• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.49.1-49.1
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• 2019

I present the mean metallicity distribution of stars in the Milky Way based on photometry from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. I utilize an empirically calibrated set of stellar isochrones developed in previous work to estimate the metallicities of individual stars to a precision of 0.2 dex for reasonably bright stars across the survey area. I also obtain more precise metallicity estimates using priors from the Gaia parallaxes for relatively nearby stars. Close to the Galactic mid-plane (|Z| < 2 kpc), a mean metallicity map reveals deviations from the mirror symmetry between the northern and southern hemispheres, displaying wave-like oscillations. The observed metallicity asymmetry structure is almost parallel to the Galactic mid-plane, and coincides with the previously known asymmetry in the stellar number density distribution. This result reinforces the previous notion of the plane-parallel vertical waves propagating through the disk, which have been excited by a massive halo substructure such as the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy plunging through the Milky Way's disk. This work provides evidence that the Gaia phase-space spiral may continue out to |Z| ~ 1.5 kpc.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.429-435
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• 2005

We present BV CCD photometry for the open clusters Czernik 24 and Czernik 27. These clusters have never been studied before, and we provide, for the first time, the cluster parameters; reddening, distance, metallicity and age. Czernik 24 is an old open cluster with age $1.8{\pm}0.2Gyr$, metallicity $[Fe/H]=-0.41{\pm}0.15dex$, distance modulus $(m-M)_0=13.1{\pm}0.3mag$ ($d=4.1{\pm}0.5kpc$), and reddening $E(B-V)=0.54{\pm}0.12mag$. The parameters for Czernik 27 are estimated to be $age=0.63{\pm}0.07Gyr$, $[Fe/H]=-0.02{\pm}0.10dex$, $(m-M)_0=13.8{\pm}0.2mag$ ($d=5.8{\pm}0.5kpc$), and $E(B-V)=0.15{\pm}0.05mag$. The metallicity and distance values for Czernik 24 are consistent with the relation between the metallicity and the Galactocentric distance of other old open clusters. We find the metallicity gradient of 51 old open clusters including Czernik 24 to be ${\Delta}[Fe/H]/{\Delta}R_{gc}=-0.064 {\pm}0.009dex\;kpc^{-1}$.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.171-177
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• 2007

In external galaxies, the velocity dispersion of the atomic hydrogen gas shows a remarkably flat distribution with the galactocentric radius. This has been a long-standing puzzle because if the gas velocity dispersion is due to turbulence caused by supernova explosions, it should decline with radius. After a discussion on the role of spiral arms and ram pressure in driving interstellar turbulence in the outer parts of galactic disks, we argue that the constant bombardment by tiny high-velocity halo clouds can be a significant source of random motions in the outer disk gas. Recent observations of the flaring of H I in the Galaxy are difficult to explain if the dark halo is nearly spherical as the survival of the streams of tidal debris of Sagittarius dwarf spheroidal galaxy suggests. The radial enhancement of the gas velocity dispersion (at R > 25 kpc) due to accretion of cloudy gas might naturally explain the observed flaring in the Milky Way. Other motivations and implications of this scenario have been highlighted.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.243-248
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• 2004

Disk galaxies abound with intermediate-scale structures such as OB star complexes, giant clouds, and dust spurs in a close geometrical association with spiral arms. Various mechanisms have been proposed as candidates for their origin, but a comprehensive theory should encompass fundamental physical agents such as self-gravity, magnetic fields, galactic differential rotation, and spiral arms, all of which are known to exist in disk galaxies. Recent numerical simulations incorporating all these physical processes show that magneto-Jeans instability (MJI), in which magnetic tension resists the stabilizing Coriolis force of galaxy rotation, is much more powerful than swing-amplification or the Parker instability in forming self-gravitating intermediate-scale structures. The MJI occurring in shearing and expanding flows off spiral arms rapidly forms structures elongated along the direction perpendicular to the arms, remarkably similar to dust spurs seen in HST images of spiral galaxies. In highly nonlinear stages, these spurs fragment to form bound clumps, possibly evolving into bright arm and interarm H II regions, suggesting that all these intermediate-scale structures in spiral galaxies probably share a common dynamical origin.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.67.3-68
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• 2016

We present evidence of the bar driven secular evolution on disks from z~0.8 to z~0.01. Using $3.6{\mu}m$ images of nearby galaxies from the Spitzer Survey of Stellar Structure in Galaxies (S4G) and images from the Cosmological Evolution Survey (COSMOS), we find that barred galaxies show a light deficit in the disk surrounding the bar within the bar radius. We quantify this light deficit and find that galaxies with a stronger bar (longer, higher Bar/T) show a more pronounced light deficit. We examine snapshots from N-body simulations and confirm that as a barred galaxy evolves, the bar becomes longer and the light deficit becomes more pronounced. Theoretical studies have predicted that bars evolve by capturing nearby disk stars and employing them to make the bar more elongated and stronger. Therefore the light deficit in the disk is likely produced by bars, and thus bars play a major role in shaping their host galaxies, redistributing not only the gaseous but also the stellar mass within galaxies, with important consequences to their subsequent evolution.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.31.3-32
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• 2016

We present the radial variations of the scale heights and the vertical velocity dispersions in a sample of nearby edge-on galaxies using BIMA/CARMA $^{12}CO$ ($J=1{\rightarrow}0$), VLA/EVLA HI, and Spitzer $3.6{\mu}m$ data. Both the disk thicknesses and the velocity dispersions of gas and stars vary with radius, contrary to assumptions of previous studies. We investigate how the interstellar gas pressure and the gravitational instability parameter differ from values derived assuming constant velocity dispersions and scale heights. Using the measurement of the disk thicknesses and the derived radial profiles of gas and stars, we estimate the corresponding volume densities. The gravitational instability parameter Q follows a fairly uniform profile with radius and is ${\geq}1$ across the star-forming disk. The star formation law has a slope that is significantly different from those found in more face-on galaxy studies. The midplane gas pressure appears to roughly hold a power-law correlation with the midplane volume density ratio (${\rho}_{H2}/{\rho}_{HI}$).

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.341-343
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• 2001

Here were continue the MHD study started by Santillan et al (1999) for the interaction of high-velocity clouds (HVCs) with the magnetized thick gaseous disk of our Galaxy. We use the MHD code ZEUS-3D and perform 3D-numerical simulations of this interaction, and study the formation of head-tail structures in HVCs. Our results show that clouds located above 2 kpc from mindplane present velocity and column density gradients with a cometary structure that is similar to those observed in 21 cm emission

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.57.2-57.2
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• 2011

To study the formation and evolution of sub-galactic scale structures, we have added SPH (Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics) method into an existing cosmological PMTree code, GOTPM. To follow the evolution of gas particles, we consider heating/cooling processes, star formation, and energy & metal feedback by supernova explosion. We have performed various tests for the new code and found that the results reproduce observed quantities or follow the known analytic solutions. We present a test simulation of isolated disk galaxy with a focus on whether the star formation reproduces the observed features.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.79-92
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• 2017

We present a BV I optical photometric study of the old open cluster Ruprecht 6 using the data obtained with the SMARTS 1.0 m telescope at the CTIO, Chile. Its color-magnitude diagrams show the clear existence of the main-sequence stars, whose turn-off point is located around $V{\approx}18.45mag$ and $B-V{\approx}0.85mag$. Three red clump (RC) stars are identified at V = 16.00 mag, I = 14.41 mag and B - V = 1.35 mag. From the mean $K_s-band$ magnitude of RC stars ($K_s=12.39{\pm}0.21mag$) in Ruprecht 6 from 2MASS photometry and the known absolute magnitudes of the RC stars ($M_{K_S}=-1.595{\pm}0.025mag$), we obtain the distance modulus to Ruprecht 6 of $(m-M)_0=13.84{\pm}0.21mag$ ($d=5.86{\pm}0.60kpc$). From the ($J-K_s$) and (B - V ) colors of the RC stars, comparison of the (B - V ) and (V - I) colors of the bright stars in Ruprecht 6 with those of the intrinsic colors of dwarf and giant stars, and the PARSEC isochrone fittings, we derive the reddening values of E(B - V ) = 0.42 mag and E(V - I) = 0.60 mag. Using the PARSEC isochrone fittings onto the color-magnitude diagrams, we estimate the age and metallicity to be: $log(t)=9.50{\pm}0.10(t=3.16{\pm}0.82Gyr)$ and $[Fe/H]=-0.42{\pm}0.04dex$. We present the Galactocentric radial metallicity gradient analysis for old (age > 1 Gyr) open clusters of the Dias et al. catalog, which likely follow a single relation of $[Fe/H]=(-0.034{\pm}0.007)R_{GC}+(0.190{\pm}0.080)$ (rms = 0.201) for the whole radial range or a dual relation of $[Fe/H]=(-0.077{\pm}0.017)R_{GC}+(0.609{\pm}0.161)$ (rms = 0.152) and constant ([Fe/H] ~ -0.3 dex) value, inside and outside of RGC ~ 12 kpc, respectively. The metallicity and Galactocentric radius ($13.28{\pm}0.54kpc$) of Ruprecht 6 obtained in this study seem to be consistent with both of the relations.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.183-186
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• 2005

We present results of the VLBA observation toward the radio continuum and water maser emissions in a nearby LINER galaxy NGC 1052. The jet structure observed in 2000 is similar to that in 1998, and the two jet structures in 1998 and 2000 support the sub-luminal motion with apparent velocity of 0.26c. Distribution of water maser spots are located ${\~}$0.05 pc shifted to southwest from the component which is supported to be the nucleus, and no rapid positional change of the water maser gas with respect to the central engine is seen from 1995 to 2000. The maser gas is positionally coincident with a plasma torus, and the position of the maser gas relative to the nucleus is stable from 1995 to 2000. The maser gas in NGC 1052 could be explained to be associated with the nuclear circumnuclear torus or disk like the situation found in the nucleus of NGC 4258.