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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

  • Convener and chair of scientific sessions/symposia at international conferences (2024 Astrobiology Science Conference, 2023 International Union of Crystallography Congress).
  • Panelist and reviewer for NASA ROSES and SBIR proposals.
  • Subject matter expert reviewer for internal JPL proposals and awards.
  • Invited peer reviewer for ACS Earth and Space Chemistry, Icarus, Journal of the American Chemical Society, Journal of Physical Chemistry, Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters, Journal of Chemical Physics, Crystals, Energy, Applied Sciences, Molecules, Water, Physics & Chemistry of Ice.
  • Science Judge (Applied Chemistry), 2015 & 2019 Los Angeles County Science and Engineering Fair.
  • Scorekeeper, 2015 National Science Bowl Regional Competition.
  • Chemistry Grand Award Judge, 2014 Intel ISEF.

Research Interests

  • Surface/subsurface chemical composition and geological processes of ocean worlds.
  • Physical and chemical transformation of clathrate hydrates, organic ices and aqueous brine systems under planetary environments.
  • Astrobiology, prebiotic chemistry, and biosignature detection.
  • Measurements of thermal and mechanical properties of organics, meteoritic, and icy materials.
  • Vibrational spectroscopies (Raman, infrared), 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.
  • Plenary lecture - 2024 AAS Division for Planetary Sciences meeting
  • Principal Investigator of “Testing Hypothesis for Vesicle Formation in Titan’s Lake Fluids” – JPL Innovative Spontaneous Concept (2025).
  • Principal Investigator of “Organics and Associated Mineralogy on Ocean Worlds” – JPL R&TD program (2023)
  • Principal Investigator of “Low-level Organic Detection on Icy Worlds using Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy” – 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. Vitkova, A.; Vu, T. H.; Lambert, J. L. “Photoactivated Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy with Extended Longevity for the Detection of Biosignatures on Icy Worlds and Martian Polar Caps.” J. Raman Spectrosc. 2025, in press, doi 10.1002/jrs.6790.
  2. Reynoso, L. R.; Vu, T. H.; Hodyss, R.; Johnson, P. V. “Glycine Partitioning in Frozen Putative Europan Brines.” Planet. Sci. J. 2025, 6, 64.
  3. Yeşilbaş, M.; Vu, T. H., Hodyss, R.; Poch, O.; Schmitt, B.; Choukroun, M.; Johnson, P. V.; Bishop, J. L. “Geochemical Transformations of Gypsum Under Multiple Environmental Settings and Implications for Ca-Sulfate Detection on Mars.” ACS Earth Space Chem. 2025, 9, 433.
  4. Czaplinski, E. C.; Vu, T. H.; Maynard-Casely, H. E.; Ennis, C.; Cable, M. L.; Malaska, M. J.; Hodyss, R. “Formation and Stability of the Propionitrile:Acetylene Co-Crystal Under Titan-Relevant Conditions.” ACS Earth Space Chem. 2025, 9, 253.
  5. Zhang, J. S.; Zhou, W.-Y.; Vu, T. H.; Hodyss, R.; Yu, X. “Single-Crystal Elasticity of α-Hydroquinone – An Analog for Organic Planetary Materials.” ACS Earth Space Chem. 2025, 9, 1.
  6. Vu, T. H.; Reynoso, L. R.; Johnson, P. V.; Hodyss, R. “Amino Acid-Mediated Formation of CO2 in Flash-Frozen Ceres Brines.” ACS Earth Space Chem. 2024, 8, 1214.
  7. Marlin, T.; Cable, M. L.; Vu, T. H.; Maynard-Casely, H. E.; Ugelow, M. S.; Anderson, C. M.; Hodyss, R. “Propyne: Determination of Physical Properties and Unit Cell Parameters under Titan-Relevant Conditions.” ACS Earth Space Chem. 2024, 8, 957.
  8. Parker, C. W.; Vu, T. H.; Kim, T.; Johnson, P. V. “Vitreous Magnesium Sulfate Hydrate as a Potential Mechanism for Preservation of Microbial Viability on Europa.” Planet. Sci. J. 2023, 4, 178.
  9. Vu, T. H.; Hodyss, R.; Johnson, P. V.; Cable M. L. “Spatial Distribution of Glycine and Aspartic Acid in Frozen Enceladus Brines.” Planet. Sci. J. 2023, 4, 156.
  10. 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, 597.
  11. 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, 2274.
  12. Johnson, P. V.; Vu, T. H. “Formation of Vitreous Salt Hydrates Under Conditions Relevant to Europa.” Planet. Sci. J. 2022, 3, 151.
  13. 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, e2021JE007003.
  14. 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.
  15. 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, 3050.
  16. 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, 1524.
  17. 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.
  18. 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, 1375.
  19. 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.
  20. 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, e2019GL086265.
  21. 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, 2808.
  22. 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, 7051.
  23. Choukroun, M.; Vu, T. H.; Fayolle, E. “No Compelling Evidence for Clathrate Hydrate Formation in Interstellar Medium.” Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 2019, 116, 14407.
  24. 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.
  25. 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.
  26. 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, 366.
  27. 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.
  28. 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, 14.
  29. 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, 1.
  30. 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, L26.
  31. 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, 5396.
  32. 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, 13371.
  33. 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, 4087.
  34. Vu, T. H.; Shultz, M. J. “Vibrating Hydroxide in Hydrophobic Solution – The Ion to Keep an Eye on.” Chem. Phys. Lett. 2013, 572, 13.
  35. 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, 998.