Zhiyuan Yao 姚致远

Studying galaxy formation and evolution at cosmic dawn and gas accretion at cosmic noon — with high-resolution simulations and analytic models.

Postdoctoral Researcher, Racah Institute of Physics, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Working with Nir Mandelker and Avishai Dekel

Email CV (Oct 2026) ADS Library Google Scholar ORCID

About

I am a postdoctoral researcher at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem since 2022, working with Nir Mandelker and Avishai Dekel on galaxy formation at cosmic dawn, the circumgalactic medium, and multiphase hydrodynamics — with particular focus on the size evolution and disk formation of massive galaxies at cosmic dawn, cold streams penetrating virial shocks, turbulent mixing, and the shattering and coagulation of cold gas. I obtained my PhD jointly between Shanghai Astronomical Observatory (with Feng Yuan) and the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics (with Volker Springel and Max Gronke). My main tools are high-resolution hydrodynamic simulations, complemented by analytic modeling. Outside research, I enjoy badminton, football, hiking, and reading.

Research

Massive Galaxies at Cosmic Dawn

Simulations from the MAGE (Massive Assembly of Galaxies in the Early universe) suite, studying the size evolution and disk formation of massive galaxies at cosmic dawn.

arXiv

Stream Penetration Simulations

Idealized hydrodynamic simulations of cold cosmic-web streams penetrating hot, virial-shocked halos at high redshift, exploring fragmentation, mixing, and survival to the central galaxy.

ADS Movies

Shattering Simulations

Resolved studies of how thermally unstable cold clouds shatter and coagulate as a function of geometry and metallicity, with implications for the multiphase CGM.

ADS Movies

Cloud-Wind Interactions

Wind-tunnel simulations of cold clouds embedded in hot AGN-driven winds, studying the combined effects of conduction, cooling, evaporation, and condensation on cloud survival.

AGN Feedback in Isolated Galaxies

High-resolution isolated-galaxy simulations to understand the physics behind AGN sub-grid prescriptions used in cosmological simulations, focusing on high-velocity winds and bubbles in early-type galaxies.

ADS

LLAGN Accretion

Hot gas flows on parsec scales in the low-luminosity active galactic nucleus of NGC 3115.

ADS

Publications

A complete and up-to-date list is available on my ADS library and ORCID profile.

First-author

The MAGE Project: Size Evolution and Disk Formation in Massive Galaxies at Cosmic Dawn

Yao, Z., Dekel, A., Teyssier, R., Somerville, R., Mandelker, N., Andalman, Z., Steinwandel, U. P., Li, Z.

Submitted to MNRAS (2026); arXiv:2610.29070

arXiv

Cold stream penetration of virial shocks: fragmentation, coagulation, and disruption in the hot circumgalactic medium

Yao, Z., Mandelker, N., Oh, S. P.

MNRAS, stag1914 (2026); arXiv:2607.14090

ADS Movies

Effects of cloud geometry and metallicity on shattering and coagulation of cold gas, and implications for cold streams penetrating virial shocks

Yao, Z., Mandelker, N., Oh, S. P., Aung, H., Dekel, A.

MNRAS, 536, 3053 (2025)

ADS Movies

Active galactic nucleus feedback in an elliptical galaxy with the most updated AGN physics: parameter explorations

Yao, Z., Yuan, F., Ostriker, J. P.

MNRAS, 501, 398 (2021)

ADS

Hot gas flows on a parsec scale in the low-luminosity active galactic nucleus NGC 3115

Yao, Z., Gan, Z.

MNRAS, 492, 444 (2020)

ADS

Selected collaborative

Feedback-Free Star Formation in Clusters within a Galaxy Simulated at High Resolution in Cosmic Dawn

Chen, H.-Z., Li, Z., Dekel, A., Yao, Z., et al.

MNRAS, 550, stag1214 (2026)

ADS

From Feedback-Free Star Clusters to Little Red Dots via Compaction

Dekel, A., Dutta Chowdhury, D., Lapiner, S., Yao, Z., et al.

ApJ, 1010, 208 (2026)

ADS

From FFB starbursts at cosmic dawn to quenching at cosmic morning: Hi-z galaxy bimodality

Dekel, A., Mandelker, N., Li, Z., Yao, Z., et al.

MNRAS, 544, 160 (2025)

ADS

Do current X-ray observations capture most of the black-hole accretion at high redshifts?

Yang, G., Estrada-Carpenter, V., Papovich, C., et al. (incl. Yao, Z.)

ApJ, 921, 170 (2021)

ADS

Talks & Seminars

Date	Venue
10/2026	CCA-NYC Community Galaxy Seminar, Flatiron Institute, New York, United States Invited
08/2026	Galaxy Formation Workshop, Santa Cruz, United States
07/2026	DUSC Seminar, University of Washington, Seattle, United States Invited
07/2026	The 71st Annual Meeting of the Israel Physics Society, Jerusalem, Israel
12/2025	Tel Aviv University Seminar, Tel Aviv, Israel Invited
11/2025	Modelling of Multiphase Astrophysical Media, Ringberg, Germany
08/2025	Galaxy Formation Workshop, Santa Cruz, United States
07/2025	Cosmic Ecosystems, Waterloo, Canada
08/2024	Galaxy Formation Workshop, Santa Cruz, United States
05/2023	Modelling of Multiphase Astrophysical Media, Kochel, Germany
08/2022	Galaxy Formation Workshop, Santa Cruz, United States
10/2021	MPA Institute Seminar, Garching, Germany
07/2021	Ringberg Retreat, Munich, Germany
2018-2020	Four contributed talks at meetings in China and Germany

Honors & Awards

2024 Rosenblum Prize, Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
2021-2022 Sino-German Joint PhD Exchange Program (Shanghai Astronomical Observatory and Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics, 04/2021 - 03/2022).
2020 Academic Scholarship, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Mentoring & Service

Mentoring. Aviad Leibovich (B.Sc. student), Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 2025-present.

Professional service. Organizer, Astrolunch Seminar Series, Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Referee, Astronomy & Astrophysics (A&A).

CV & Contact

Curriculum Vitae: Download PDF (Oct 2026)

Email: zhiyuan.yao@mail.huji.ac.il
Office: Office 209, Ross building, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Givat Ram, 9190401 Jerusalem, Israel
ORCID: 0000-0003-1604-1272