Job Description

Description

Have you dreamed of flying on another world?

Have you imagined a desert world where the sand dunes are made of the building blocks of life, and it rains methane?

Are you prepared to be a part of a journey to the most Earth-like and yet alien world in the solar system?

 

This world is Saturn's moon, Titan, and Dragonfly, the mission headed to it, seeks Student Investigators.

 

Dragonfly Student & Early Career Investigator Program:

Saturn’s moon Titan is the only moon in our solar system with a dense atmosphere, which supports an Earth-like hydrological cycle of methane clouds, rain, lakes and seas. Complex organic surface materials preserve, in a deep freeze, the types of organic chemicals that were present on Earth before life developed. Titan's icy crust floats atop an interior liquid water ocean. Dragonfly is a rotorcraft lander (an octocopter) that will explore a variety of locations on Titan. Launching in 2028 and reaching Titan in 2034, Dragonfly will journey farther than any robotic lander has ever traveled. With one hop on average every other Titan-day (one Titan-day equals 16 Earth days), the rotorcraft will travel from its initial landing site to areas over 80 kilometers away during its planned 3.3-year mission.

 

Each Student Investigator will work with one or more Dragonfly mission team members to conduct Titan research, help formulate Dragonfly mission science and operations plans, or assist in the development of instrumentation, hardware, or testing for a two-year term. Students dedicate 30% of their time (concentrated during summer and academic breaks) at APL and/or their Dragonfly mentor's home institution and will receive annual funding for travel to Dragonfly team meetings and to publish and present results at a scientific conference. A faculty mentor at each student’s home institution will be granted travel support to attend the annual Dragonfly Student & Early Career Investigator Program kickoff meeting.

 

Titan, the largest moon of Saturn, is believed to host a deep, potentially habitable ocean under its icy surface. The exact composition of this ocean is still unknown, but it is likely to contain major solutes such as NaCl and NH₃. Both of these compounds are known to be excellent antifreeze agents, but very limited data on their behavior when subjected to the 8,000 atmospheres of pressure of Titan’s ocean, exist. These data are crucial for interior modeling of the Titan and analysis of Dragonfly seismological data.

 

Project Description: Experimental Study of Titan’s Deep Ocean at High Pressures

This project will experimentally quantify, for the first time, the anti-freeze effect of combined NaCl and NH₃ solutes on ices expected inside Titan and characterize the sound speed and thermodynamics of the NaCl-NH₃-H₂O system at high pressures and low temperatures.

 

Tasks

The student will be trained to use diamond anvil cell high pressure apparatus, operate a Raman spectrometer, and conduct phase stability and sound speed measurements at the University of Washington. Specifically, the project entails:

• Conducting high pressure - low temperature phase diagram experiments using diamond anvil cell and Raman Spectroscopy
• Measuring sound-speed measurements of pressurized solutions directly relevant to thermodynamic characterization and seismological data analysis for Titan
• Developing a thermodynamic data numerical representation tool useful for the planetary science and physical chemistry communities
• Depending on their progress, the student could be involved in applying the application of the measured data to models of Titan’s interior

 Outcome

The collected data will provide the first estimates of the combined anti-freeze effects of NaCl and NH₃ in Titan’s interior, and place constraints on associated thermodynamic properties such as sound speed. This project will directly aid the interpretation of data returned from the Dragonfly Geophysics and Meteorology Package (DraGMet), in particular seismological data. The results of this study could be publishable in a scientific journal and presented at a scientific conference.

 

More information on the Dragonfly mission and instruments can be found in the videos at https://dragonfly.jhuapl.edu/Gallery/#Gallery

Qualifications

You meet our minimum qualifications for the job if you...

• Are pursuing a master's or doctoral degree in the physical sciences, biological sciences, computer sciences, mathematics or engineering at a U.S. institution AND will continue doing so throughout the 2-year duration of the internship.
• Have at least a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale
• Have demonstrated ability to conduct independent research or development
• Have excellent organizational and communication skills (written and oral)
• Have the ability to work both independently and in a team environment
• Have a successful background in chemistry or physics, and have experience in designing and running experiments in physical chemistry and thermodynamics. No background in planetary science is required
• In addition to a mentor on the Dragonfly team who leads this project, applicants must identify a faculty member at their home institution who can serve as a faculty mentor for the 2-year duration of their participation in the program.
• Include as an attachment to your application…
• A cover letter
• A Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• The name and contact information for the prospective faculty advisor at your home institution
• A 2-3 sentence statement from the prospective faculty advisor in which they agree to support the student, as a faculty mentor, for the 2-year duration of their participation, should they be selected to work on Dragonfly.
• To access APL’s facilities and networks, U.S. Citizenship status is required.

 

You will go above and beyond our minimum requirements if you...

• Relevant background in spectroscopy and/or thermodynamics is desired.  Coding skills in MATLAB and/or Python are preferable.

 

An intent of this program is to broaden mission participation; thus, it is intended for students who are not affiliated with, and whose faculty and/or research advisors are not involved with, Dragonfly or other spacecraft missions. Students who do not have a background in planetary science, the geosciences, atmospheric science, or their associated subfields are encouraged to apply)

Base pay range for this role: $21.90 - $46.45 an hour.

 

More information on this and other Dragonfly Student and Early Career Investigator opportunities can be found at https://dragonfly.jhuapl.edu/Student-Opportunities/

 

Why work at APL?

 

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) brings world-class expertise to our nation’s most critical defense, security, space and science challenges. While we are dedicated to solving complex challenges and pioneering new technologies, what makes us truly outstanding is our culture. We offer a vibrant, welcoming atmosphere where you can bring your authentic self to work, continue to grow, and build strong connections with inspiring teammates.

 

At APL, we celebrate our differences and encourage creativity and bold, new ideas. Our employees enjoy generous benefits, including a robust education assistance program, unparalleled retirement contributions, and a healthy work/life balance. APL’s campus is located in the Baltimore-Washington metro area. Learn more about our career opportunities at www.jhuapl.edu/careers.

About Us

APL is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, creed, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, occupation, marital or familial status, political opinion, personal appearance, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

 

APL is committed to promoting an innovative environment that embraces diversity, encourages creativity, and supports inclusion of new ideas. In doing so, we are committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals of all abilities, including those with disabilities. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate in any part of the hiring process, please contact Accommodations@jhuapl.edu. Only by ensuring that everyone’s voice is heard are we empowered to be bold, do great things, and make the world a better place.

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