Heliophysics Science: Transients Structures in the Ambient Solar Wind

ORAU; Greenbelt (MD); On-site; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

ORAU offers opportunities through the NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. This position involves engaging in significant research focused on the solar wind's density structures, requiring a Doctoral Degree. The role involves both remote sensing and in situ data analysis to understand solar dynamics. Eligible candidates must be U.S. Citizens, Lawful Permanent Residents, or certain foreign nationals. Applications accepted until November 1, 2026.

Qualifications

• U.S. Citizens or U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents are eligible.
• Foreign Nationals eligible for an Exchange Visitor J-1 visa status can apply.

Responsibilities

• Engage in ongoing NASA research projects.
• Analyze in situ and remote sensing data.
• Investigate the origin of small scale transients in the solar wind.

Education

Doctoral Degree

Job description

Organization

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Reference Code

0151-NPP-NOV26-GSFC-HelioSci

Application Deadline

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

Description

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. This research effort is on the origin and evolution of small scale transients in the ambient solar wind. Remote and in situ sensing instrumentation regularly observe quiet-time plasma density structures in the inner corona, through the inner Heliosphere, all the way out to 1 AU. Many of these density fluctuations may be a consequence of the turbulent cascade, but it has been shown through compositional data in situ and remote sensing data that many density structures are non-turbulent. Both turbulent and non-turbulent structures are created with specific properties as a consequence of their source locations, and/or the solar wind acceleration mechanism, so understanding their formation is a vital aspect of the Sun-Earth connection. Such density structures are pressure oscillations in the rest frame of solar system bodies such as Earth’s magnetosphere, and have been shown to drive important dynamics and oscillations. Ongoing investigations include the analysis of both remote sensing data and in situ data, as well as the relationship between them; time series/spectral analysis of these data plays the primary role.

Location

Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland

Field of Science

Heliophysics Science

Advisors

Nicholeen Viall-Kepko

[e-mail]

301-286-4054

Eligibility Restrictions

Applications with citizens from Designated Countries will not be accepted at this time, 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.

Eligibility Criteria

• U.S. Citizens;
• U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR);
• Foreign Nationals eligible for an Exchange Visitor J-1 visa status; and,
• 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

Eligibility Requirements

• Degree: Doctoral Degree.