Welcome
- Jiaxuan Li (2025 June)
I am Jiaxuan Li 李嘉轩 (pronounced as Lǐ Jiā Xuān ), a graduate student at Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University.
I'm an observer interested in a variety of topics in astronomy and astrophysics, mainly on galaxy formation and evolution, low surface brightness astrophysics, sky surveys, machine learning, and instrumentation. My current research primarily involves uncovering the formation and evolution of dwarf galaxies through both exquisite observations and numerical simulations. I have been actively engaging with data from cutting-edge deep sky surveys such as the Hyper Suprime-Camera (HSC) Subaru Strategic Program (SSP) and the Merian Survey. Additionally, I am keen on harnessing advanced machine learning techniques to address astrophysical challenges. For more information, please visit my Research page.
Recently, together with Sihao Cheng (IAS) and Eritas Yang (Princeton), we discovered an exceptional trans-Neptunian object (TNO) 2017 OF201. The most striking feature of 2017 OF201 is that its orbit does not following the apsidal clustering pattern observed in many other extreme TNOs. This pattern is thought to be caused by the gravitational influence of a massive planet beyond Neptune, or so-called Planet 9 or Planet X. The existence of 2017 OF201 might suggest that Planet 9 or X doesn't exist. Check out our paper for more details. This work is featured in the IAS and Princeton University websites, as well as in New York Times, Sky & Telescope, Phys.org, New Scientist, Universe Today, and many more.
Originally from Dingxi, Gansu Province, a small town in northwestern China, I became an amateur astronomer since I was in sixth grade in primary school. My enthusiasm led me to participate in the Chinese National Astronomy Olympiad and several international competitions. Prior to my journey at Princeton, I completed my undergraduate studies in Astrophysics at Peking University. Outside of my academic endeavors, I engage in photography, capturing diverse subjects from celestial bodies to daily life scenes. I also enjoy drinking, hiking, and climbing (no bouldering!).
