Astrophysics: Theoretical Multi-messenger Astrophysics

ORAU; Greenbelt (MD); On-site; USD 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

ORAU is seeking candidates for the NASA Postdoctoral Program at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. This program offers highly talented scientists unique opportunities for research in astrophysics, focusing on particle interactions, cosmic rays, and dark matter.

The successful candidate will hold a Doctoral Degree and meet specific eligibility requirements. Interested parties can reach out to Mikeala via email at [e-mail] for more information.

Qualifications

• U.S. Citizens or Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR).
• Foreign Nationals eligible for an Exchange Visitor J-1 visa.
• Asylees or refugees with valid EAD card and pending I-485/I-589 forms.

Responsibilities

• Engage in astrophysics research on particle interactions.
• Identify sources of astrophysical neutrinos and cosmic rays.
• Calculate fluxes of gamma rays, neutrinos, and cosmic rays.

Education

Doctoral Degree

Job description

Organization: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Reference Code: 0131‑NPP‑NOV26‑GSFC‑Astrophys

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

About the NASA Postdoctoral Program

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 designed to advance NASA’s missions in space science, Earth science, aeronautics, space operations, exploration systems, and astrobiology.

Description

• In accordance with NASA’s Strategic Objective of discovering how the universe works and exploring how it began and evolved, we study particle interactions in the most powerful astrophysical objects related to particle dark matter. The goal​ is to identify sources of astrophysical neutrinos and the highest‑energy cosmic rays, and to pursue prospects for multi‑messenger observations involving gamma‑ray, neutrino, UHECR, and gravitational‑wave telescopes.
• The research focuses on particle acceleration and interactions in astrophysical objects such as active galactic nuclei, gamma‑ray bursts, pulsars, and structure‑formation shocks; it also involves calculating fluxes of gamma rays, neutrinos, and cosmic rays from dark‑matter annihilation or decay models.
• We study the propagation of very‑high energy gamma rays and ultra‑high cosmic rays through the infrared, optical, ultraviolet background and the cosmic microwave background, assessing their impact on lower‑energy astrophysical observations and the cosmogenic neutrino background.
• We investigate how cascading particles affect astrophysical observations, the fluctuation angular power of cosmological photon and neutrino backgrounds, and magnetic‑field deflections over cosmological distances.
• Finally, in line with the research goals, we seek astrophysical and observational probes of new physics, including photon‑axion oscillations and Lorentz‑invariance violation.

Location: Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland

Field of Science: Astrophysics

Advisors:
Tonia Venters
[e-mail]
301‑614‑5546

Eligibility Requirements:

• Doctoral Degree.
• 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.

Applications from citizens of Designated Countries will not be accepted unless they are Legal Permanent Residents of the United States. A complete list of Designated Countries can be found at: https://www.nasa.gov/oiir/export-control.

Point of Contact: Mikeala
Email: [e-mail]