Publications

This page highlights selected first-author work. See my NASA ADS library or ORCID record for the complete publication list.

Selected First-Author Publications


Magnetic Fields in Massive Star-forming Regions (MagMaR). VII. On the dynamical importance of B-fields in massive protocluster W33 A

Published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, accepted, 2026

ALMA polarization observations of W33 A show how magnetic fields can stabilize filaments, regulate accretion, and delay core collapse within a single massive protocluster.

Recommended citation: Xu, F., Zhang, Q., Sanhueza, P., Wang, K., et al. (2026). "Magnetic Fields in Massive Star-forming Regions (MagMaR). VII. On the dynamical importance of B-fields in massive protocluster W33 A." Astronomy & Astrophysics, accepted.
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How Should We Understand the Core Mass Function? A memo of the CMF2IMF conference at ESO Garching

Published in CMF2IMF Conference Memo, arXiv:2607.09858, 2026

A conference memo reviewing the CMF-to-IMF connection, bringing observational core catalogs into a common framework, and outlining current measurement challenges and future directions.

Recommended citation: Xu, F., Galvan-Madrid, R., Morii, K., Nony, T., Palau, A., Traficante, A., & Nucara, A. (2026). "How Should We Understand the Core Mass Function? A memo of the CMF2IMF conference at ESO Garching." arXiv e-prints, arXiv:2607.09858.
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Linear Filament and Nested Cluster Evolution Tomography (LANCET) I: Capture the Evolution of Dense Gas in 14-parsec Filament G316.8

Published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, 708, A251, 2026

A controlled evolutionary study of three connected subregions along a 14-pc massive filament, imaged with a 118-pointing ALMA mosaic.

Recommended citation: Xu, F., Wang, K., Schneider, N., et al. (2026). "Linear Filament and Nested Cluster Evolution Tomography (LANCET) I: Capture the Evolution of Dense Gas in 14-parsec Filament G316.8." Astronomy & Astrophysics, 708, A251.
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Dual-band Unified Exploration of Three CMZ Clouds (DUET): Cloud-wide Census of Continuum Sources Showing Low Spectral Indices

Published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, 697, A164, 2025

A matched-resolution ALMA census of 450 dual-band continuum sources across three Central Molecular Zone clouds.

Recommended citation: Xu, F., Lu, X., Wang, K., et al. (2025). "Dual-band Unified Exploration of Three CMZ Clouds (DUET): Cloud-wide Census of Continuum Sources Showing Low Spectral Indices." Astronomy & Astrophysics, 697, A164.
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The ALMA-QUARKS Survey II: The ACA 1.3 mm Continuum Source Catalog and the Assembly of Dense Gas in Massive Star-Forming Clumps

Published in Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics, 24, 065011, 2024

A compact-array continuum catalog tracing how dense-gas fragments and the dense-gas fraction change across massive-clump evolution.

Recommended citation: Xu, F., Wang, K., Liu, T., Zhu, L., et al. (2024). "The ALMA-QUARKS Survey II: The ACA 1.3 mm Continuum Source Catalog and the Assembly of Dense Gas in Massive Star-Forming Clumps." Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics, 24, 065011.
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On the Scarcity of Dense Cores in High-latitude Planck Galactic Cold Clumps

Published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 963, L9, 2024

A study of unusually weak dense-core formation in high-latitude molecular clouds and its connection to their dynamical state.

Recommended citation: Xu, F., Wang, K., Liu, T., Eden, D. J., et al. (2024). "On the Scarcity of Dense Cores in High-latitude Planck Galactic Cold Clumps." The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 963, L9.
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The ALMA Survey of Star Formation and Evolution in Massive Protoclusters with Blue Profiles (ASSEMBLE): Core Growth, Cluster Contraction, and Primordial Mass Segregation

Published in The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series, 270, 9, 2024

A comparative ALMA study of early- and late-stage protoclusters that builds a dynamic picture of cluster assembly.

Recommended citation: Xu, F., Wang, K., Liu, T., Tang, X., et al. (2024). "The ALMA Survey of Star Formation and Evolution in Massive Protoclusters with Blue Profiles (ASSEMBLE): Core Growth, Cluster Contraction, and Primordial Mass Segregation." The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series, 270, 9.
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Clump-scale Gas Infall in High-mass Star Formation: A Multitransition View with James Clerk Maxwell Telescope HCN (4-3) Mapping

Published in The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series, 269, 38, 2023

JCMT mapping of optically thick and thin HCN transitions tests infall diagnostics across massive star-forming clumps.

Recommended citation: Xu, F., Wang, K., He, Y., Wu, Y., et al. (2023). "Clump-scale Gas Infall in High-mass Star Formation: A Multitransition View with James Clerk Maxwell Telescope HCN (4-3) Mapping." The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series, 269, 38.
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ATOMS XV: Steady Accretion from Global Collapse to Core Feeding in the Massive Hub-Filament System SDC335

Published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 520, 3259, 2023

Four velocity-coherent filamentary streams connect the global collapse of SDC335 to gas feeding on core scales.

Recommended citation: Xu, F., Wang, K., Liu, T., Goldsmith, P. F., et al. (2023). "ATOMS XV: Steady Accretion from Global Collapse to Core Feeding in the Massive Hub-Filament System SDC335." Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 520, 3259.
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