NASA Postdoctoral Program Opportunities

Astrophysics: High Angular Resolution in the Far-Infrared: Interferometry at Long Wavelengths

Opportunity ID	17731
Opportunity URL	https://npp.usra.edu/opportunities/details/?ro=17731
Location	Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD 20771
Field of Science	Astrophysics
Advisors	David Leisawitz 301-286-0807 david.t.leisawitz@nasa.gov Stephen Rinehart 301-286-4591 Stephen.A.Rinehart@nasa.gov Edward J. Wollack 301.286.1379 Edward.J.Wollack@nasa.gov
Citizenship Requirement	U.S. Citizens Accepted Lawful Permanent Residents Accepted Foreign Nationals Accepted - Note: At this time, GSFC does not accept NPP applications from citizens of designated countries unless they are Legal Permanent Residents of the U.S. The Designated Countries List is available at http://oiir.hq.nasa.gov/nasaecp/
Description	Far-infrared interferometers will enable us to learn how planetary systems form and how the conditions for habitability develop; to characterize the family of extrasolar planetary systems by imaging the structure in debris disks; and to understand the formation, merger history, and star formation history of galaxies. To pave the way for future space-based interferometers, we are working on two major research projects. The Balloon Experimental Twin Telescope for Infrared Interferometry (BETTII) is a balloon-based 8-meter baseline interferometer to fly on a high-altitude balloon. This suborbital mission will enable powerful new astronomical observations. During its first flight, BETTII will focus on clustered star formation and Active Galactic Nuclei. The Wide-field Imaging Interferometry Testbed (WIIT) is a sub-scale model of a space-based far-IR interferometer. We are using WIIT to develop, demonstrate, and learn the practical limitations of wide-field spatial-spectral interferometry, a key technique for future space-based interferometers such as the Space Infrared Interferometric Telescope (SPIRIT) and the Submillimeter Probe of the Evolution of Cosmic Structure (SPECS). The technologies and techniques developed by BETTII and WIIT will also have application to future exoplanet missions as well as NASA Earth and Planetary science missions. The successful candidate will have experience in far-IR astronomy, far-IR instrumentation, interferometry, interferometric instrumentation, and/or applied mathematics. For BETTII, we are currently seeking instrumentation experience to help design, build, and test the payload. We also welcome candidates with experience modeling complex systems. For WIIT, specific topics of current interest include: (1) development and validation of algorithms for spatial-spectral image synthesis and related analysis of WIIT data; and (2) development of analytical instrument performance models.

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