Postdoctoral Research Assistant III

Job no: 503883

Department: Center for Space Plasma & Aeronomic Research

Work type: Postdoctoral Student Employee

Location: Alabama

Categories: Research - Environmental

This position, supervised by Dr. Xin An, the new faculty member of the Department of Space Science at UAH, will support research on lunar wake physics using ARTEMIS spacecraft data, focusing on analysis of particle dynamics and electromagnetic field observations to characterize the near-lunar plasma environment.

• Analyze ARTEMIS spacecraft observations of particle velocity distributions, electric and magnetic fields, and plasma waves in the lunar wake environment.
• Develop data analysis pipelines and scientific software tools for spacecraft measurements.
• Conduct or interpret kinetic particle-in-cell simulations to support observational findings.
• Collaborate with internal group members, students, and external research collaborators.
• Prepare peer-reviewed manuscripts and present research results at national and international conferences.

• Ph.D. with 24 - 36 months (2 - 3 years) of verifiable, full-time work experience.
• Ph.D. in Space Physics, Physics, Astronomy, or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated knowledge of space plasma physics, including particle dynamics and electromagnetic field analysis.
• Experience with spacecraft data analysis and scientific programming (e.g., Python, MATLAB, or IDL).

• Ph.D. in Space Physics or Planetary Science with a focus on plasma physics is preferred.
• Experience with ARTEMIS or similar multi-point spacecraft missions; familiarity with lunar or planetary plasma environments is preferred.
• Experience with kinetic particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations; familiarity with wave-particle interactions and lunar wake physics is preferred.

Published Salary (if Available): $55,000

Advertised: May 27 2026 Central Daylight Time