Chemistry in Star-Forming Regions

Organization

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

0040-NPP-NOV
26-JPL-Cosmochem

11/1/2026 6:00:59 PM Eastern Time Zone

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.

Molecules are important tracers, not only of chemical composition but also physical conditions. In addition, they regulate the heating and cooling of gas, and control its ionization balance. They therefore play a crucial role in the star formation process, and in the evolution of protostellar disks.

Theoretical astrochemistry at JPL uses sophisticated chemical networks to model the chemistry of gas and ices in protostellar disks and molecular cloud cores. The emphasis is on the observational signatures of the different stages of evolution, and on the development of complex organic or pre‑biotic chemistry. There are close interactions with both the hydrodynamical modeling group and with observers at the lab.

Refs:
Woods, P. & Willacy, K. (2007) Benzene formation in the inner regions of protostellar disks, ApJ, 655 L49;
Willacy, K. (2007) Chemistry of multiply deuterated molecules in protoplanetary disks I. The outer disk, ApJ, 660, 441

Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California

Cosmochemistry

Karen Willacy
karen.willacya.gov

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