01
Origins
Nanjing University · Astronomy & Space Science
Exploring chemical evolution of the Universe.
We connect molecules, stars, and galaxies to understand how matter evolves across cosmic time.
03connected science themes
09current & incoming members
10+alumni across the world
Scroll to discover
Why the Chemical Universe
How did a simple early Universe become chemically complex?
We trace how elements are formed, how they become molecules, how gas becomes stars, and how these processes shape galaxies across cosmic time.
Our group combines radio and submillimetre observations, gravitational lensing, astrochemical modelling, and numerical simulations.
Our official NJU group page ↗Research
Three scales.One evolving Universe.
Rather than treating our topics as separate islands, we organize them around three connected scientific stories.
02
Transformation
From Gas to Stars
Multi-phase ISM · Dense gas · Star formation · Feedback
03
Cosmic time
Galaxies Across Cosmic Time
High-redshift galaxies · IMF · Strong lensingObservations & methods
From photons and spectra to the physics of cosmic matter
We combine observations across radio, submillimetre, infrared, and optical wavelengths with physical and chemical modelling.
Interferometers
- ALMA
- NOEMA
- VLA
- SMA
Single-dish radio & submillimetre
- JCMT
- APEX
- SMT
- FAST
- GBT
- IRAM 30-m
Optical & infrared
- VLT
- JWST
Analysis
- Molecular spectroscopy
- Radiative transfer
- Chemical evolution
- Dynamics
- Lens modelling
Research map
Following matter through the baryon cycle
This map connects stellar nucleosynthesis, the interstellar medium, molecules, gravitational collapse, and new generations of stars.
- Nucleosynthesis
- Gas chemistry
- Cloud dynamics
- Star formation
- Feedback
Selected discoveries
Recent research highlights
Do stars form randomly?
A maximum-entropy view of how boundary conditions shape the stellar initial mass function.
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Dense gas and star formation in M82
Mapping the dense molecular component that fuels star formation across the nearby starburst galaxy.
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Inadequate turbulent support in low-metallicity molecular clouds
Revealing how molecular clouds behave when the heavy-element abundance is low.
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A top-heavy IMF in a high-redshift main-sequence galaxy
The first detection of CO isotopologues in this galaxy population constrains its stellar IMF.
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A new way to measure carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios
Testing the CN hyperfine-structure method and developing a more reliable approach.
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A radio jet in the strongly lensed Cloverleaf quasar
Resolving radio emission from a quasar at redshift 2.56 through gravitational lensing.
↗Group life
News & updates
New paper
Limited imprint of high-mass IMF variations on sodium abundances
Zi-Yi Guo and collaborators find that sodium abundances in main-sequence galaxies are only weakly affected by variations in the high-mass IMF. Accepted by A&A.
Read the paper ↗People
Congratulations to Haoyang Li
Haoyang Li completed his M.S. degree.
Publication
Do stars form randomly?
A maximum-entropy view of the stellar initial mass function, published in RAA.
Read the paper ↗People
Congratulations to Jing Zhou
Jing Zhou completed his Ph.D. and later joined Space Engineering University as a lecturer.
Publication
New work in Nature Astronomy
Our study of turbulent support in low-metallicity molecular clouds is now published.
Read the paper ↗People
Different expertise.
One cosmic story.
Observers, modellers, and theorists working together at the School of Astronomy and Space Science, Nanjing University.
Principal investigator
Zhi-Yu Zhang 张智昱
Professor of Astronomy. Research interests include the interstellar medium, astrochemistry, star formation, galactic chemical evolution, and the stellar initial mass function.
Current & incoming members
09 researchers
M.S. student
Luoteng Cai 蔡跞腾
Supernova remnants · Dust & gasIncoming direct-track Ph.D. student
Yaojun Xiao 肖瑶军
Molecular gas · Star formationWhere they are now
Alumni
- Jing Zhou 周靖Ph.D. graduate · Lecturer at Space Engineering University
- Gan Luo 罗干Postdoctoral appointment completed · IRAM
- Fei Li 李菲Postdoctoral appointment completed · Lecturer at Anhui Institute of Information Technology
- Haoyang Li 李昊洋M.S. graduate · Engineer
Publications
Selected recent work
The Initial Mass Function as the Equilibrium State of a Variational Process: Why the IMF Cannot be Sampled StochasticallyEda Gjergo · RAA↗
Massive Star Formation at Supersolar Metallicities: Constraints on the Initial Mass FunctionEda Gjergo · RAA↗
Dense Gas Properties and Star Formation in M82Fei Li · ApJ↗
Inadequate Turbulent Support in Low-metallicity Molecular CloudsLingrui Lin · Nature Astronomy↗
Gas Dynamics in an AGN-host Galaxy at z ≃ 2.6: Regular Rotation, Noncircular Motions, and Mass ModelsLingrui Lin · A&A↗
The Variation in the Galaxy-wide Initial Mass Function for Low-mass Stars: Modeling and Observational InsightsZhiqiang Yan · ApJ↗
Join & collaborate
Bring your questions.
Explore the Universe with us.
We are interested in hearing from motivated students, postdoctoral researchers, and potential collaborators working across observations, theory, and computation.
Graduate studyPostdoctoral researchScientific collaboration
Start a conversation ↗
Please include a short introduction, your research interests, and a CV when appropriate.