Infrared Spectroscopy and Radiation Chemistry of Ices Cosmic Ice Laboratory

Organization

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

0202-NPP-NOV
26-GSFC-Planet Sci

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.

Our research group is part of the Astrochemistry Laboratory in the Solar System Exploration Division at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, and is a member of the Goddard Center for Astrobiology. We specialize in studying the spectra, the chemistry, and the physical properties of ices relevant to comets, icy satellites and planets, and the coatings of dust grains in the interstellar medium.

Although many cosmic ices are dominated by H2O, they also contain "prebiotic" molecules such as CO, CO2, CH4, NH3, and CH3OH. In studying these molecules we are probing the early, ancient chemistry which eventually led to the origin of life.

In our laboratory we prepare ices by using a cryostat to condense gas-phase mixtures to temperatures as low as 10 K. The ices are made in a vacuum system to simulate the low pressure of outer space, and also to avoid undesirable contamination from the Earth's atmosphere. An infrared spectrometer is used to record spectra of an ice during experiments. Our laboratory set‑up is unusual because it is interfaced not only to a Van de Graaff accelerator, that can produce protons at energies up to about 1 million electron volts (1 MeV), but also to a hydrogen‑discharge lamp that supplies ultraviolet (UV) photons (energy ≈10 eV).

The high‑energy protons simulate the magnetospheric or cosmic ray radiation exposure expected for planetary, cometary, and interstellar ices, while the UV photons from our lamp simulate the Solar or interstellar UV field. When either the protons or UV photons strike an ice sample they produce ionizations and excitations, resulting in chemical reactions to make new molecules. By comparing infrared spectra taken before and after this processing of an ice, we can identify molecules formed by either radiolysis or photolysis.

• Proton irradiation of ices and ice mixtures to determine destruction rate constants of various organic compounds of astrobiological interest (amino acids, nucleobases, PAHs, etc). This involves creating mixtures of these compounds in an ice matrix relevant to different environments and performing irradiation experiments to measure their destruction rate constants at various concentrations and temperatures.
• Proton irradiation of ices to determine formation pathways of molecules of interstellar, planetary, and/or astrobiological interest.
• The determination of the near-, mid- and far- infrared optical constants of ices of interstellar and planetary interest. This involves the measurement of ice refractive indices, mass densities, transmission spectra, and band strengths.
• Low-temperature reaction chemistry in ices relevant to Europa, Titan, Enceladus, and other places.

Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland

Planetary Science

Perry Gerakines
Perry.

A.Gerakines

Reggie Hudson
reggie.hudson

Christopher Materese
christopher.k.materese

• Degree:
  Doctoral Degree.
• Applications with citizens from Designated Countries will not be accepted at this time, unless they are Legal Permanent Residents of the United States.

• U.S. Citizens;
• U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR);
• Foreign Nationals eligible for an Exchange Visitor J-1 visa status;
• Applicants for LPR, asylees, or refugees in the U.S. at the time of application with
  1) a valid EAD card and
  2) I-485 or I-589 forms in pending status.

Please email npp
Point of Contact:
Mikeala