[mickeykollins]

So I got admitted to a few graduate programs in Physics and Aerospace Engineering where I could do research in computational astrophysics or computational aerodynamics. I know its weird to decide between such different programs, but I like both subjects. Without considering job opportunities, I would like astrophysics more. But I don't have much intention on becoming a professor after I finish the phD, but am interested in a research career in industrial R&D (but I heard these are a dying breed), the government labs (Los Alamos, LLNL, etc), military labs (Naval research lab, AFRL, etc) or the defense industry as well. I heard that astrophysicists can get hired to do stuff like building bombs since they possess skills like using CFD.

How much of an advantage would I have in getting a job at these places with an Aerospace phD vs astrophysics? I could work on stuff like radar, etc but have a preference for the aerodynamics and heat transfer analysis
Is it important to have produced alot of publications in grad school?