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Ellen Czaplinski

Photo of Ellen Czaplinski

Address:

4800 Oak Grove Drive

Pasadena, CA 91109

Curriculum Vitae:

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Member of:

Laboratory Studies

NASA Postdoctoral Fellow

Biography

I use experimental laboratory techniques to examine how Titan surface materials interact with each other. Specifically, I use Raman/IR/UV spectroscopy and XRD to perform kinetics studies on astrobiologically-relevant co-crystals (two unique species existing together in a fixed ratio) to characterize their formation conditions. Conducting these experiments can give a better understanding of how co-crystals form under Titan-relevant temperatures, where they may be found on Titan, and how they may affect timescales of landscape evolution.

Additionally, I am assessing the viability of membrane formation in Titan liquids by performing experiments with acrylonitrile (C2H3CN), a molecule which has theoretically been presumed to form a vesicle structure called an “azotosome.” If thermodynamic stability exists in this system, the acrylonitrile may self-assemble into the azotosome molecule.

I also enjoy studying the surfaces of other planetary bodies. I have extensive experience making geologic maps and rover traverses for the south pole of the Moon; have conducted a planet-wide survey of martian dunes; and have been a science consultant for improving autonomous elements of spacecraft for future Europa missions. Human and robotic exploration of the solar system has been a passion of mine since beginning my career in planetary science, and I look forward to more opportunities to be involved with such exploration opportunities in the future.

Education

  • University of Arkansas, Ph.D. in Space and Planetary Sciences (2021)
  • Purdue University, B.S. in Planetary Science (2016)
      • Learning Beyond the Classroom Certificate
      • Study abroad program, Monash University (2015)

Professional Experience

  • JPL Postdoctoral Fellow – with Rob Hodyss (2024 - Present)
  • Collaborator on Dragonfly DragonCam team (2023 - Present)
  • NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellow – with Rob Hodyss (2022 – 2024)
  • Science consultant for NASA Autonomous Robotics Research for Ocean Worlds (ARROW) program (2020-2022)
  • JPL Planetary Science Summer Seminar Participant (2019)
  • Mars Desert Research Station Crew Geologist (2018 – 2019)
  • LPI Exploration Science Summer Internship (2018)

Community Service

  • DPS-EPSC Science Organizing Committee (2023)
  • Committee Member for the DPS Publications Subcommittee (2022 – 2025)
  • Board Member for the Scientific Society for Astrobiology (2022 – present)
  • Session Chair for Titan Craters, Chemistry, & Exploration session, DPS (2022)
  • NASA ROSES panel reviewer (2021 - present)
  • Astronomy and planetary science outreach leadership
  • Peer Reviewer for Icarus, Earth and Space Science Journal
  • LPSC Dwornik Judge
  • LPSC session moderator
  • Future Engineers Judge (Mars 2020 Name the Rover contest, Lunabotics Junior)
  • Science Judge for the Northwest Arkansas Regional Science and Engineering Fair

Research Interests

Titan chemistry, ocean worlds, astrobiology, geology, human exploration

Selected Awards

  • NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellowship (2022 - present)
  • Zonta International Amelia Earhart Fellowship (2020)
  • NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship (2017 - 2020)

Selected Publications

Publications

  • Cavalcante, L. L., Czaplinski, E. C., Maynard-Casely, H. E., Cable, M. L., Chaouche-Mechidal, N., Hodyss, R., and Ennis, C. Vacuum-ultraviolet irradiation of pyridine:acetylene ices relevant to Titan astrochemistry. Submitted to Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics (2024)
  • Weber, J. M.*, Czaplinski, E. C.*, Hodyss, R., Henderson, B., Barge, L. M., Castillo-Rogez, J. (2024) Photochemical Stability and Reactivity of Sodium pyruvate: Implications for Organic Analysis on Ceres. ACS Earth and Space Chemistry, 8 (7), 1385-1393. *denotes equal contribution DOI:10.1021/acsearthspacechem.4c00045
  • Czaplinski, E. C., Vu, T. H., Cable, M. L., Choukroun, M., Malaska, M. J., Hodyss, R. (2023) Experimental Characterization of the Pyridine:Acetylene Co-crystal and Implications for Titan’s Surface. ACS Earth and Space Chemistry, 7, 3, 597-608. DOI: 10.1021/acsearthspacechem.2c00377
  • Hossen, M. A., Kharade, S., Schmerl, B., Cámara, J., O'Kane, J. M., Czaplinski, E. C., Dzurilla, K. A., Garlan, D., Jamshidi, P. (2023) CaRE: Finding Root Causes of Configuration Issues in Highly-Configurable Robots. IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, 8, 7, 4115-4122. DOI: 10.1109/LRA.2023.3280810
  • Czaplinski, E. C., Harrington, E. M., Bell, S. K., Tolometti, G. D., Farrant, B. E., Bickel, V. T., Honniball, C. I., Martinez, S. N., Rogaski, A., Sargeant, H. M., Kring, D. A. (2021) Geologic Map and Rover Traverses for Human-Assisted Sample Return Missions to the Schrödinger Basin, Lunar Farside. The Planetary Science Journal, 2, 51. DOI:10.3847/PSJ/abdb34
  • Czaplinski, E. C., Yu. X., Dzurilla, K., Chevrier, V. F. (2020) Experimental Investigation of the Acetylene-Benzene Co-Crystal on Titan, The Planetary Science Journal, 1, 76. DOI:10.3847/PSJ/abbf57
  • Czaplinski, E. C., Gilbertson, W. A., Farnsworth, K. K., Chevrier, V. F. (2019) Experimental Study of Ethylene Evaporites under Titan Conditions. ACS Earth and Space Chemistry, 3, 2353-2362. DOI:10.1021/acsearthspacechem.9b00204
  • MacKenzie, S. M. et al., including Czaplinski, E. C. (2021) Titan: Earth-like on the Outside, Ocean World on the Inside. The Planetary Science Journal, 2, 112. DOI:10.3847/PSJ/abf7c9
  • Moore, K., Courville, S., Ferguson, S., Schoenfeld, A., Llera, K., Agrawal, R., Buhler, P., Brack, D., Connour, K., Czaplinski, E., DeLuca, M., Deutsch, A., Hammond, N., Kuettel, D., Marusiak, A., Nerozzi, S., Stuart, J., Tarnas, J., Thelen, A., Castillo, J., Smythe, W., Landau, D., Mitchell, K., Budney, C. (2021) Bridge to the stars: A mission concept to an interstellar object, Planetary and Space Science, 197, 105137 DOI:10.1016/j.pss.2020.105137
  • Sargeant, H. M., Bickel, V. T., Honniball, C. I., Martinez, S. N., Rogaski, A., Bell, S. K., Czaplinski, E. C., Farrant, B. E., Harrington, E. M., Tolometti, G. D., Kring. D. A. (2020) Using Boulder Tracks as a Tool to Understand the Bearing Capacity of Permanently Shadowed Regions on the Moon. JGR: Planets, 125, e2019JE006157. DOI:10.1029/2019JE006157
  • Bickel, V. T., Honniball, C. I., Martinez, S. N., Rogaski, A., Sargeant, H. M., Bell, S. K., Czaplinski, E. C., Farrant, B. E., Harrington, E. M., Tolometti, G. D., Kring. D. A. (2019) Analysis of Lunar Boulder Tracks: Implications for Trafficability of Pyroclastic Deposits. JGR: Planets, 124, 1296-1314. DOI:10.1029/2018JE005876