2025 - 2027 Internship - Dragonfly Student Guest Investigator - Interpreting DraGNS Neutron Spectrometer Measurements of Titan's Surface

2025 - 2027 Internship - Dragonfly Student Guest Investigator - Interpreting DraGNS Neutron Spectrometer Measurements of Titan's Surface

*CURRENTLY pursuing (or starting by Fall 2025) a Master's and/or Doctoral Degree and will continue throughout the entire TWO-year duration of the internship*

Background:

The Dragonfly mission to Saturn's moon Titan includes the Dragonfly Gamma-ray and Neutron Spectrometer (DraGNS) which will measure the elemental abundances and neutron scattering properties of materials on Titan's surface. DraGNS will accomplish this task by irradiating the surface beneath the Dragonfly lander with neutrons. These neutrons will then produce gamma rays and lower energy neutrons that are measured by DraGNS' Gamma Ray Spectrometer and Neutron Spectrometer (NS) after they interact with Titan's surface materials. The energies and intensities of the measured gamma rays will in turn help us to identify and characterize the building blocks of materials on Titan's surface.

Owing to the large amounts of hydrogen that are present in water ice and organic molecules on Titan, the neutron scattering properties of these materials will be very different from the rocky materials that have been previously examined on other worlds. Thus, correctly interpreting DraGNS' Neutron Spectrometer (NS) measurements at Titan will present a new challenge.

More information on the Dragonfly mission and instruments can be found in the videos at Dragonfly - Gallery

Applications are due by June 9, 2025; selections will be made in August 2025.

Description:

In this project, the student will work with Dragonfly DraGNS mentors to help extend our understanding of the neutron Thermal Scattering Laws (TSLs) that are relevant for Neutron Spectrometer (NS) measurements made on Titan. This will involve either (a) planning and participating in pulsed neutron "die away" measurements, in which a short pulse of neutrons is injected into a target and then the characteristic decay-time of neutrons emerging from the material is measured, or (b) carrying out calculations of densities of states of Titan-relevant materials using computational techniques such as density functional theory.

Depending on the student's interest and experience, project duties may include:

1. Working closely with the DraGNS Team to understand how the DraGNS instrument works and what TSL measurements have been performed so far. The student would also gain familiarity with the literature describing the use of other spacecraft neutron spectrometers.
2. Helping plan how to perform thermal neutron scattering measurements. This planning would require the student to:
   1. Identify and help create relevant Titan chemical analog materials for testing
   2. Identify the DraGNS and related hardware available for testing
3. Participating in the performance of these early tests and data analysis and interpretation of the results while onsite at The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory and/or NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
4. Applying existing codes and utilize data processing systems to calculate TLSs for various Titan surface materials.
5. Documenting and archiving results.

Outcome:

Test results will be used to identify, plan and perform crucial DraGNS experiments on Earth using analog materials that best mimic those expected on Titan. The results of these experiments will be critical to understanding and correctly interpreting measurements that Dragonfly will make on Titan's surface.

Mentors:

Dr. Ann Parsons, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Dr. Jack Wilson, The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory

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

• Are CURRENTLY 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
• Have demonstrated ability to conduct independent research or development
• Have excellent organizational and communication skills (written and oral)
• Have a background in physics or chemistry and building and operating experiments in physical chemistry and thermodynamics
• Can work both independently and in a team environment.
• In addition to a mentor on the Dragonfly team whose 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 is required

This project does not require any background in astrobiology, planetary science, geology, or the study of Titan.

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

• Have experience with one or more computer programming software tools for data analysis (e.g. IDL, Matlab, Python, etc.), and/or laboratory equipment and hardware.
• A background in nuclear physics/engineering would be helpful but is not required.

More information on this and other Dragonfly Student and Early Career Investigator opportunities can be found at Dragonfly - 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 of perspectives 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 athttp://www.jhuapl.edu/careers.

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 of perspectives, 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 contactAccommodations@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.

The referenced pay range is based on JHU APL's good faith belief at the time of posting. Actual compensation may vary based on factors such as geographic location, work experience, market conditions, education/training and skill level with consideration for internal parity. For salaried employees scheduled to work less than 40 hours per week, annual salary will be prorated based on the number of hours worked. APL may offer bonuses or other forms of compensation per internal policy and/or contractual designation. Additional compensation may be provided in the form of a sign-on bonus, relocation benefits, locality allowance or discretionary payments for exceptional performance. APL provides eligible staff with a comprehensive benefits package including retirement plans, paid time off, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, flexible spending accounts, education assistance, and training and development. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.