Planetary Cloud Chamber Instrumentation and Experimental Methods Development

The NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) offers unique research opportunities to highly-talented scientists to engage in ongoing NASA research projects. This specific opportunity focuses on developing a new Planetary Cloud Aerosol Research Facility (PCARF) for experimental studies on cloud formation in planetary atmospheres. The research group is seeking postdoctoral researchers to participate in developing and adapting laboratory instrumentation for measuring cloud particle properties, cloud and gas chemical compositions, and fluid flow velocities and temperatures. The fellowship aims to address strategic questions from the Decadal Strategy for Planetary Science and Astrobiology 2023-2032 regarding chemical and microphysical processes that govern clouds in solid body atmospheres. Researchers will develop experimental programs to collect data, perform analysis, and write peer-reviewed publications demonstrating the cloud chamber and its instrumentation for use by the wider planetary science community. These one- to three-year fellowships are competitive and designed to advance NASA's missions in space science, Earth science, aeronautics, space operations, exploration systems, and astrobiology.