Astrophysics Science Division Student Opportunities - Descriptions
| Mentor |
Student Level |
Time Commitment |
Mission |
Topic |
Skills |
Robin Stebbins
Robin.T.Stebbins@nasa.gov |
Undergrad - sophomore, junior, senior |
Other
(10-20 hours per week) |
LISA |
Gravitational Waves |
Mechanical, electronic, optical, data analysis desirable |
The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) is a joint U.S./European mission
to design, build and operate a space-based gravitational wave observatory. LISA
expects to observe strong gravitational wave signals from sources throughout
the Universe. We are developing techniques and demonstrating hardware that
measure very small displacements (~picometers) over very long baselines (5
million kilometers) using laser stabilization and interferometry. We are also
working on space-based laser communications and ranging. We are seeking
undergraduate and graduate students to work in our laboratories. Laboratory
experience with mechanical design and fabrication, radio-frequency electronics,
optical setups, computer control of experiments or data analysis are all useful,
but not required.
|
| Mentor |
Student Level |
Time Commitment |
Mission |
Topic |
Skills |
Robin Stebbins
Robin.T.Stebbins@nasa.gov |
Grad Student |
Other
(10-20 hours per week) |
LISA |
Gravitational Waves |
Mechanical, electronic, optical, data analysis desirable |
The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) is a joint U.S./European mission
to design, build and operate a space-based gravitational wave observatory. LISA
expects to observe strong gravitational wave signals from sources throughout
the Universe. We are developing techniques and demonstrating hardware that
measure very small displacements (~picometers) over very long baselines (5
million kilometers) using laser stabilization and interferometry. We are also
working on space-based laser communications and ranging. We are seeking
undergraduate and graduate students to work in our laboratories. Laboratory
experience with mechanical design and fabrication, radio-frequency electronics,
optical setups, computer control of experiments or data analysis are all useful,
but not required.
|
| Mentor |
Student Level |
Time Commitment |
Mission |
Topic |
Skills |
Dr. Ann Hornschemeier
Ann.Hornschemeier.Cardiff@nasa.gov |
Grad Student |
Summer
(>20 hours per week) |
Archival Research |
Galaxies/Clusters |
Computer programming (IDL), Latex, Initiative, Teamwork |
With the advent of the Chandra and XMM-Newton X-ray observatories there has been a great
increase in the available knowledge concerning X-ray binary populations in normal and
star-forming galaxies. This work requires not only X-ray measurements but both space
and ground-based measurements of radio, infrared, optical and UV emission from galaxies
(hence a wide range of interests can be accomodated). This extends from very local studies
in the local Universe, where the X-ray binary population may be studied statistically to
very faint limits in galaxies (including accreting black hole and neutron star systems)
to very high redshifts. This research opportunity concerns statistical studies of galaxies
detected in surveys in environments ranging from the field to the most dense galaxy cluster
environments. The relevant research covers galaxies as close as the Local Group but extends
to very high redshifts (z=3). Statistical multiwavelength studies are being carried out with
emphasis on constraining relationships such as the apparent universal X-ray binary luminosity
function for star-forming galaxies as demonstrated in the X-ray - Star Formation Rate
(X-ray/SFR) correlations observed over 0 < z < 1. The high redshift studies focus on the
deepest X-ray data obtained with the Chandra X-ray Observatory and multiwavelength
cross-correlations with radio, UV, optical and NIR data including but not limited to
GALEX and Spitzer data. At moderate redshifts, the field galaxy work chiefly concerns
the cross-correlation of optical datasets such as the Sloan Digital Sky Survey with the
Chandra and XMM archives as well as other multiwavelength all-sky surveys. In the local
Universe, population studies of X-ray binary systems, including Ultraluminous X-ray Sources,
are carried out, again via multiwavelength studies. The cluster and group galaxy studies
are carried out with both Chandra and XMM-Newton datasets and are focused on the nearby
Coma cluster and several other nearby group/cluster environments.
I am looking for potential new thesis students and am willing to try a summer or school-year
project to start.
|
| Mentor |
Student Level |
Time Commitment |
Mission |
Topic |
Skills |
Stephen Rinehart
Stephen.A.Rinehart@nasa.gov |
Grad Student |
Summer
(>20 hours per week) |
Other |
Other |
See below |
Optical Properties of Astronomical Silicates in the Infrared Astronomical dust
is ubiquitous. It has been found in our own solar system, around nearby
stars with debris disks, in star formation regions, and even in far-distant
galaxies. This dust shields sources from our view at optical wavelengths,
reprocesses short-wavelength light to longer wavelengths, and provides and
environment where planets can grown and form. This project is designed to
explore two major questions: 1) What are the optical properties of dust
grains in the far-infrared? and 2) How do these properties vary as a function
of wavelength, temperature, and crystallinity?
To answer these questions, we will be conducting a series of laboratory
experiments, using both existing equipment at Goddard and new
instrumentation designed specifically for this program. The importance of
this research has been recognized by both NASA and the larger astronomical
community, and will be critical for data from several upcoming missions,
including Herschel, JWST, and SOFIA.
We are seeking a student to assist with this project. This program in
inherently multidisciplinary, and there are a number of different aspects
where student participation would be valuable, including: development,
fabrication, and testing of new experiments; acquisition and evaluation of
data; theoretical modeling of dust grains based upon new data, and;
application of results from the program to archival astronomical data. We
envision that a new student would start primarily with instrumentation
development, but that a successful student would be involved in all aspects
of this program, leading to a Ph.D. thesis.
No specific skills are required for this position. Because of the
multidisciplinary nature of this project, however, a successful candidate will
need to be self-starting and demonstrate initiative in carrying out the
program in collaboration with a team of NASA scientists.
|
| Mentor |
Student Level |
Time Commitment |
Mission |
Topic |
Skills |
Stephen Rinehart
Stephen.A.Rinehart@nasa.gov |
Grad Student |
Summer
(>20 hours per week) |
Other |
Other |
See below |
Interferometric Mission Simulation Environment (IMSE)
We are developing a new software and algorithm package for simulating
future space-based interferometry missions. At present, a number of
interferometers are under consideration by NASA's Science Mission
Directorate, ranging from the Space Infrared Interferometric Telescope
(SPIRIT) and the Terrestrial Planet Finder Interferometer (TPF-I) in
Astrophysics, to the Earth Atmospheric Solar-Occultation Imager (EASI) in
Earth Science, to the L2 Mars Atmospheric Probe (L2-MAP) in Planetary
Science. Such interferometers have the potential to provide fundamentally
new and powerful data for understanding the universe around us.
The IMSE is a software/algorithm package with three major components: (1)
a package to generate realistic test scenes, or "truth images"; (2) A "Virtual
Interferometer", which captures in detail the important elements of the
engineering design of interferometer; and (3) a set of interferometric data
reduction tools designed to convert interferometric data back into images.
The combined package will be applicable to a wide range of future interferometric
missions, and will be a valuable tool for both initial design of such missions
and for testing and verification of them.
We are seeking a student to assist with this project. A summer student could
easily be involved with any of the three program elements, depending upon their
interests and skills. We envision that a successful student could continue
working on this project for several years, becoming involved in all aspects of
this program, leading to a Ph.D. thesis.
Skills needed for this position include experience with computers, including
some programming. Experience with C++ or IDL is beneficial. Because of the
multi-disciplinary nature of the project, however, a successful candidate will
need to be self-starting and demonstrate initiative in carrying out the program
in collaboration with a team of NASA scientists.
|
| Mentor |
Student Level |
Time Commitment |
Mission |
Topic |
Skills |
Stephen Rinehart
Stephen.A.Rinehart@nasa.gov |
Undergrad - sophomore, junior, senior |
Summer
(>20 hours per week) |
Archival Research |
Stars |
Computer programming, data analysis skills, IDL and LaTex experience are useful but not necessary. |
Hot Disks around Early-Type Stars:
Circumstellar disks are ubiquitous in the universe, having been observed
around sources ranging from young stellar objects to black holes. In between
these extremes, however, hot disks have been found around early-type stars.
The nature of these hot disks is poorly understood, as are the physical
mechanisms responsible for their creation and support. This project aims to
address two major questions: 1) How do these intermediate class objects
contribute to the chemical evolution and enrichment of the galaxy? and
2) What similarities do these disks have with distant cousins (such as planet
forming disks), and how do the physical processes of these hot disks help us
understand the physics present in the broader class of circumstellar disks?
We are working with data from a variety of sources, including archival data
from Spitzer and COBE, as well as data from ground-based interferometers
(primarily the Palomar Testbed Interferometer). We are also developing
numerical models for use in interpreting these observations.
We are seeking a student to assist with this project. A summer student at the
undergraduate or graduate level could be involved with one or more aspects
of this program, depending upon their interests and skills. It is also
possible
that a successful student could continue working on this project for several
years, leading to a Ph.D. thesis.
Skills needed for this position include experience with computers, including
some programming. Experience with C++ or IDL is beneficial. Because of
the multi-disciplinary nature of the project, however, a successful candidate
will need to be self-starting and demonstrate initiative in carrying out the
program in collaboration with a team of NASA scientists.
|
| Mentor |
Student Level |
Time Commitment |
Mission |
Topic |
Skills |
Joe Hill
jhill@milkyway.gsfc.nasa.gov |
Undergrad - sophomore, junior, senior |
Summer
(>20 hours per week) |
Balloons and Sounding Rockets |
Instrumentation |
programming and/or laboratory experience |
We are designing several X-ray polarimeters for future missions. MidSTAR is
due for launch in ~2012 and will carry a small proof-of-concept gamma-ray
burst polarimeter into space for the first time. In parallel we are developing a
Solar polarimeter for a balloon mission. We have several areas where a summer
student could participate and help to move the projects forward. We have a
detector simulator written in C, that simulates the performance for different
instrument configurations. This program needs to be made more user friendly
and needs to include new parameters. We also need help testing different
detector configurations in the lab. There is also a software package available
that allows a user to simulate the space environment for the instrument.
|
| Mentor |
Student Level |
Time Commitment |
Mission |
Topic |
Skills |
Robin Corbet
corbet@umbc.edu |
Undergrad - sophomore, junior, senior |
Summer
(>20 hours per week) |
Other |
Stars |
Data analysis, some astronomical knowledge |
A possible 24 day period was previously found from X-ray
observations of a binary star system called GX 13+1 that contains a neutron star.
http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0306262
Although GX 13+1 is a low mass X-ray binary, the 24 day period is much longer than the orbital periods of most
other members of this class of binary system.
In order to try to confirm the period and to determine whether this is an orbital period or something more
complex I requested monitoring infrared observations with the SMARTS set of telescopes.
http://www.astro.yale.edu/smarts/
There is now available 6 months of imaging infrared data (340 images).
The initial work would be to measure the brightness of the star in these images, and then see if the infrared
varies in the same way as the X-ray flux did. The
star brightness measurements would probably be done using
standard astronomical software such as IRAF.
http://iraf.noao.edu/
The student undertaking this work would learn about binary stars, neutron stars, and data analysis techniques.
There are several ways this work could be continued.
For example, by looking at additional X-ray data
and/or working on interpretation of the results.
This project would probably suit either an advanced undergraduate student or a graduate student.
|
| Mentor |
Student Level |
Time Commitment |
Mission |
Topic |
Skills |
Takanori Sakamoto
Taka.Sakamoto@nasa.gov |
Grad Student |
Master's thesis project
(>20 hours per week) |
Other |
GRBs |
Interest in astronomy and telescopes; Computer programming to control hardware |
The Goddard Robotic Telescope (GRT) is 14" fully automated
optical robotic telescope. It will install at the Goddard
Geophysical and Astronomical Observatory. The aims of GRT
are 1) to follow-up the Swift/GLAST Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs)
and 2) to perform the coordinated optical observations of
the GLAST Active Galactive Nuclei (AGNs). Since this project
is just started, there are a lot of opportunities (equivalent
to say a lot of works to be done...) to work with us from
the construction of the telescope system to the operation
of the telescope. We are looking for the student who is
interested in astronomy and telescopes.
|
| Mentor |
Student Level |
Time Commitment |
Mission |
Topic |
Skills |
Stephen M. Merkowitz
Stephen.M.Merkowitz@nasa.gov |
Grad Student |
1-year project
(10-20 hours per week) |
Other |
Other |
Electronic, optical, programming |
Laser ranging to retroreflector arrays placed on the lunar surface by the
Apollo astronauts and the Soviet Luna missions have dramatically increased
our understanding of gravitational physics along with Earth and Moon
geophysics, geodesy, and dynamics. Significant advances in these areas will
require placing modern retroreflectors and/or active laser ranging systems at
new locations on the lunar surface. Ranging to new locations will enable
better measurements of the lunar librations, aiding in our understanding of
the interior structure of the moon. More precise range measurements will
allow us to study effects that are too small to be observed by the current
capabilities as well as enabling more stringent tests of Einstein’s theory of
General Relativity.
To prepare for NASA’s return to the Moon, we are developing a number of
new precision ranging technologies. These include advanced retroreflector
arrays, asynchronous laser transponders, and laser communication systems
with ranging capability. In addition, we are developing a new analysis
package for analysis of lunar ranging data. We are seeking a student to
assist with these projects. The student should have an interest in General
Relativity and /or planetary science. Laboratory experience with precision
electronics, optical and laser systems, scientific programming, and data
analysis are all useful skills for this project.
|
| Mentor |
Student Level |
Time Commitment |
Mission |
Topic |
Skills |
Stefan Immler
stefan.immler@nasa.gov |
Undergrad - sophomore, junior, senior |
Summer
(>20 hours per week) |
Swift |
Supernovae/Supernova Remnants |
Familiarity with Unix, some astronomical knowledge. |
Stars more massive than ~8 times that of the Sun end their lives when their
cores collapse to a neutron star or a black hole, their envelopes being ejected
in powerful supernova (SN) explosions. When material ejected in a SN
explosion interacts with circumstellar material (CSM) in the environment of
the explosion, it can be shock-heated to temperatures exceeding a few
million degrees. Material at such a high temperature emits in the X-ray
(0.1–100 keV) range of the electromagnetic spectrum. X-ray observations
are therefore especially suited to probe the interaction of SN shocks with their
environments. From X-ray observations, the densities and the mass lost by
the progenitor stars in stellar winds can be measured. Thus, we can use our
measurements as a “time machine” to probe the progenitor's history
over significant time scales, tens of thousands of years before the explosion.
Over the past three decades, 37 SNe have been detected in X-rays by orbiting
X-ray satellites such as ROSAT, ASCA, Chandra, XMM-Newton, and Swift
(about half of them by the supervisor). Due to it’s fast response and
flexible scheduling capabilities, the Swift satellite is making significant
contributions to this field of research. During this student research project,
the X-ray data of previous and current X-ray missions will be analyzed, and
the environments of core collapse SNe will be studied. Preliminary results
show that SNe exploded within a wind-shaped environment with properties
clearly depending on SN type, and suggest an evolutionary sequence linking
the star and the SN type. The graduate student would work with Dr. Stefan
Immler as supervisor of the project at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
The project is suited for students of all levels and will involve using existing
software and a small amount of programming in a Unix environment.
|
| Mentor |
Student Level |
Time Commitment |
Mission |
Topic |
Skills |
Stefan Immler
stefan.immler@nasa.gov |
Grad Student |
1-year project
(>20 hours per week) |
Swift |
Supernovae/Supernova Remnants |
Familiarity with Unix, some astronomical knowledge. |
Stars more massive than ~8 times that of the Sun end their lives when their
cores collapse to a neutron star or a black hole, their envelopes being ejected
in powerful supernova (SN) explosions. When material ejected in a SN
explosion interacts with circumstellar material (CSM) in the environment of
the explosion, it can be shock-heated to temperatures exceeding a few
million degrees. Material at such a high temperature emits in the X-ray
(0.1–100 keV) range of the electromagnetic spectrum. X-ray observations
are therefore especially suited to probe the interaction of SN shocks with their
environments. From X-ray observations, the densities and the mass lost by
the progenitor stars in stellar winds can be measured. Thus, we can use our
measurements as a “time machine” to probe the progenitor's history
over significant time scales, tens of thousands of years before the explosion.
Over the past three decades, 37 SNe have been detected in X-rays by orbiting
X-ray satellites such as ROSAT, ASCA, Chandra, XMM-Newton, and Swift
(about half of them by the supervisor). Due to it’s fast response and
flexible scheduling capabilities, the Swift satellite is making significant
contributions to this field of research. During this student research project,
the X-ray data of previous and current X-ray missions will be analyzed, and
the environments of core collapse SNe will be studied. Preliminary results
show that SNe exploded within a wind-shaped environment with properties
clearly depending on SN type, and suggest an evolutionary sequence linking
the star and the SN type. The graduate student would work with Dr. Stefan
Immler as supervisor of the project at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
The project is suited for students of all levels and will involve using existing
software and a small amount of programming in a Unix environment.
|
| Mentor |
Student Level |
Time Commitment |
Mission |
Topic |
Skills |
Katja Pottschmidt
katja@milkyway.gsfc.nasa.gov |
Undergrad - sophomore, junior, senior |
Summer
(>20 hours per week) |
Integral |
Compact X-ray Sources |
Familiarity with Unix, some astronomical knowledge. |
The applicant will be analyzing data of X-ray binaries
which were taken with gamma- and X-ray detectors on-board
the International Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory
(INTEGRAL) satellite. X-ray binaries consist of a regular
donor star and either a neutron star or a black hole, where
accretion of material from the donor by the compact object
produces X-rays. They are among the most extreme objects in
the Universe. Working with Dr. Katja Pottschmidt, a member
of the INTEGRAL Guest Observer Facility at NASA-GSFC, the
applicant will be studying one of the different aspects of
the astrophysics of such systems, e.g., the accretion
disk-corona-jet system of the prototypical black hole
Cygnus X-1, the accretion column above the magnetic poles
of the transient accreting pulsar EXO 2030+275, or the
physics of clumpy wind accretion in Supergiant Fast X-ray
Transients (SFXTs), a new class of sources discovered by
INTEGRAL. The goal is to first extract images for one of
the months long INTEGRAL observing programs and then, based
on these images, to extract gamma- and X-ray spectra and
light curves for the sources to be studied.
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