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Jia-Peng Li

Publications and source records attributed to Jia-Peng Li.

2 recordsLinked to original sources

The Stellar "Snake"-III: Co-evolution of Stars and Molecular Clouds Unveiled by Gaia, MWISP, and LAMOST

By combining multi-band data from Gaia DR3, MWISP CO, and LAMOST DR11 LSR/MSR, we investigate the co-evolution of stars and their parent molecular cloud in a snake-like stellar structure, named Snake III. Based on 5-D phase-space selection, we identified 5683 member stars (median age 7.6 Myr) across approximately $300 \times 500 \times 175$ pc$^3$ volume, along with 12 embedded open clusters. Then we use BEEP distances combined with $^{12}$CO velocities to clearly identify the molecular clouds associated with the stellar complex in spatial and kinematics. The molecular cloud density increases with Galactic longitude, with older open clusters forming in cavities near higher-density regions (except ASCC 125), while young field stars currently form preferentially in present-day high-density environments, indicating that cloud density regulates the star-formation sequence. $^{12}$CO excitation temperature, centroid velocity, velocity dispersion and H$α$ emission reveal that early feedback first compresses cloud edges to trigger new stars, then sweeps and disperses the parent clouds. The extremely young cluster (ASCC 125, 4.4 Myr) lies near the densest region yet is surrounded by a shell with bidirectional density-velocity perturbations, consistent with a delayed-triggering scenario under the combined influence of UBC 178 stellar-wind feedback and a suspected supernova blast. Our results naturally demonstrate that snake-like stellar structures are filamentary relics of hierarchical star formation within giant molecular clouds. They provide direct observational evidence that cloud density and early feedback jointly modulate the progression of star formation, offering a clear and young laboratory for studying star-cloud co-evolution.

astro-ph.GA

The Stellar "Snake" -- II: The Mass Function

We present a comprehensive investigation on the mass function (MF) of a snake-like stellar structure in the solar neighbourhood, building on our previous discovery. To ensure the reliability of the data, we reselect the member stars of the Stellar ``Snake'' in the latest {\it Gaia} Data Release 3 using the same approach as the initial series of articles. We also precisely measure the physical parameters of the clusters within the Stellar Snake. In light of the high completeness of the member stars in the cluster regions, we develop a simulated model color-magnitude diagram-based inference method to derive the mass function, binary fraction, and mass-ratio distribution of the clusters in the Stellar Snake. Notably, despite their similar ages and metallicity, we discover systematic variations in the MFs along the elongation direction of the Snake in the mass range of 0.5 to 2.0 M$_\odot$. The ``head'' of the Snake conforms to a canonical initial mass function with a power-law slope of $α\sim-2.3$. Extending towards the ``tail,'' the MF becomes more top-light, indicating a deficiency of massive stars within these clusters. This result provides evidence for the delayed formation of massive stars in the clusters. Such clues give support to the hypothesis that the Stellar Snake constitutes as a hierarchically primordial structure.

astro-ph.GA