Publications

Complete publication list available on Google Scholar with 221+ entries. Work spans major international collaborations including NASA missions (Stardust, OSIRIS-REx), JAXA missions (Hayabusa2), and synchrotron facilities worldwide.

Recent Publications (2024-2025)

Gainsforth, Z., Dominguez, G., Amano, K., Matsumoto, M., Fujioka, Y., Kagawa, E., Nakamura, T., Tachibana, S., Morita, T., Kikuiri, M., Yurimoto, H., Noguchi, T., Okazaki, R., Yabuta, H., Naraoka, H., Sakamoto, K., Yada, T., Nishimura, M., Nakato, A., Miyazaki, A., Yogata, K., Abe, M., Okada, T., Usui, T., Yoshikawa, M., Saiki, T., Tanaka, S., Terui, F., Nakazawa, S., Watanabe, S., Tsuda, Y. & Hayabusa2 Initial Analysis Stone Team. Coevolution of phyllosilicate, carbon, sulfide, and apatite in Ryugu’s parent body. Meteoritics and Planetary Science (2024). doi:10.1111/maps.14161

McCoy, T. J. & Russell, S. S., et al. An evaporite sequence from ancient brine recorded in Bennu samples. Nature 637, 1072–1077 (2025). doi:10.1038/s41586-024-08495-6

Glavin, D. P. & Dworkin, J. P., et al. Abundant ammonia and nitrogen-rich soluble organic matter in samples from asteroid (101955) Bennu. Nature Astronomy 1–12 (2025). doi:10.1038/s41550-024-02472-9

Major Publications (2019-2022)

Gainsforth, Z., Westphal, A. J., Butterworth, A. L., Jilly‐Rehak, C. E., Brownlee, D. E., Joswiak, D. J., Ogliore, R. C., Zolensky, M. E., Bechtel, H. A., Ebel, D. S., Huss, G. R., Sandford, S. A. & White, A. J. Fine‐grained material associated with a large sulfide returned from Comet 81P/Wild 2. Meteoritics and Planetary Science 54, 1069–1091 (2019). doi:10.1111/maps.13265

Westphal, A. J., Butterworth, A. L., Tomsick, J. A. & Gainsforth, Z. Measurement of the Oxidation State of Fe in the ISM Using X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopy. The Astrophysical Journal 872, 66 (2019). doi:10.3847/1538-4357/aafb3b

Nakamura, T., et al. Formation and evolution of carbonaceous asteroid Ryugu: Direct evidence from returned samples. Science 379, eabn8671 (2023). doi:10.1126/science.abn8671

Years 2013-2017

Gainsforth, Z., Lauretta, D. S., Tamura, N., Westphal, A. J., Jilly-Rehak, C. E. & Butterworth, A. L. Insights into solar nebula formation of pyrrhotite from nanoscale disequilibrium phases produced by H2S sulfidation of Fe metal. American Mineralogist 102, 1881–1893 (2017). doi:10.2138/am-2017-5848

Gainsforth, Z., Butterworth, A. L., Stodolna, J., Westphal, A. J., Huss, G. R., Nagashima, K., Ogliore, R., Brownlee, D. E., Joswiak, D., Tyliszczak, T. & Simionovici, A. S. Constraints on the formation environment of two chondrule‐like igneous particles from comet 81P/Wild 2. Meteoritics and Planetary Science 50, 976–1004 (2015). doi:10.1111/maps.12445

Westphal, A. J., et al. Evidence for interstellar origin of seven dust particles collected by the Stardust spacecraft. Science 345, 786–791 (2014). doi:10.1126/science.1252496

Dominguez, G., McLeod, A. S., Gainsforth, Z., Kelly, P., Bechtel, H. A., Keilmann, F., Westphal, A. J., Thiemens, M. & Basov, D. N. Nanoscale infrared spectroscopy as a non-destructive probe of extraterrestrial samples. Nature Communications 5, 5445 (2014). doi:10.1038/ncomms6445

Gainsforth, Z., et al. Stardust Interstellar Preliminary Examination VIII: Identification of crystalline material in two interstellar candidates. Meteoritics and Planetary Science 49, 1645–1665 (2014). doi:10.1111/maps.12148

Years 2006-2012

Ogliore, R. C., et al. Incorporation of a Late-forming Chondrule into Comet Wild 2. The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 745:L19, 5. (2012). doi:10.1088/2041-8205/745/2/L19

Srama, R., et al. SARIM PLUS—sample return of comet 67P/CG and of interstellar matter. Experimental Astronomy. (2012). doi:10.1007/s10686-011-9285-7

Ogliore, R. C., Butterworth, A. L., Fakra, S. C., Gainsforth, Z., Marcus, M. A., & Westphal, A. J. Comparison of the oxidation state of Fe in comet 81P/Wild 2 and chondritic-porous interplanetary dust particles. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 296(3-4), 278–286. (2010). doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2010.05.011

Ogliore, R. C., Westphal, A. J., Gainsforth, Z., Butterworth, A. L., Fakra, S. C., & Marcus, M. A. Nebular mixing constrained by the Stardust samples. Meteoritics and Planetary Science 44(10), 1675–1681 (2009). doi:10.1111/j.1945-5100.2009.tb01198.x

Westphal, A. J., Fakra, S. C., Gainsforth, Z., Marcus, M. A., Ogliore, R. C., & Butterworth, A. L. Mixing Fraction of Inner Solar System Material in Comet 81P/Wild2. The Astrophysical Journal, 694, 18. (2009). doi:10.1088/0004-637X/694/1/18

Westphal, A. J., et al. Discovery of non-random spatial distribution of impacts in the Stardust cometary collector. Meteoritics and Planetary Science 43, 415–429 (2008). doi:10.1111/j.1945-5100.2008.tb00630.x

Brownlee, D., et al. Comet 81P/Wild 2 Under a Microscope. Science 314, 1711–1716 (2006). doi:10.1126/science.1135840

Flynn, G. J., et al. Elemental Compositions of Comet 81P/Wild 2 Samples Collected by Stardust. Science 314, 1731–1735 (2006). doi:10.1126/science.1136141

Software

I develop scientific analysis tools, data processing pipelines, and computational research software primarily in Python. My repositories span geochemical modeling, quantum mechanics calculations, spectroscopy analysis, and machine learning applications for materials science. Complete software portfolio available on GitHub.

My Projects

alphaMELTSEnsemble: Automated ensemble modeling for igneous petrology. Python package for running large-scale alphaMELTS thermodynamic simulations with statistical analysis and visualization tools. View on GitHub

QEScripts: Quantum ESPRESSO automation and analysis toolkit. Collection of Python scripts for setting up, running, and analyzing density functional theory calculations for materials characterization. View on GitHub

StoichiometryFitter: X-ray microanalysis quantification software. Converts X-ray spectroscopy counts to elemental abundances and determines mineral stoichiometries with uncertainty propagation. View on GitHub

LibraryGPT: Scientific literature analysis using large language models. RAG system for querying and analyzing a library of 2,500+ scientific PDFs with natural language processing. View on GitHub

MultiLaue: X-ray diffraction data processing software. Python toolkit for processing monochromatic, Laue, and MultiLaue XRD datasets with d-spacing calculations and topographic analysis capabilities. View on GitHub

IRFunctionalGroupFinder: Infrared spectroscopy analysis application. Interactive tool for identifying molecular functional groups in FTIR spectra with automated peak detection and database matching. View on GitHub

InterstellarXAS: X-ray absorption astronomy of interstellar space. Research toolkit for analyzing X-ray astronomical data including Chandra and XMM observations of interstellar dust and objects like Cygnus X-1. View on GitHub

StardustFoilsConvNet: Convolutional neural network for crater detection. Machine learning pipeline using CNNs to automatically identify impact craters in Stardust collector foil images with data preprocessing and prediction capabilities. View on GitHub

ALCHEMI: Atom location by channeling enhanced microanalysis. Python toolkit for processing ALCHEMI datasets to determine atomic site locations in crystalline materials using electron microscopy techniques. View on GitHub

Contributed to Projects

openNCEM: Open-source electron microscopy software. Contributed to Python toolkit for transmission electron microscopy data analysis and image processing workflows. View on GitHub

thermopy3: Thermodynamic calculations in Python. Enhanced Python library for thermodynamic property calculations and phase equilibrium modeling. View on GitHub

python-ternary: Ternary plotting library. Contributed improvements to Python package for creating ternary diagrams and compositional data visualization. View on GitHub

Patents

Stolarz, D. P., Dean, G., Gainsforth, Z., Electronic Device Input/Output System and Method. US Patent Application 20100248784A1 (2010). Audio-based peripheral connectivity system for mobile devices using frequency shift keying. View Patent

Stolarz, D., Gainsforth, Z., Diaz, D. Systems and Method for Painting Using Drones. US Patent 11857987B1 (2024). Autonomous drone-based painting system with surface scanning, preparation, and multi-tool application capabilities. View Patent