Title: A Galactic Perspective on Galaxy Formation: Synergies in the Era of Massive Surveys

Speaker: 连建辉

Institute: 云南大学中国西南天文研究所

Host: 杜敏

Time: 2026.3.12 周四 14:30

Location: 物理楼 552

Abstract:

For decades, Galactic and extra-galactic astronomy have evolved on largely parallel tracks. Our position inside the Milky Way affords us a unique, star-by-star view of a single galaxy's complex evolutionary history. In contrast, observations of galaxies across cosmic time provide a statistical framework for galaxy formation, revealing how initial conditions and environment shape diverse evolutionary pathways. Despite their highly complementary perspectives, connecting the detailed "near-field" cosmology of the Milky Way to the distant universe has remained a formidable challenge. The last five years, however, have marked a turning point. The convergence of massive stellar spectroscopic surveys (APOGEE, LAMOST, GALAH) with Gaia's precision astrometry is dissolving this traditional divide. This data revolution is finally making a direct, empirical synergy possible. In this talk, I will first review how these surveys are reshaping our understanding of the Milky Way's formation, from its structure to the chemical evolution of its stellar populations. I will then discuss a critical and emerging frontier: the effort to measure the Milky Way's global properties (e.g., its metal content, structure, and stellar mass) as if it were an external galaxy. This approach provides a crucial bridge, allowing us to place our Galaxy within a cosmological context. Finally, I will outline a forward-looking perspective on this synergy in the context of upcoming next generation of stellar and extra-galactic surveys.

Bio:

Jianhui Lian obtained his PhD from University of Science and Technology of China in 2016, and then did postdoctoral research at University of Portsmouth, University of Utah, and Max Planck Institute for Astronomy. In February of 2023, Jianhui joined the South-Western Institute For Astronomy Research at Yunnan University as a faculty member. Jianhui’s research interest mainly focuses on the chemical and structural evolution of the Milky Way and external galaxies, and the position of the Milky Way in the general galaxy population regarding the stellar population properties.

Related papers:

Lian J., Zasowski G., Chen B., Imig J., Wang T., Boardman N., Liu X., 2024b, NatAs, 8, 1302. doi:10.1038/s41550-024-02315-7

Lian J., Bergemann M., Pillepich A., Zasowski G., Lane R. R., 2023a, NatAs, 7, 951. doi:10.1038/s41550-023-01977-z