Research 
Milky Way and Galactic Dynamics

Numerical Simulations

Galaxy Formation

Experience
2022:  Professor, Shanghai Jiaotong University
2014-2019: Associate Research Fellow, Shanghai Astronomical Observatory
2013-2014: Assistant Researcher, Shanghai Astronomical Observatory
2011-2013: Postdoctoral of Shanghai Astronomical Observatory
2008-2010: Joint training of the Carnegie Astronomical Institute of the United States
2006-2011: Ph.D., Department of Astronomy, Peking University
2004-2006: Bachelor of Information Science and Technology, Peking University
2002-2006: Bachelor of Astronomy, Peking University

Reward
Chinese Academy of Sciences Youth Innovation Promotion Association (2018)
LAMOST excellent backbone (2017)
Wang Kuancheng Outstanding Postdoctoral Fund (2012)

Main research project
   My main research direction is the structure and dynamics of the Milky Way, the formation and evolution of galaxies, mainly using the combination of observation and simulation. Recently, extensive ground and space galaxy surveys have brought unprecedented opportunities for the study of the Milky Way. Using Gaia DR2, we studied the phase angle mixing phenomenon of the silver disk in detail, and found a significant difference in the phase space distribution between the kinetic heat and the kinetic cold star orbit. More research is being carried out on this particular phenomenon in conjunction with numerical simulation. In addition, we have carried out a series of studies on the structure and dynamics of the nucleus of the Milky Way, including the confirmation of a peculiar X-shaped structure in the nucleus of the Milky Way, and its dynamic characteristics; The stellar velocity distribution in the sphere is discussed. The origin of the high-speed cold peaks discovered by APOGEE pre-observation is discussed. The three-dimensional spatial morphology of the nucleus spheres in the galactic system is studied by using the adaptive window smoothing method to analyze the numerical simulation. Since we have been working on some of the priorities in the field of nuclear research in recent years, I was also invited to participate in the chapter on the theoretical model of nuclear spheres published by Springer in the "Galaxy Nucleus" published in 2016. In addition, I am also very interested in the structure of extragalactic galaxies (especially rod structures). Recently, we have analyzed the barlens and peanut-like nucleus structures in the Barostar galaxy in the Carnegie Galaxy Survey (PI: Professor He Zishan of the KIAA). This is the first time that the buckling instability rod structure has been systematically observed. Statistical research.

Recent major papers
[1] Wang, J.-H., Li, Z.-Y., et al., 2024, The PSF Smoothing Effect on Concentration-Related Parameters of High Redshift Galaxies in HST and JWST, arXiv:2403.02094
[2] Liao, X., Li, Z., et al., 2024, Insight into the Galactic Bulge Chemodynamical Properties,arXiv:2401.16711
[3] Guo, R., Li, Z.-Y., et al., 2024, Measuring the Milky Way Vertical Potential with the Phase Snail in a Model-independent Way, ApJ, 960, 133
[4] Gao, H., Ho, L.C., & Li, Z.-Y. 2022, The Carnegie-Irvine Galaxy Survey. X. Bulges in Stellar Mass based Scaling Relations, ApJS, 262, 54
[5] Guo, R., Shen, J., Li, Z.-Y., et al., 2022, The North/South Asymmetry of the Galaxy: Possible Connection to the Vertical Phase-space Snail, ApJ, 936, 103
[6] Chen, B.-H., & Li, Z.-Y. 2022, Metallicity Properties of the Galactic Bulge Stars Near and Far: Expectations from the Auriga Simulation, ApJ, 934, 28
[7] Vickers, J. J., Shen, J., & Li, Z.-Y. 2021, The Flattening Metallicity Gradient in the Milky Way's Thin Disk, ApJ, 922, 189
[8] Vickers, J. J., Li, Z.-Y., et al., 2021, A LAMOST BHB Catalog and Kinematics Therein. I. Catalog and Halo Properties, ApJ, 912, 32
[9] Li, Z.-Y. 2021, Vertical Phase Mixing across the Galactic Disk, ApJ,911,107
[10] Zhou, Y., Li, Z.-Y., et al., 2021, Understanding the Velocity Distribution of the Galactic Bulge with APOGEE and Gaia, ApJ,908,21
[11] Li, Z.-Y., & Shen, J. 2020, Dissecting the Phase Space Snail Shell, ApJ, 890, 85
[12] Zou, Y., Shen, J., Bureau, M., & Li, Z.-Y. 2019, Testing the Tremaine-Weinberg Method Applied to Integral-field Spectroscopic Data Using a Simulated Barred Galaxy, ApJ, 884, 23