathrate hydrates, using microscopy coupled with Raman spectroscopy, cryogenic calorimetry, and vacuum systems with FT-IR and mass spectrometry. The objective is to develop thermodynamic and kinetic models to address planetary science questions about whether clathrate hydrates formed in the solar nebula and what chemical reactions may occur in the clathrate phase under changing Titan conditions.