 CURRENT STUDENTS Diana Bolser (Chemistry) Michelle Thompson (PTYS) | Tom Zega Assistant ProfessorCosmochemistry; planetary materials; laboratory-based astrophysics Ph.D., 2003, Arizona State University Kuiper #522 626-1356  Years with LPL: 2011 to present RESEARCH INTERESTS Dr. Zega applies a microscopy- and microanalysis-based approach to study the chemical and physical evolution of the early solar system and ancient stars. His current efforts are focused on the origin of refractory inclusions, presolar grains, primitive organics, interplanetary dust particles, and material retrieved from the Stardust mission. He uses ultrahigh-resolution ion- and electron-microscopy techniques, including focused-ion-beam scanning-electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, to determine the composition and structure of these materials at scales ranging from millimeters down to a fraction of a nanometer. Knowledge of these intimate details of planetary materials provides incomparable insights into the origin of our solar system and ancient stars. CURRENT GRANTS
CURRENT SPACECRAFT INVOLVEMENT OSIRIS-REx Collaborator ADS PUBLICATIONS SEARCH NASA ADS Author search: Thomas J. Zega SELECTED PUBLICATIONS Asaduzzaman, A. M., et al. First Principles Investigation of Adsorption of Organic Molecules on Planetary Materials 2012M&PSA..75.5397A Zega, T. J., et al. Measurement of the Oxidation State of Ti in Solar and Presolar Hibonite 2012LPI....43.2338Z Zega, T., et al. Scanning Transmission X-Ray Microscopy on Calcium Aluminate From the Early Solar System And Ancient Stars 2011MiMic..17S1894Z Boercker, J.E., et al. 2011 The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters Size and temperature dependence of band-edge excitions in PbSe nanowires Berger, E. L., et al. Evidence for aqueous activity on comet 81P/Wild 2 from sulfide mineral assemblages in Stardust samples and CI chondrites 2011GeCoA..75.3501B Zega, T. J., et al. A Transmission Electron Microscopy Study of Presolar Hibonite 2011ApJ...730...83Z Foos, E.E., et al. 2011 Journal of Materials Chemistry Synthesis of PbSe nanowires: the impact of the alkylphosphonic acid addition. Tischler, J. G., et al. Band-edge excitons in PbSe nanocrystals and nanorods 2010PhRvB..82x5303T Zega, T. J., et al. Mineral associations and character of isotopically anomalous organic material in the Tagish Lake carbonaceous chondrite 2010GeCoA..74.5966Z De Gregorio, B. T., et al. Isotopic anomalies in organic nanoglobules from Comet 81P/Wild 2: Comparison to Murchison nanoglobules and isotopic anomalies induced in terrestrial organics by electron irradiation 2010GeCoA..74.4454D Busemann, H., et al. Ultra-primitive interplanetary dust particles from the comet 26P/Grigg-Skjellerup dust stream collection 2009E&PSL.288...44B Zolensky, M., et al. Comparing Wild 2 particles to chondrites and IDPs 2008M&PS...43..261Z Leroux, H., et al. A TEM study of thermally modified comet 81P/Wild 2 dust particles by interactions with the aerogel matrix during the Stardust capture process 2008M&PS...43...97L Baturina, O.A., Garsany, Y., Zega, T.J., Stroud, R.M., Schull, T., and Swider-Lyons, K.E., 2008 Journal of the Electrochemical Society Oxygen reduction reaction on Platinum/Tantalum oxide electrocatalysts for PEM fuel cells Bassim, N. D., et al. Dislocations in III-nitride films grown on 4H-SiC mesas with and without surface steps 2007JCrGr.304..103B Zega, T. J., et al. Coordinated isotopic and mineralogic analyses of planetary materials enabled by in situ lift-out with a focused ion beam scanning electron microscope 2007M&PS...42.1373Z Zolensky, M. E., et al. Mineralogy and Petrology of Comet 81P/Wild 2 Nucleus Samples 2006Sci...314.1735Z Brownlee, D., et al. Comet 81P/Wild 2 Under a Microscope 2006Sci...314.1711B Zega, T. J., et al. Determination of Interface Atomic Structure and Its Impact on Spin Transport Using Z-Contrast Microscopy and Density-Functional Theory 2006PhRvL..96s6101Z Zega, T. J., et al. Polyhedral serpentine grains in CM chondrites 2006M&PS...41..681Z Garvie, L.A.J., Zega, T.J., Rez, P., and Buseck, P.R. 2004 American Mineralogist Nanometer-scale measurements of Fe3+/ΣFe by electron energy-loss spectroscopy: A cautionary note Zega, T. J., et al. Serpentine nanotubes in the Mighei CM chondrite 2004E&PSL.223..141Z Zega, T.J., Garvie, L.A.J., and Buseck, P.R. 2003 American Mineralogist Nanometer-scale measurements of iron oxidation states of cronstedtite from primitive meteorites Zega, T. J., Buseck, P. R. Fine-grained-rim mineralogy of the Cold Bokkeveld CM chondrite 2003GeCoA..67.1711Z Lauretta, D. S., Buseck, P. R., Zega, T. J. Opaque minerals in the matrix of the Bishunpur (LL3.1) chondrite: constraints on the chondrule formation environment 2001GeCoA..65.1337L Zega, T. J., Buseck, P. R. Mineralogy of a Fine-Grained Rim Within the Cold Bokkeveld cm Chondrite: A Transmission Electron Microscope Study 2000M&PSA..35Q.177Z |
