• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.165-170
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• 2018

The Galactic Center is one of the most dense stellar environments in the Galaxy and is considered to be a plausible place to harbor many neutron stars. In this brief review, we summarize observational efforts in search of neutron stars within a few degrees about the Galactic Center. Up to 10% of Galactic neutron stars may reside in this central region and it is possible that more than a thousand neutron stars are located within only ~ 2500 (${\leq}1pc$) about the Galactic Center. Based on observations, we discuss prospects of detecting neutron stars in the Galactic Center via gravitational waves as well as electromagnetic waves.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.42.3-42.3
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• 2017

We present the analysis of chemical abundances and kinematics for six hypervelocity star (HVS) candidates. These objects are G/K-type low-mass stars in the Galactic disk, while other HVSs previously found are B-type high-mass objects in the Galactic halo. The stellar orbits and kinematics of our HVS candidates suggest that they do not originate in the Galactic center or in an accretion event, indicative of yet-unknown mechanisms that produce kinematically-extreme disk stars. In order to study in detail their origin, we obtained medium-resolution (R~6000) spectra of these stars and derived abundances of several chemical elements (Mg, Ca, Si, Ti, Cr, Fe, and Ni). From the comparison of the chemical abundances with the Galactic stellar components (disk, bulge, halo, and dwarf galaxies) and the kinematic properties of our HVSs, we conclude that two of them are likely ejected from the Galactic disk, one originated from the Galactic center as for the young B-type HVSs, and the other one might be ejected from either the Galactic disk or other regions.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.47.4-47.4
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• 2019

Recent observations on the double red clumps in the bulge validate the close connection in stellar populations between Galactic globular clusters (GCs) and the Milky Way (MW) bulge. Intriguingly, diverse phenomena observed in early-type galaxies (ETGs) and their GC systems are also indicating the similarities with Galactic GCs with multiple populations. Here, we present the population synthesis for the Galactic bulge and ETGs using stellar populations observed in the Galactic GCs with multiple populations. Our new models well explain observations of both the MW bulge and ETGs. Also, the inclusion of GC-originated population to the population synthesis model shows substantial impacts on the age-dating of stellar populations. The implication of this result for the interpretation of the formation history and the age-dating of ETGs will be discussed in detail.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.66.2-66.2
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• 2010

We have studied the properties of interstellar turbulence as observed by Boston University-Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory (BU-FCRAO) Galactic Ring Survey (GRS). This observation uses 13CO J=$1{\rightarrow}0$ emission with high spectral resolution of 0.21 kms-1 and covers wide galactic plane regions ($18^{\circ}$ < 1 < $55.7^{\circ}$ and -1 < b < $1^{\circ}$). Firstly, we measured the one dimensional power spectrum of 13CO intensity along the galactic longitude and along the galactic latitude. We found the slope of the power spectrum changes around the molecular ring structure and the center of the galactic plane. Secondly, we explored how the power spectral slope is related with the velocity dispersion of supersonic giant molecular clouds in the GRS. Finally, we suggest the turbulent nature of the interstellar medium is connected with star formation activities in spiral arms.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.131-141
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• 2002

We present Near-IR photometry of the Arches cluster, a young and massive stellar cluster near the Galactic center. We have analyzed the high resolution (FWHM $\~$ 0.2") Hand K' band images in the Galactic Center Demonstration Science Data Set, which were obtained with the Gemini/Hokupa's adaptive optics (AO) system. We present the color-magnitude diagram, the luminosity function and the initial mass function (IMF) of the stars in the Arches cluster in comparison with the HST/NICMOS data. The IMF slope for the range of 1.0 < log (M/M$\bigodot$) < 2.1 is estimated to be ${\Gamma} = -0.79 {\pm} 0.16$, in good agreements with the earlier result based on the HST/NICMOS data [Figer et al. 1999, ApJ, 525, 750]. These results strengthen the evidence that the IMF of the bright. stars close to the Galactic center is much flatter than that for the solar neighborhood. This is also consistent with a recent finding that the IMFs of the bright stars in young clusters in M33 get flatter as the galactocentric distance decreases [Lee et al. 2001, astro-ph 0109258]. It is found that the power of the Gemini/ AO system is comparable, with some limits, to that of the HST/NICMOS.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.53 no.6
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• pp.117-123
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• 2020

We investigate the plausibility of mass return, from stellar mass loss processes within the central ~100 pc region of the Milky Way (the inner nuclear bulge), as a mass supply mechanism for the Circumnuclear Disk (CND). Gas in the Galactic disk migrates inward to the Galactic centre due to the asymmetric potential caused by the Galactic bar. The inward migration of gas stops and accumulates to form the central molecular zone (CMZ), at 100-200 pc from the Galactic center. It is commonly assumed that stars have formed in the CMZ throughout the lifetime of the Galaxy and have diffused inward to form a 'r-2 stellar cusp' within the inner nuclear bulge. We propose that the stars migrating inward from the CMZ supply gas to the inner nuclear bulge via stellar mass loss, resulting in the formation of a gas disk along the Galactic plane and subsequent inward migration down to the central 10 pc region (CND). We simulate the evolution of a gas distribution that initially follows the stellar distribution of the aforementioned stellar cusp, and illustrate the potential gas supply toward the CND.

• Bulletin of the Korean Space Science Society
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• 2008.10a
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• pp.38.1-38.1
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• 2008

Tides caused by the Galactic gravitational field affect the current dynamical structure of globular clusters in the Galaxy. Indeed, the observed feature of tidal tails stretching beyond globular clusters' tidal radii provides a key information of interaction with the gravitational field of the Galaxy and kinematical orbit of the clusters, which can be an evidence of the merging scenario of the Galaxy formation and evolution. To find such a tidal feature, we have studied spatial density distribution of stars around five globular clusters in the Galactic halo and one cluster in the Galactic bulge, for which we have used wide-field deep photometric data of gri and JHK bands obtained from the MegaCam and WIRCam of the CFHT. Applying the statistical contrast filtering of field stars in the color-magnitude plane of detected stars around five halo clusters, we have found features of tidal tails for four clusters M53, M15, NGC 5053, and NGC 5466. The detected over-density tidal features are well aligned with the cluster's orbits and stretched into the direction of the Galactic center. Statistical analysis indicate that these tidal tails are believed to be cluster stars that have escaped due to the tidal effects to the clusters. A similar tidal feature to that of halo clusters is also detected for the bulge cluster NGC 6626, while the over-density feature seems to be extended into the Galactic plane rather than into the orbital direction and the Galactic center. Conclusively, our result adds further observational evidence of the merging scenario of the Galaxy formation and evolution.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.51.1-51.1
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• 2017

We present the dependence of halo properties on two different Galactic potentials: the $St{\ddot{a}}ckel$ potential and the Milky Way-like potential known as "Galpy". Making use of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 12 (SDSS DR12), we find that the shape of the metallicity distribution and rotation velocity distribution abruptly changes at 15 kpc of $Z_{max}$ (the maximum distance of stellar orbit above or below the Galactic plane) and 32 kpc of $r_{max}$ (the maximum distance of an orbit from the Galactic center) in the $St{\ddot{a}}ckel$, which indicates that the transition from the inner to outer halo occurs at those distances. When adopting the $St{\ddot{a}}ckel$ potential, stars with $Z_{max}$ > 15 kpc show a retrograde motion of $V_{\phi}=-60km\;s^{-1}$, while stars with $r_{max}$ > 32 kpc show $V_{\phi}=-150km\;s^{-1}$. If we impose $V_{\phi}$ < $-150km\;s^{-1}$ to the stars with $Z_{max}$> 15 kpc or $r_{max}$> 32, we obtain the peak of the metallicity distribution at [Fe/H] = -1.9 and -1.7 respectively. However, there is the transition of the metallicity distribution at $Z_{max}=25kpc$, whereas there is no noticeable retrograde motion in the Galpy. The reason for this is that stars with high retrograde motion in the $St{\ddot{a}}ckel$ potential are unbound and stars with low rotation velocity reach to larger region of $Z_{max}$ and $r_{max}$ due to shallower potential in the Galpy. These results prove that as the adopted Galactic potential can affect the interpretation of the halo properties, it is required to have a more realistic Galactic potential for the thorough understanding of the dichotomy of the Galactic halo.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.79.1-79.1
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• 2013

We present new integrated spectroscopy of 24 Galactic globular clusters, observed with the Isaac Newton Telescope in La Palma. Spectra have been extracted from one core radius for each cluster, achieving high wavelength resolution of FWHM ${\sim}2.0^{\circ}A$. In combination with two previous data sets from Puzia et al. 2002 and Schiavon et al. 2005, we construct the largest database of the Lick indices for total 53 Galactic globular clusters. The empirical metallicity.index relations are given for the 20 Lick indices for the use of deriving metallicities of remote, unresolved stellar systems.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.67.4-67.4
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• 2019

We present preliminary results of our long-term (2009-2017) observing campaign using the NASA IRTF at Mauna Kea, to obtain $2-5{\mu}m$ spectroscopy of ~200 red point sources in the line of sight to the Galactic center. Point sources in our sample were selected from the mid-infrared images of the Spitzer Space telescope, and include candidate massive young stellar objects, which have previously been identified from our Spitzer/IRS spectroscopy. We show high foreground extinction of these sources from deep $3.1{\mu}m$ H2O ice and aliphatic hydrocarbon absorption features, suggesting that they are likely located in the central 300 pc region of the Galactic center. While many sources reveal photospheric $2.3{\mu}m$ gas CO absorption, few of them clearly indicate $3.54{\mu}m$ CH3OH ice absorption, possibly indicating a large dust column density intrinsic to a massive young stellar object.