Postdoctoral Associate in Space Sciences Laboratory

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The Space Sciences Laboratory (SSL) at the University of California, Berkeley, seeks applicants for Postdoctoral Associate positions. SSL has a long history of developing and operating space instruments and full missions and seeks to hire the next generation of scientists and engineers to continue this legacy of research in space, to advance our current capabilities and to take advantage of numerous recent developments in space science and technology that enable new scientific discoveries. SSL currently seeks energetic, independent and qualified candidates to support NASA Heliophysics and/or Planetary missions in scientific research and/or hardware development. The specific projects that are hiring are as follows.

The Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) is a NASA Explorer Mission that has been on orbit since late 2019, collecting ground-breaking measurements of thermospheric and ionospheric densities, temperatures and velocities at low-to-middle latitudes. These can be used for investigations of topics such as ion-neutral coupling in planetary atmospheres, atmospheric wave generation/propagation, geomagnetic storm effects, and lower-atmospheric forcing of geospace.

The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution mission (MAVEN) launched on November 18, 2013, and entered orbit around Mars on September 21, 2014. The mission’s goal is to explore the planet’s upper atmosphere, ionosphere, and interactions with the Sun and solar wind. Scientists will use MAVEN data to explore the loss of volatile compounds—such as CO2, O, and H2O—from the Martian atmosphere to space. Understanding atmospheric loss will give scientists insight into the history of Mars' atmosphere and climate, liquid water, and planetary habitability. SSL plays a lead role on the Particle and Fields science and instrumentation teams (STATIC, SWIA, SWEA, MAG and SEP investigations). The P&F suite makes measurements of magnetic fields, electrons, protons, heavy ions and their properties such as density, velocity and temperature using electrostatic analyzers.

The solar PolArization and Directivity X-Ray Experiment (PADRE) is a 12U Cubesat observatory that will observe the Sun in hard X-ray (HXRs) from low earth orbit, with a planned launch in 2026. PADRE will investigate the accelerated electron angular distribution in solar flares. These observations will provide a unique opportunity to make stereoscopic X-ray observations and measure the electron anisotropy of individual flares confidently for the first time. PADRE has one science objective: determine the angular distribution of accelerated electrons from standalone and joint Solar Orbiter/STIX observations. This will allow the determination of the angular distribution of flare-accelerated electrons.

The Parker Solar Probe (PSP), a mission to touch the Sun, was launched in August 2018 to unlock the mysteries of the Sun's corona and solar wind. PSP has made 11 solar encounters so far, producing world-class measurements of the solar wind in the Sun’s environment and inner heliosphere. SSL plays a lead role on the PSP science and instrumentation teams for The Solar Wind Electrons Alphas and Protons (SWEAP) and FIELDS investigations. SWEAP makes measurements of electrons, protons and helium ions and their properties such as density, velocity and temperature using electrostatic analyzers and a Faraday Cup. FIELDS consists of fluxgate and search coil magnetometers and 5 plasma voltage sensors and makes direct measurements of electric and magnetic fields, radio waves, Poynting flux, absolute plasma density and electron temperature. These two suite of instruments have collected unprecedented in-situ measurements to investigate the dynamics of solar coronal heating and solar wind acceleration.

HERMES (Heliophysics Environmental and Radiation Measurement Experiment Suite) is a suite of instruments that is mounted on the upcoming Lunar Gateway and will serve as a Heliospheric science experiment and a Space Weather station. The lunar gateway itself is a space station that is planned to be in a cislunar, near rectilinear halo orbit (NRHO) orbit around the moon with a short-term habitation module for humans and a science laboratory. For this mission, the SSL is building the ion sensor, called SPAN-Ion, which will provide the science payload with measurements of the ambient ions to measure definitive atmospheric loss around Earth and solar wind acceleration.

The Lunar Surface Electromagnetics Experiment (LuSEE) is a payload in development for a lunar landing as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. The LuSEE program consists of two payloads for separate landers: one to the Schroedinger Basin near the lunar South Pole farside in late 2024. This payload will measure electric and magnetic fields on the surface, resulting from plasma/surface interactions, the lunar ionosphere, and photoelectron sheath effects. A second LuSEE payload will focus on exploratory low frequency (<50 MHz) radio astronomy measurements from the farside, in an effort to constrain cosmological models and provide best-yet low frequency foreground measurements.

SSL is committed to filling these positions by attracting a pool of candidates with representation along all axes of diversity. SSL invites applicants from all backgrounds and life experiences. Applicants with hardware or instrumentation backgrounds in addition to experience publishing science results using observations from heliophysics or planetary projects are especially encouraged to apply.

Responsibilities of the ICON Position Include:

• Develop an area of original scientific research, focused on observation of phenomena in the upper atmosphere by ICON, possibly in coordination with other space-based missions or ground-based observatories.
• Disseminate new results in peer-reviewed journals and at international conferences.
• Present annually at the Space Science Seminar or other colloquia.
• Support discussions between the mission operations and science disciplines in developing new strategies for ICON observational campaigns.
• Support research efforts of undergraduate student interns during the school year and in the SSL Summer REU program.

Responsibilities for MAVEN Position(s) include:

• Analyze plasma data including magnetic field data and charged particle (ions and electrons) data observed in the Martian atmosphere
• Characterize MAVEN data with respect to understanding the effects of space weather, including but not limited to coronal mass ejections (CMEs), flares, solar energetic particles (SEPs), corotating interaction regions (CIRs)
• Characterize MAVEN data with respect to Martian global dust storms
• Characterize MAVEN data with respect to atmospheric escape and magnetic topology
• Run simulations using MHD, hybrid or kinetic models of the Mars-solar wind interaction
• Run simulations of exospheric or photochemical atmospheric dynamics
• Disseminate new results in peer-reviewed journals and at international conferences.
• Participate in instrument development for future missions
• Present annually at the Space Science Seminar or other colloquia.

Responsibilities of the PADRE Position Include:

• Characterization of Timepix2/3 based detectors.
• Characterization of the spectro polarimetric assembly
• Disseminate new results in peer-reviewed journals and at international conferences.
• Present annually at the Space Science Seminar or other colloquia.
• Support development of new concepts of observations in space to advance scientific understanding.
• Support discussions between the science and mission operations with other heliophysics missions like Parker Solar Probe, the Solar Dynamics Observatory and others.

Responsibilities for Parker Solar Probe SWEAP/FIELDS Position(s) include:

• Analyze PSP plasma (ions and electrons) data and/or (magnetic and electric) field, plasma wave, and radio data.
• Characterize PSP data with respect to understanding the effects of space weather, such as turbulence, waves, instabilities, wave-particle interactions, reconnection events, magnetic switchbacks, coronal mass ejections (CMEs), flares, solar energetic particles (SEPs), corotating interaction regions (CIRs).
• Help define instrument operation modes, selecting burst data, organizing. observing campaigns, and participating in subsequent science results
• Participate in instrument development for future missions.
• Develop models or simulations using MHD, hybrid or kinetic models of the solar wind.
• Disseminate new results in peer-reviewed journals and at international conferences.
• Present annually at the Space Science Seminar or other colloquia.
• Mentor younger scientists and students.

Responsibilities for the HERMES position include:

• Participate in the SPAN-Ion instrument calibration and environmental testing, both at SSL and at NASA facilities.
• Design, test, and implement instrument configurations in order to complement or improve the science return.
• Collaborate with the Interdisciplinary Science team to define scientific goals and help disseminate the collected data among the community.
• Travel to meetings / conferences to discuss results and publish findings in peer-review journals.
• Operate vacuum chambers and high voltage sources.
• Mentor younger scientists and students.

Responsibilities for the LuSEE position include:

• Characterization and calibration of electric and magnetic field signal chains.
• Participation in instrument environmental testing.
• Modeling of antenna/spacecraft, antenna-regolith, and antenna/plasma interactions from DC to radio frequencies.
• Development of ground software in support of science analysis and operations.
• Science analysis, presentations, and publication of LuSEE science results.
• Mentoring of students and early career scientists.

Program: https://icon.ssl.berkeley.edu/

PhD (or equivalent international degree) or enrolled in a PhD (or equivalent international degree) program

• PhD or equivalent international degree
• No more than 3-years post PhD research experience

• Ph.D. degree, or equivalent degree, in Planetary science, Physics, Astronomy, Astrophysics, Aerospace Engineering or a closely related field.

One or more of these qualifications are preferred for ICON/PSP/MAVEN:

• Comprehensive knowledge of physical processes occurring in both planetary atmospheres and/or space plasmas.
• Strong background in data analysis of measurements collected in the space environment.
• Experience in software development and deployment of collaborative tools for analysis or production.

One or more of these qualifications are preferred for MAVEN:

• Comprehensive knowledge of physical processes occurring in both planetary atmospheres and/or space plasmas.
• Strong background in data analysis of measurements collected in the space environment.
• Experience in software development and deployment of collaborative tools for analysis or production.

One or more of these qualifications are preferred for PADRE:

• Experience with spaceflight hardware systems, including power and communications.
• Experience in the design, build and/or test of HXR detector systems.
• Experience with lab calibration of HXR detectors.
• Experience with X-ray or gamma-ray detectors.
• Record of publication and presentation of results at international conferences.

One or more of these qualifications are preferred for HERMES/LuSEE:

• Experience with spaceflight hardware systems, including power and communications.
• Strong background in data analysis of measurements collected in the space environment.
• Experience in software development and deployment of collaborative tools for analysis or production.

Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are core values at UC Berkeley. Our excellence can only be fully realized by faculty, students, and academic and non-academic staff who share our commitment to these values. Successful candidates for our academic positions will demonstrate evidence of a commitment to advancing equity, inclusion, and belonging.

The University of California, Berkeley is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status. For the complete University of California nondiscrimination and affirmative action policy see: http://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4000376/NondiscrimAffirmAct

In searches when letters of reference are required all letters will be treated as confidential per University of California policy and California state law. Please refer potential referees, including when letters are provided via a third party (i.e., dossier service or career center), to the UC Berkeley statement of confidentiality (http://apo.berkeley.edu/ucb-confidentiality-policy) prior to submitting their letter.

As a condition of employment, you will be required to comply with the University of California SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Vaccination Program Policy. All Covered Individuals under the policy must provide proof of Full Vaccination or, if applicable, submit a request for Exception (based on Medical Exemption, Disability, and/or Religious Objection) or Deferral (based on pregnancy) no later than the applicable deadline. Please refer to Appendix F, Section II.C. of the policy for the deadlines applicable to new University of California employees. (Capitalized terms in this paragraph are defined in the policy.) Federal, state, or local public health directives may impose additional requirements.

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