What are the responsibilities and job description for the Surface Morphologies as Probes of Thermal-Orbital Evolution in the Galilean Satellites position at Zintellect?
About the NASA Postdoctoral Program
The NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) offers unique research opportunities to highly-talented U.S. and non-U.S. 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.
Description:
This project explores the use of surface morphologies on the Galilean satellites as indicators of their thermal and orbital evolution. Building on prior research that demonstrated how features such as dome-like structures can form through topographic relaxation driven by remnant impact heat, this study aims to generalize the approach to analyze a wide range of surface morphologies influenced by thermal and mechanical processes.
The morphology of surface features, such as domes, ridges, and tectonic structures, is highly sensitive to the thermal and rheological state of the lithosphere at the time of their formation. By linking these morphologies to variations in heat flux, this work seeks to reconstruct the spatial and temporal evolution of the satellites' thermal regimes. This effort will leverage digital elevation models (DEMs) and high-resolution imagery to systematically analyze features across diverse geological contexts and ages.
A key aspect of this project is the consideration of remnant heat from processes such as impacts and tidal dissipation, which have often been overlooked in previous studies. The incorporation of these factors will provide new insights into the dynamics of surface relaxation, material flow, and feature formation. By integrating observations with thermal and orbital models, this work will enable the characterization of processes that drive the evolution of icy satellite surfaces, such as tidal heating, radiogenic decay, and secular cooling.
Field of Science: Planetary Science
Advisors:
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 is currently open to:
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U.S. Citizens;
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U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR);
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Foreign Nationals eligible for an Exchange Visitor J-1 visa status; and,
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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
Questions about this opportunity? Please email npp@orau.org
