Education

Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA

PhD in Planetary Sciences, 2014-2019

University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China

BS in Space Physics with honors, 2010-2014

Research Experience

University of California, Santa Cruz

51 Pegasi b Postdoctoral Fellow (Supervisor: Xi Zhang), 2019-2022

Laboratory characterization of planetary materials, modeling cloud-haze interactions and cloud formation on Titan and exoplanets, photochemical modeling in sub-Neptune atmospheres

Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA

Graduate Research Assistant (Advisor: Sarah Hörst), 2014-2019

Laboratory production and characterization of Titan aerosol analogs (“tholins”) and the effect on sediment transport and dune formation on Titan

NASA Ames Research Center, Mountain View, CA, USA

Visiting Student (Collaborators: Nathan Bridges, Devon Burr, James Smith), 2015 & 2016 Summer

Sediment transport on Titan using the Titan Wind Tunnel

Key Laboratory of Solar Activity, National Astronomical Observatories, Beijing, China

Undergraduate Research Assistant (Advisor: Jun Zhang), 2013-2014

Investigation of cyclones in the quiet Sun using SDO/AIA and HMI data

Honors and Awards

NASA Planetary Science Early Career Award (ECA), 2023-2028
Outstanding mentorship of 2 UCSC undergraduate students, Chancellor’s Undergraduate Research Awards (2 out of 15 awardees at UCSC)
UCSC Graduate Division Outstanding Postdoctoral Scholar Award, 2022
51 Pegasi b Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2019-2022
Stephen E. Dwornik Award at the 49th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference – Best Graduate Oral Presentation, 2018
JHU EPS Journal Club Long Presentation Award, 2018
Johns Hopkins University 2018-19 Technology Fellowship ($5000)
Johns Hopkins University 2018-19 Dean’s Teaching Fellow ($11,500)
Johns Hopkins University Shark Tank Education Innovation Competition ($3000), Winner, 2016
Johns Hopkins University Owen Scholars Award ($6000/yr, 3yrs), 2014
University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Outstanding Bachelor Thesis, 2014
USTC, Outstanding Award in Undergraduate Research Program, 2013

Refereed Publications

*: Mentored Undergraduate Student, †: Corresponding Author

21 Total: 11 First Author, 13 Corresponding Author, 14 First & Second Author

[21]: †Xinting Yu, *Yue Yu, *Julia Garver, Xi Zhang, Patricia McGuiggan, “The Fate of Simple Organics on Titan’s Surface: A Theoretical Perspective”, Geophysical Research Letters, 51, e2023GL106156, https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL106156, 2024.

Press release by AGU and article on CNN.

[20] †Xinting Yu, *Yue Yu,*Julia Garver, *Jialin Li,*Abigale Hawthorn, Ella Sciamma-O’Brien, Xi Zhang, and Erika Barth, “Material Properties of Organic Liquids, Ices, and Hazes on Titan”, ApJS, 266, 30, https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4365/acc6cf, 2023.

[19] Shannon MacKenzie, Kirby Runyon, Xinting Yu, Jasper Kok, Claire Newman, Ralph Lorenz, and Francesco Comola, “Sediment-Moving Winds and Abrasion on Titan: Implications for Yardangs”, Icarus, 394, 115433, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2023.115433, 2023.

[18] *Austin H. Dymont, †Xinting Yu, Kazumasa Ohno, Xi Zhang, Jonathan Fortney, Daniel Thorngren, and *Connor Dickinson, “Cleaning our Hazy Lenses: Statistical Trends in Transmission Spectra of Warm Exoplanets,” Astrophysical Journal, 937, 2, https://doi.org/10.3847/1538- 4357/ac7f40, 2022.

[17] James Mang, Peter Gao, Callie E. Hood, Jonathan J. Fortney, Natasha Batalha, Xinting Yu, and Imke de Pater, “Microphysics of Water Clouds in the Atmospheres of Y Dwarfs and Temperate Giant Planets,” Astrophysical Journal, 927, 184, https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ac51d3, 2022.

[16] Francesco Comola, Jasper F. Kok, Juan M. Lora, K. Cohanim, Xinting Yu, Chao He, Patricia McGuiggan, Sarah M. Hörst, and Francis Turney, “Titan’s prevailing circulation might drive highly intermittent, yet significant sediment transport” Geophysical Research Letters, 49, 7, e2022GL097913, https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GL097913, 2022.

[15]: *Jialin Li, †Xinting Yu, Ella Sciamma-O’Brien, Chao He, Joshua Sebree, Farid Salama, Sarah M. Hörst, and Xi Zhang, “A Cross-Laboratory Comparison Study of Titan’s Haze Analogs: Surface Energy”, Planetary Science Journal, 3, 2, https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ac3d27, 2022.

[14]: †Xinting Yu, Julianne I. Moses, Jonathan J. Fortney, and Xi Zhang, “How to Identify Exoplanet Surfaces Using Atmospheric Trace Species in Hydrogen-dominated Atmospheres”, Astrophysical Journal, 914, 36, https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/abfdc7, 2021.

Featured Articles on Universe Today and Forbes.

[13]: †Xinting Yu, Chao He, Xi Zhang, Sarah M. Hörst, *Austin H. Dymont, Patricia McGuiggan, Julianne I. Moses, Nikole K. Lewis, Jonathan J. Fortney, Peter Gao, Eliza M.-R. Kempton, Sarah Moran, Caroline V. Morley, Diana Powell, Jeff A. Valenti, and Véronique Vuitton, “Haze Evolution in Temperate Exoplanet Atmospheres Through Surface Energies Measurements”, Nature Astronomy, 1, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-021-01375-3, 2021, Press release.

[12]: †Xinting Yu, Sarah M. Hörst, Chao He, Patricia McGuiggan, Kai Kristiansen, and Xi Zhang, “Surface Energy of the Titan Aerosol Analog ‘Tholin’”, Astrophysical Journal, 905, 88, https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/abc55d, 2020.

[11]: Ellen Czaplinski, Xinting Yu, Katherine Dzurilla, Vincent Chevrier, “Experimental Investigation of the Acetylene-Benzene Co-crystal on Titan”, Planetary Science Journal, 1, 76, https://doi.org/ 10.3847/PSJ/abbf57, 2020.

[10]: Chao He, Sarah M. Hörst, Nikole K. Lewis, Xinting Yu, Julianne I. Moses, Patricia McGuig- gan, Mark S. Marley, Eliza M.-R. Kempton, Caroline V. Morley, and Véronique Vuitton, “Haze Formation in Warm H2-rich Exoplanet Atmospheres”, Planetary Science Journal, 1, 51, https://doi.org/ 10.3847/PSJ/abb1a4, in press, 2020.

[9]: †Xinting Yu, Sarah M. Hörst, Chao He, and Patricia McGuiggan, “Single Particle Triboelectrification of Titan Sand Analogs”, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 530, 115996, https://doi.org/10.10 16/j.epsl.2019.115996, 2020.

[8]: Chao He, Sarah M. Hörst, Nikole K. Lewis, Xinting Yu, Julianne I. Moses, Patricia McGuiggan, Mark S. Marley, Eliza M.-R. Kempton, Sarah E. Moran, Caroline V. Morley, and Véronique Vuitton, “Sulfur Promotes Haze Formation in Warm Exoplanet Atmospheres”, Nature Astronomy, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-020-1072-9, 2020.

[7]: †Xinting Yu, Sarah M. Hörst, Chao He, Bryan Crawford, and Patricia McGuiggan, “Where does Titan Sand Come From: Insight from Mechanical Properties of Titan Organic Analogs”, Journal of Geophysical Research – Planets, https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JE005651, 2018.

Featured Article on Universe Today is here.

[6]: Chao He, Sarah M. Hörst, Nikole K. Lewis, Xinting Yu, Julianne I. Moses, Eliza M.-R. Kempton, Mark S. Marley, Patricia McGuiggan, Caroline V. Morley, Jeff A. Valenti, and Véronique Vuitton, “Photochemical Haze Formation in the Atmospheres of Super-Earths and Mini-Neptunes”, The Astronomical Journal, 156, 1, https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/aac883, 2018.

[5]: Chao He, Sarah M. Hörst, Nikole K. Lewis, Xinting Yu, Julianne I. Moses, Eliza M.-R. Kemp- ton, Patricia McGuiggan, Caroline V. Morley, Jeff A. Valenti, and Véronique Vuitton, “Laboratory Simulations on Haze Formation in Cool Exoplanet Atmospheres: Particle Color and Size Dis- tribution”, Astrophysical Journal Letters, 865(1), L3, https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/aab42b, 2018.

[4]: †Xinting Yu, Sarah M. Hörst, Chao He, Patricia McGuiggan, and Nathan T. Bridges, “Direct Measurement of Interparticle Forces of Titan Aerosol Analogs (“Tholin”) Using Atomic Force Microscopy”, Journal of Geophysical Research – Planets, https://doi.org/10.1002/2017JE005437, 2017.

[3]: †Xinting Yu, Sarah M. Hörst, Chao He, Nathan T. Bridges, Devon M. Burr, Joshua A. Sebree, and
James K. Smith, “The Effect of Adsorbed Liquid and Material Density on Saltation Threshold: In-
sight from Laboratory and Wind Tunnel Experiments”, Icarus, 297, 97-109, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2017.06.034, 2017.

[2]: †Xin-Ting Yu, Jun Zhang, Ting Li, and Shu-Hong Yang, “Case Studies of EUV Cyclones and Their Associated Magnetic Fields”, Res. Astron. and Astrophys., 15, 1525, http://doi.org/10.1088/1674-4527/15/9/009, 2015.

[1]: †Xinting Yu, Jun Zhang, Ting Li, Yuzong Zhang, and Shuhong Yang, “Homologous Cyclones in the Quiet Sun”, Astrophysical Journal Letters, 782(2), L15, http://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/782/2/L15, 2014.