Shanghuo Li

Astronomer | shanghuo.li@gmail.com | li@mpia.de


My name is Shanghuo Li (李尚活), currently an independent postdoctoral fellow (PSF fellow) at Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA). My research interests focus on molecular cloud, star and cluster formation, filament and turbulence. Mostly, I used the infrared, centimetre, millimeter and sub-millimeter data from, e.g., ALMA, SMA, NOEMA, JVLA, FAST-500m, Spitzer, Herschel, IRAM 30m, JCMT, SMT, ARO-12m, CSO, PMO-13.7m, KVN-21m and Tianma-65m, to probe the molecular gas and dust emission from large scale of a few 10 pc down to small scale of a few 10 au.

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About Me

Ph.D. in Astrophysics, Shanghai Astronomical Observatory & University of Chinese Academy of Sciences & Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
Sep 2015 - Sep 2019

M.S. in Astrophysics, Guangzhou University & Shanghai Astronomical Observatory
Sep 2012 - Jun 2015

I also worked as an SMA pre-doctoral fellow at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA), supervised by Dr. Qizhou Zhang, in 2017-2019.

See my CV.

Research Interests

Check out the ADS library for my publications.

ORCID: 0000-0003-1275-5251

Massive star & Protocluster formation


Massive stars contain mass higher than 8 times of solar mass. They always form with one or more companion(s) in cluster enviroments.

Extreme early stage of star formation


Such as 24 micro dark, 70 micro or even 100 micro dark clouds.

Filamentary structure of molecular cloud


Filamentary strcutures are ubiquitously seen in the ISM.

Stellar feedback


Star formation feedback: jets, outflows, radiations, supernova...





MEDIA COVERAGE

41. Recycling and care of planet, 2024: "ALMA observations show how double, triple, quadruple and quintuple star systems form simultaneously in a molecular cloud”

40. Innovations report, 2024: "Zwillinge, Drillinge und mehr (German version)”

39. Science Springs, 2024: "New images confirm huge stars are born as twins and triplets and more”

38. Raumfahrer, 2024: "Zwillinge, Drillinge und mehr (German version)”

37. News Beezer, 2024: "Giant stars are being born as twins, triplets and more, new images confirm”

36. Microsoft MSN, 2024: "Huge stars are born as twins, triplets and more, new images confirm”

35. yahoo!news, 2024: "Huge stars are born as twins, triplets and more, new images confirm”

34. SPACE, 2024: "Huge stars are born as twins, triplets and more, new images confirm”

33. ZAP AEIOU, 2024: "Gémeas, trigémeas, quadrigémeas, e mais: as estrelas massivas nascem em grupos (Portuguese version)”

32. BIG THINK, 2024: "Star clusters give birth like dogs, not humans, ALMA shows”

31. Knowridge, Aerospace, 2024: "Astronomers see massive stars forming together in multiple star systems”

30. BioRN, 2024: "New observations confirm computer models how massive stars are born as multiples”

29. RadioNet, News, 2024: "Twins, Triplets, Quadruplets and more: Observations show massive stars are indeed born as multiples”

28. News Space, 2024: "Astrônomos veem estrelas massivas se formando juntas em múltiplos sistemas estelares (Portuguese version)”

27. Infobae, News, 2024: "“Variedad de sistemas estelares pueden surgir de la misma nube molecular (Spanish version)”

26. Lenta, News, 2024: "Доказана модель образования кратных звездных систем (Russian version)”

25. Mirage News, 2024: "Why weighty stars hold together”

24. Kopalnia Wiedzy, 2024: "Skąd się biorą wielokrotne układy gwiazd? Mamy pierwsze obserwacje ich powstawania (Polish version)”

23. Naked Science, 2024: "Астрономы впервые рассмотрели молекулярное облако, где формируются системы из двух, трех и даже пяти звезд (Russian version)”

22. My Science, News, 2024: "Why weighty stars hold together (English version)”
"Warum schwere Sterne zusammenhalten (German version)”


21. UNIVERSE TODAY, 2024: “Astronomers See Massive Stars Forming Together in Multiple Star Systems”

20. Nature Astronomy, News & Views, 2024: "Multi-star systems observed in high-mass star forming region"

19. Astronnews, 2024: "Massereiche Sterne entstehen als Vielfachsysteme (German version)"

18. THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE, 2024: "Why weighty stars hold together"

17. Tiisys, 2024: "重みのある星はなぜくっつくのか(Why weighty stars hold together) (Japanese version)"

16. Phys.org, 2024: "ALMA observations show how double, triple, quadruple and quintuple star systems form simultaneously in a molecular cloud"

15. University of Duisburg-Essen, Newsroom, 2024: "Stars Born as Multiples"
"Mehrlingsgeburt bei Sternen (German version)"


14. Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies, Research News, 2024: "New observations confirm computer models how massive stars are born as multiples (English version)"
"Neue Beobachtungen bestätigen: Massereiche Sterne werden als Mehrlinge geboren (German version)"

13. MAX-PLANCK-GESELLSCHAFT, News, 2024: "Massive stars are born as multiples (English version)"
"Massereiche Sterne entstehen als Mehrlinge (German version)"


12. Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Press Release, 2024: "Twins, Triplets, Quadruplets and more: Observations show massive stars are indeed born as multiples (English version)"
"Zwillinge, Drillinge und mehr: Beobachtungen bestätigen, dass massereiche Sterne als Mehrlinge geboren werden (German version)"


11. ScienceNet (科学网), 2024: "《自然—天文学》:李尚活团队发现大质量恒星团中多星系统形成的证据 (Chinese version)"

10. BNN Breaking, 2024: "Astronomers Detect Multiple Protostellar Systems in a Single High Mass Protocluster"

9. idw - Informationsdienst Wissenschaft, 2024: "Zwillinge, Drillinge und mehr: Beobachtungen bestätigen, dass massereiche Sterne als Mehrlinge geboren werden (German)"

8. Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian (CfA), science update, 2022: "The Role of Turbulence in Making Massive Stars"

7. Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian (CfA), science update, 2021: "The Youngest Stellar Embryos in Massive Clouds"

6. The Academic Times, 2021: "Astronomers enable search for small soon-to-be stars"

5. I was interviewed by The Academic Times Magazine for their article titled, 2021: "Astronomers enable search for small soon-to-be stars"

4. AAS Nova, 2021: "ASHES to ASHES, Dust to. . . Star Formation?"

3. ALMA press release, 2021: "Stellar Eggs near Galactic Center Hatching into Baby Stars"

2. NATURE research highlights, 2021: "Baby stars make it in a tough part of the Galaxy"

1. Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian (CfA), science update, 2020: "Gas Motions in Interstellar Cores Forming Low-Massive Stars"


Some selected projects
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Binary and higher-order multiplicity formation

High-mass stars in the Milky Way are overwhelmingly (>80%) found in binaries or higher-order multiplicity systems that play a key role in governing cluster dynamics and stellar evolution. However, it is yet unclear whether they are predominantly formed from in situ fragmentation at various scales (e.g., disks/cores/filaments fragmentation) or subsequent stellar capture in clusters because lacking direct measurements of their initial configuration and properties at the early phases of cluster formation. I led an ALMA program to study the formation of binary and higher-order multiplicity systems toward massive protocluster-forming regions.
We have submitted our case study toward G333.23--0.06, which is a typical high-mass star-forming region:
"High-order multiplicity in high-mass star formation", Li et al 2023b, Nature Astronomy.

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Filament

Filamentary structures are ubiquitously seen in the interstellar medium, and it closely connected to star formation. We believe the filaments plays a crucial role in regulating star formation, while the processes of massive star and cluster formation in filaments are still less well understood. What we do are using molecular lines and dust continuum emissions to reveal the filaments properties, how it regulates embedded dense structures which form stars. I have developed a Python code to identify the filament in Position-Positon-Velovity (PPV) space using line emissions.
Here is the paper about the subsonic and transoinc filaments toward NGC6334S:
"ALMA observations of NGC 6334S. II. Subsonic and Transonic Narrow Filaments in a High-mass Star Formation Cloud", Li et al 2022, ApJ, 926, 165.

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Turbulence

According to an apocryphal story, Werner Heisenberg was asked what he would ask God, given the opportunity. His reply was: "When I meet God, I am going to ask him two questions: Why relatively? And why turbulence? I really believe he will have an answer for the first." I led an ALMA project to measure the turbulent properties in molecular clouds. We have studied the turbulent properties toward a subregion (NGC 6334S) of my favor molecular cloud, NGC 6334 complex, with ALMA observations. We find that the gas non-thermal motions are predominantly subsonic or transonic toward NGC 6334S and its embedded dense cores. We also study turbulent properteis toward a sample of 70 micro dark clumps and their embedded dense cores.
Here is the paper about the turbulent properties toward NGC6334S:
"ALMA Observations of NGC 6334S. I. Forming Massive Stars and Clusters in Subsonic and Transonic Filamentary Clouds", Li et al 2020, ApJ, 896, 110.
Here are some papers about the turbulece dissipation toward some embedded dense cores:
"ALMA observations of NGC 6334S. II. Subsonic and Transonic Narrow Filaments in a High-mass Star Formation Cloud", Li et al 2022, ApJ, 926, 165.
"A Low-mass Cold and Quiescent Core Population in a Massive Star Protocluster", Li et al 2021, ApJL, 912, 7.
Here is the papers about the turbulent properties of embedded dense cores (abuot 300 cores) in 70 micro dark massive clumps:
"The ALMA Survey of 70 μm Dark High-mass Clumps in Early Stages (ASHES). VIII. Dynamics of Embedded Dense Cores", Li et al 2023, ApJ, 949, 109.

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Star Formation Feedback

Star formation feedbacks, in form of outflows, jets and radiations, are significantly changing the surrounding environments. I led a series of programs with serval telescopes to survey outflows at various evolutionary stages of massive star formation.
Here is our paper of studying shock/outflow motions toward about 200 massive star-forming regions:
"A SiO J = 5 → 4 Survey Toward Massive Star Formation Regions", Li et al 2019, ApJ, 878, 29.
Here is the paper of our investigation the impact of outflow on the parental clumps in extreme early evolutnary phasee of massive star-forming regions:
"The ALMA Survey of 70 μm Dark High-mass Clumps in Early Stages (ASHES). II. Molecular Outflows in the Extreme Early Stages of Protocluster Formation", Li et al 2020, ApJ, 903, 119.

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Chemistry

Line survey

More than 300 molecules have been found in interstellar medium. The molecular lines are ideal probes of various gas environments. We have carried out a line survey toward 4 famous HII regions, which in different molecular clouds, in order to study the gas properties in different molecular clouds. We also search for the molecular lines emission in extreme early evolutionary stages (e.g., 70 micro dark massive clumps/cores), and investigate their properties.
Here is the paper of line survey toward 4 HII regions:
"Millimetre spectral line mapping observations towards four massive star-forming H II regions", Li et al 2017, MNRAS, 466, 248.
Here is our study of chemistry of embedded dense cores in 70 micro dark massive clumps.
"The ALMA Survey of 70 μm Dark High-mass Clumps in Early Stages (ASHES). VII. Chemistry of Embedded Dense Cores", Li et al 2022, ApJ, 939, 102.





Teaching

Summer school

    Teaching data reduction in “Summer School in Radio Astronomy” in July 2015

  • Shanghhai, China

Summer school

    Teaching data reduction in “Summer School in Radio Astronomy” in July 2014

  • Guizhou provience, China
Software

Python

CASA

Miriad

MIR

GILDAS

IDL

CONTACT ME

Shanghuo Li (李尚活)

Check out my ADS library for my publications.

ORCID: 0000-0003-1275-5251


CONTACT INFO

Address:

Max Planck Institute for Astronomy,
Königstuhl 17,
69117 Heidelberg, Germany
Office: 308/1

EMAIL

shanghuo.li@gmail.com, li@mpia.de

PHONES

+49-160-504-6163