Astrophysics with the Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER)

About the NASA Postdoctoral Program 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. Research Focus Neutron stars provide natural laboratories for the study of a number of important questions in fundamental physics, including the equation of state (EOS) and composition of ultra‑dense matter. NASA’s Neutron Star Interior Composition ExploreR (NICER) mission, operating on the International Space Station (ISS) since summer 2017, provides breakthrough capabilities for high‑throughput, fast X‑ray timing and spectroscopy to probe the mysteries of neutron stars. NICER’s key goals are to measure the mass and radius of neutron stars by pulse profile modeling of the soft X‑ray emission from millisecond pulsars, and precision timing of accreting millisecond pulsars. NICER will also enable mass–radius constraints from spectral modeling of the thermal emission from X‑ray bursts, and make definitive measurements of the stability of rotating neutron stars as clocks. Its capabilities will enable a rich observing program of many classes of X‑ray sources, including accreting black holes and cataclysmic variables. Opportunities exist for research, both observational and theoretical, in areas of relevance to NICER that will support, enable and enhance the science return from NICER observations as well as existing archival X‑ray timing data. Eligibility Requirements Degree: Doctoral Degree in an appropriate field. U.S. Citizens U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR) Foreign Nationals eligible for an Exchange Visitor J-1 visa status 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 Location Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland Field of Science Astrophysics Advisors Keith Charles Gendreau – View email address on click.appcast.io – View phone number on click.appcast.io Konstantinos Kalapotharakos – View email address on click.appcast.io – View phone number on click.appcast.io Contact Please email View email address on click.appcast.io for questions. #J-18808-Ljbffr