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Tuan Vu

Photo of Tuan Vu

Address:

4800 Oak Grove Drive
M/S 183-601

Pasadena, CA 91109

Phone:

818.354.1000

Fax:

818.393.4445

Member of:

Laboratory Studies

Education

  • Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry, Tufts University (2013)
  • B.S. in Chemistry & Mathematics, CUNY Brooklyn College (2008)

Professional Experience

  • Scientist, Laboratory Studies Group, Jet Propulsion Laboratory (10/2018 - present)
  • Technologist, Planetary Ices Group, Jet Propulsion Laboratory (09/2016 - 09/2018)
  • Caltech Postdoctoral Scholar, Jet Propulsion Laboratory (09/2013 - 09/2016)

Community Service

  • Technical reviewer for NASA ROSES, SBIR, internal JPL proposals and awards.
  • Peer reviewer for ACS Earth and Space Chemistry, Icarus, Journal of Chemical Physics, Journal of Physical Chemistry, Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters, Crystals, Energy, Applied Sciences, Molecules, Water, Physics & Chemistry of Ice.
  • Symposium chair for “Crystallography in Space Research” – 2023 International Union of Crystallography.
  • Science Judge (Applied Chemistry), 2015 & 2019 Los Angeles County Science and Engineering Fair
  • Scorekeeper, National Science Bowl Regional Competition
  • Chemistry Grand Award Judge, Intel ISEF.

Research Interests

  • Physical and chemical transformation of clathrate hydrates, low-temperature organic ices and aqueous brine systems under planetary environments.
  • Surface/subsurface chemical composition and geological processes of icy moons.
  • Prebiotic chemistry and astrobiology.
  • Specific heat capacity measurements of sedimentary, organics, and icy materials.
  • Vibrational spectroscopies (Raman, infrared), powder X-ray diffraction, and calorimetry techniques.

Selected Awards

  • JPL Lew Allen Award for Excellence (2022) - outstanding pioneering experimental work on the chemical composition and geological processes of icy worlds.
  • Principal Investigator of “Organics and Associated Mineralogy on Ocean Worlds” – JPL R&TD program (2023)
  • Principal Investigator of "Clathrate Substitution as a Potential Active Geologic Process on Titan" - NASA Solar System Workings program (2016)
  • NSF Office of Polar Programs, Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences Travel Award (2014)
  • Federal GAANN Fellowship, U.S. Department of Education (2009 & 2012)
  • Research Excellence Award in Chemistry, Tufts University (2010)
  • Irving F. Shaw and Pauline K. Shaw Chemistry Scholar (2007)
  • David Davidson Memorial Research Scholar (2006 & 2007)
  • W. M. Lowell Putnam Award in Mathematics (2006)
  • George Booth Memorial Award in Mathematics (2006)

Selected Publications

  1. Czaplinski, E. C.; Vu, T. H.; Cable, M. L.; Choukroun, M.; Malaska, M. J.; Hodyss, R. “Experimental Characterization of the Pyridine-Acetylene Co-crystal and Implications for Titan Surface Chemistry.” ACS Earth Space Chem. 2023, 7 (3), 597-608 – Featured Front Cover
  2. Johnson, P. V.; Vu, T. H.; Hodyss, R. “Crystallization Kinetics of Vitreous Magnesium Sulfate Hydrate and Implications for Europa’s Surface.” Planet. Sci. J. 2023, 4 (1), 7.
  3. Vu, T. H.; Maynard-Casely, H. E.; Cable, M. L.; Choukroun, M.; Malaska, M. J.; Hodyss, R. “1,3-Butadiene on Titan: Crystal Structure, Thermal Expansivity, and Raman Signatures.” ACS Earth Space Chem. 2022, 6 (10), 2274-2281 – Special Issue on Chemical Complexity in Planetary Systems.
  4. Johnson, P. V.; Vu, T. H. “Formation of Vitreous Salt Hydrates Under Conditions Relevant to Europa.” Planet. Sci. J. 2022, 3, 151.
  5. Piqueux, S.; Vu, T. H.; Bapst, J.; Garvie, L. A. J.; Choukroun, M.; Edwards, C. S. “Specific Heat Capacity Measurements of Selected Meteorites for Planetary Surface Temperature Modeling.” J. Geophys. Res. Planets 2021, 126 (11), e2021JE007003.
  6. Cordier, D.; Bonhommeau, D. A.; Vu, T. H.; Choukroun, M.; García-Sánchez, F. “Vertical Compositional Variations of Liquid Hydrocarbons in Titan’s Alkanofers.” Astron. Astrophys. 2021, 653, A80.
  7. Cable, M. L.; Runčevski, T.; Maynard-Casely, H. E.; Vu, T. H.; Hodyss, R. “Titan in a Test Tube: Organic Co-crystals and Implication for Titan Mineralogy.” Acc. Chem. Res. 2021, 54 (15), 3050-3059.
  8. Hodyss, R.; Vu, T. H.; Choukroun, M.; Cable, M. L. “A Simple Gas Introduction System for Cryogenic Powder X-Ray Diffraction.” J. Appl. Crystallogr. 2021, 54, 1268-1270.
  9. Vu, T. H.; Maynard-Casely, H. E.; Cable, M. L.; Hodyss, R.; Malaska, M. J.; Choukroun, M. “Anisotropic Thermal Expansion of the Acetylene-Ammonia Co-crystal under Titan’s Conditions.” J. Appl. Crystallogr. 2020, 53 (6), 1524-1530.
  10. Petuya, C.; Choukroun, M.; Vu, T. H.; Desmedt, A.; Davies, A. G.; Sotin, C. “Cage Occupancy of Methane Clathrate Hydrates in the Ternary H2O-NH3-CH4 System.” Chem. Commun. 2020, 56, 12391-12394.
  11. Cable, M. L.; Vu, T. H.; Malaska, M. J.; Maynard-Casely, H. E.; Choukroun, M.; Hodyss, R. “Properties and Behavior of the Acetonitrile-Acetylene Co-crystal under Titan Surface Conditions.” ACS Earth Space Chem. 2020, 4 (8), 1375-1385.
  12. Vu, T. H.; Choukroun, M.; Hodyss, R.; Johnson, P. V. “Probing Europa’s Subsurface Ocean from Surface Salt Minerals Using in-situ Techniques.” Icarus 2020, 349, 113746.
  13. Petuya, C.; Choukroun, M.; Vu, T. H.; Sotin, C.; Davies, A. G. “Phase Behavior of Clathrate Hydrates in the Ternary H2O-NH3-Cyclopentane System.” ACS Earth Space Chem. 2020, 4 (4), 526-534.
  14. Vu, T. H.; Choukroun, M.; Sotin, C.; Muñoz-Iglesias, V.; Maynard-Casely, H. E. “Rapid Formation of Clathrate Hydrate from Liquid Ethane and Water Ice on Titan.” Geophys. Res. Lett. 2020, 47 (4), e2019GL086265.
  15. Cable, M. L.; Vu, T. H.; Malaska, M. J.; Maynard-Casely, H. E.; Choukroun, M.; Hodyss, R. “A Co-Crystal between Acetylene and Butane: A Potentially Ubiquitous Molecular Mineral on Titan.” ACS Earth Space Chem. 2019, 3 (12), 2808-2815 – Editor’s Choice.
  16. Vu, T. H.; Hodyss, R.; Cable, M. L.; Choukroun, M. “Raman Signatures and Thermal Expansivity of Acetylene Clathrate Hydrate.” J. Phys. Chem. A 2019, 123 (32), 7051-7056.
  17. Choukroun, M.; Vu, T. H.; Fayolle, E. “No Compelling Evidence for Clathrate Hydrate Formation in Interstellar Medium.” Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 2019, 116 (29), 14407-14408.
  18. Johnson, P. V.; Hodyss, R.; Vu, T. H.; Choukroun, M. “Insights into Europa’s Ocean Composition Derived from Its Surface Expression.” Icarus 2019, 321, 857-865.
  19. Vu, T. H.; Piqueux, S.; Choukroun, M.; Edwards, C. S.; Christensen, P. R.; Glotch, T. D. “Low-Temperature Specific Heat Capacity Measurements and Application to Mars Thermal Modeling.” Icarus 2019, 321, 824-840.
  20. 20. Thomas, E. C.; Vu, T. H.; Hodyss, R.; Johnson, P. V.; Choukroun, M. “Kinetic Effect on the Freezing of Ammonium-Sodium-Carbonate-Chloride Brines and Implications for the Origin of Ceres’ Bright Spots.” Icarus 2019, 320, 150-158 - Occator Crater on Ceres Special Issue.
  21. 21. Cable, M. L.; Vu, T. H.; Maynard-Casely, H. E.; Choukroun, M.; Hodyss, R. “The Acetylene-Ammonia Co-crystal on Titan.” ACS Earth Space Chem. 2018, 2 (4), 366-375 – Most read paper in March 2018.
  22. 22. Muñoz-Iglesias, V.; Choukroun, M.; Vu, T. H.; Hodyss, R.; Mahjoub, A.; Smythe, W.; Sotin, C. “Phase Diagram of the Ternary Water-Tetrahydrofuran-Ammonia System at Low Temperatures. Implications for Clathrate Hydrates and Outgassing on Titan.” ACS Earth Space Chem. 2018, 2 (2), 135-146.
  23. 23. Vu, T. H.; Hodyss, R.; Johnson, P. V.; Choukroun, M. “Preferential Formation of Sodium Salts from Frozen Sodium-Ammonium-Chloride-Carbonate Brines – Implications for Ceres’ Bright Spots.” Planet. Space Sci. 2017, 141, 73-77.
  24. 24. Thomas, E. C.; Hodyss, R.; Vu, T. H.; Johnson, P. V.; Choukroun, M. “Composition and Evolution of Frozen Chloride Brines under the Surface Conditions of Europa.” ACS Earth Space Chem. 2017, 1 (1), 14-23.
  25. 25. Maynard-Casely, H. E.; Hodyss, R.; Cable, M. L.; Vu, T. H.; Rahm, M. “A Co-Crystal between Benzene and Ethane, a Potential Evaporite Material for Saturn’s Moon Titan.” Int. Union Cryst. J. 2016, 3 (3), 1-8.
  26. 26. Vu, T. H.; Hodyss, R.; Choukroun, M.; Johnson, P. V. “Chemistry of Frozen Sodium-Magnesium-Sulfate-Chloride Brines: Implications for Surface Expression of Europa’s Ocean Composition.” Astrophys. J. Lett. 2016, 816 (2), L26.
  27. 27. Shultz, M. J.; Vu, T. H. “Hydrogen Bonding between Water and Tetrahydrofuran Relevant to Clathrate Formation.” J. Phys. Chem. B 2015, 119 (29), 9167-9172.
  28. 28. Cable, M. L.; Vu, T. H.; Hodyss, R.; Choukroun, M.; Malaska, M.; Beauchamp, P. “Experimental Determination of the Kinetics of Formation of the Benzene-Ethane Co-Crystal and Implications for Titan.” Geophys. Res. Lett. 2014, 41 (15), 5396-5401.
  29. 29. Vu, T. H.; Gloesener, E.; Choukroun, M.; Ibourichene, A.; Hodyss, R. “Experimental Study on the Effect of Ammonia on the Phase Behavior of Tetrahydrofuran Clathrates.” J. Phys. Chem. B 2014, 118 (47), 13371-13377 – Special Issue on the Physics and Chemistry of Ice.
  30. 30. Vu, T. H.; Cable, M. L.; Choukroun, M.; Hodyss, R.; Beauchamp, P. “Formation of a New Benzene-Ethane Co-Crystalline Structure Under Cryogenic Conditions.” J. Phys. Chem. A 2014, 118 (23), 4087-4094.
  31. 31. Shultz, M. J.; Bisson, P.; Vu, T. H. “Molecular Dance: Water’s Collective Modes.” Chem. Phys. Lett. 2013, 588, 1-10 – Frontiers Article.
  32. 32. Vu, T. H.; Shultz, M. J. “Vibrating Hydroxide in Hydrophobic Solution – The Ion to Keep an Eye on.” Chem. Phys. Lett. 2013, 572, 13-15 - Editor’s Choice.
  33. 33. Shultz, M. J.; Vu, T. H.; Meyer, B.; Bisson, P. “Water: A Small Responsive Molecule.” Acc. Chem. Res. 2012, 45 (1), 15-22 – Water in Chemistry Special Issue, most read in 1st quarter.
  34. 34. Vu, T. H.; Shultz, M. J. “Competitive Binding of Methanol and Propane for Water via Matrix-Isolation Spectroscopy: Implications for Inhibition of Clathrate Nucleation.” J. Phys. Chem. A 2011, 115 (6), 998-1002.
  35. 35. Vu, T. H.; Kälin, S. D.; Shultz, M. J. “Spectroscopic Identification of Water-Propane Interaction: Implications for Clathrate Nucleation.” J. Phys. Chem. A 2010, 114 (22), 6356-6360.