• 천문학회지
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• 제44권5호
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• pp.195-200
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• 2011

We have revisited the ACS Virgo Cluster Survey (ACSVCS), a Hubble Space Telescope program to obtain ACS/WFC g and z bands imaging for a sample of 100 early-type galaxies in the Virgo Cluster. In this study, we examine 51 nucleated early-type galaxies in the ACSVCS in order to look into the relationship between the photometric and structural properties of stellar nuclei and their host galaxies. We morphologically dissect galaxies into five classes. We note that (1) the stellar nuclei of dwarf early-type galaxies (dS0, dE, and dE,N) are generally fainter and bluer with g > 18.95 and (g-z) < 1.40 compared to some brighter and redder counterparts of the ellipticals (E) and lenticular galaxies (S0), (2) the g-band half-light radii of stellar nuclei of all dwarf early-type galaxies (dS0, dE, and dE,N) are smaller than 20 pc and their average is about 4 pc, and (3) the colors of red stellar nuclei with (g - z) > 1.40 in bright ellipticals and lenticular galaxies are bluer than their host galaxies colors. We also show that most of the unusually "red" stellar nuclei with (g-z) > 1.54 in the ACSVCS are the central parts of bright ellipticals and lenticular galaxies. Furthermore, we present multi photometric band color - color plots that can be used to break the age-metallicity degeneracy particularly by inclusion of the thermally pulsing-asymptotic giant branch (TP-AGB) phases of stellar evolution in the stellar population models.

• 천문학회보
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• 제38권2호
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• pp.37.1-37.1
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• 2013

We present our study of analyzing the photometric properties of the globular cluster (GC) system which resides in the extended halo of the central bright Coma cluster galaxy NGC 4874. The core of the Coma cluster of galaxies (Abell 1656) was observed with both the HST Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) in the F475W (g475) and F814W (I814) and Wide Field Camera 3 IR Channel (WFC3/IR) in the F160W (H160) filters. The data analysis procedure and GC candidate selection criteria are briefly described. We investigate the interesting "tilt" features in color-magnitude diagrams for this GC system and their link to the nonlinear color-metallicity relation for GCs. The NGC 4874's GC system exhibits a bimodal distribution in the optical g475-I814 color and much more than half the GCs fall in the red side at g475-I814 ~ 1.1. This bimodality is weakened in the optical-IR I814-H160 color; the quantitative analysis on the features of both color distributions using the Gaussian Mixture Modeling code proves the bimodalities are different. Both colors, thus, cannot linearly reflect the bimodality of an underlying metallicity, supporting the suggestion that observed bimodalities in extragalactic GC colors are the metallicity-to-color projection effect.

• 천문학회보
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• 제37권1호
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• pp.61.1-61.1
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• 2012

We examine both optical and optical/near-infrared (NIR) color distributions of the globular cluster (GC) system in the core of the Coma cluster of galaxies (Abell 1656), centered on the giant elliptical galaxy NGC 4874, to study how non-linearities in the color-metallicity relations of GC systems in large elliptical galaxies are linked to bimodal optical color distributions. Since optical-NIR color distributions of extragalactic GC systems reflect the underlying features of the metallicity distributions, we also present the color-color relation for this GC system. In order to do this, we combine F160W ($H_{160}$) NIR imaging data acquired with the Wide Field Camera 3 IR Channel (WFC3/IR), newly installed on Hubble Space Telescope (HST), with F475W ($g_{475}$) and FF814W ($I_{814}$) optical imaging data from the HST Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS). To quantitatively explain the feature of color distributions, we use the Gaussian Mixture Modeling (GMM) code. Finally, we show the radial distribution of the GCs in the field of NGC 4874.

• 천문학회보
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• 제35권1호
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• pp.54.2-54.2
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• 2010

The most massive galactic globular cluster, $\omega$ Cen has been observed using recently mounted WFC3/UVIS cameras of Hubble Space Telescope at both near-UV and optical bands. We present the photometry of stars in the central region of $\omega$ Cen in F225W, F275W and F336W bands. The near-UV color-magnitude diagrams and color-color diagrams of stars in $\omega$ Cen show multiple red giant branches and main sequences as already discovered in both ground-based and HST/ACS observations in the optical bands. We modelled the stellar populations of $\omega$ Cen using Yonsei Isochrone, where $\alpha$-particles and helium enhancement processes have been included properly. We compare the best-fit stellar populations obtained from the current near-UV observations to the suggested stellar population models based on optical band data. We also discuss the methodological issues arising when dealing with the near-UV observations; red-leak in near-UV filters and the huge interstellar extinction in near-UV bands compared to the optical bands and its non-linear effect in color-magnitude diagrams.

• 천문학회보
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• 제36권2호
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• pp.78.1-78.1
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• 2011

We report on a photometric study of star clusters in the circumnuclear star-forming region of nearby barred spiral galaxy NGC 1672. We use FUV to NIR imaging data (FUV, U, B, V, R, $H{\alpha}$, I, and H) in the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) archive. We have selected 89 star clusters with V<21.8 (MV<-9) mag in the central 600 pc region, and have derived their age & mass by comparing their colors with theoretical population synthesis models. Most of the star clusters are mildly reddened (E(B-V)~0.2 on average), but some star clusters suffer from severe reddening (E(B-V)>0.6). The mass of the star clusters are in the range from $10^4\;M_{\odot}$ to $10^7\;M_{\odot}$. About half of them are more massive than $10^5\;M_{\odot}$. Their ages range from 1 Myr to several 100 Myr, and concentrate at ~6 Myr and ~40 Myr. It indicates that the episodic starburst in the circumnuclear star-forming region lasted at least several 100 Myr. We find no obvious azimuthal age gradient, but we find a radial age gradient in some regions. We discuss these properties with theoretical expectations.

• 천문학회보
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• 제39권1호
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• pp.39.2-39.2
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• 2014

We present a photometric study of star clusters in the nuclear starburst region of NGC 253 using gVI, YJ, and H band images in the Hubble Space Telescope archive. We find about one thousand star clusters in about 200"x200" field by visual inspection with I<21. We also find about ten thousand star clusters in the same field by automated classification method with magnitude range of 21< I $$\leq_-$$ 24. Ages and masses of star clusters are estimated using spectral energy distribution fitting method. Age distribution of star cluster shows two distinguished young populations with peak ages at 3.5 Myr and 18 Myr. Old populations (>100 Myr) are exist, but their number is small. About thirty young massive star clusters (<10 Myr, ) are found in nuclear region of NGC 253 which are regarded as a result of the recent starburst. Mass function of young star clusters in NGC 253 is somewhat different with those of star clusters in other galaxies. This result suggests that initial cluster mass functions (ICMFs) for star clusters are not universial. Especially ICMF in starburst galaxies may be distinguishable compared with those in normal spiral galaxies. We discuss the implications of these results.

• 천문학회지
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• 제36권3호
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• pp.123-144
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• 2003

The 8m class telescopes in the ground-based optical astronomy together with help from the ultra-sharp eye of the Hubble Space Telescope have enabled us to observe forming galaxies beyond red shift z = 5. In particular, more than twenty Ly$\alpha$-emitting galaxies have already been found at z > 5. These findings provide us with useful hints to investigate how galaxies formed and then evolved in the early universe. Further, detailed analysis of Ly$\alpha$ emission line profiles are useful in exploring the nature of the intergalactic medium because the trailing edge of cosmic reionization could be close to z $\~$ 6 -7, at which forming galaxies have been found recently. We also discuss the importance of superwinds from forming galaxies at high redshift, which has an intimate relationship between galaxies and the intergalactic medium. We then give a review of early cosmic star formation history based on recent progress in searching for Ly$\alpha$-emitting young galaxies beyond red shift 5.

• 천문학회보
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• 제37권2호
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• pp.68.2-68.2
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• 2012

We present a discovery of two new globular clusters in the Hubble Space Telescope archive images of the M81 group. They are located much farther from both M81 and M82 in the sky, compared with previously known star clusters in these galaxies. Both clusters show that higher luminosity and larger effective radius than typical globular clusters in Milky Way and M81. Using the available spectroscopic data provided by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, we derive a low metallicity with [Fe/H] ${\approx}$ -2.3 and an old age ~14 Gyr for GC-2. The I-band magnitude of the tip of the RGB for GC-1 is consistent with that of the halo stars in the GC-1 and GC-2 field. However, that of GC-2 is 0.26 mag fainter than its field. It shows that GC-2 is about 400 kpc behind the M81 halo along our line of sight. The deprojected distance to GC-2 from M81 is much larger than any other known globular clusters in the local universe. We discuss the possible scenarios to explain the existence of globular cluster in such an extremely isolated environment.

• 천문학회보
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• 제36권1호
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• pp.63.1-63.1
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• 2011

M82 is a famous starburst galaxy which is dominated by young stellar populations and ISM. Some previous studies indicated the existence of intermediate-age and old stellar population in this galaxy, but little is known about them. We present a study of old globular clusters in M82 using the Hubble Space Telescope archive data. From the cluster survey of M82 we found 650 star clusters. We divided them into disk and halo star clusters according to their position. The color-color diagrams show that all 19 halo star clusters are old globular clusters. The disk sample may include both reddened young clusters and geniune old globular clusters. We estimated their ages using spectral energy distribution fit method with six filter data covering from ultraviolet (F330W) to infrared (F160W), and found that 30 of them are older than 3 Gyr. These are considered to be disk globular clusters. Twelve of the halo globular clusters are found to be partially resolved into their member stars. The (B-V) color range of the halo globular clusters is consistent with that of the Milky Way globular clusters, but most of M82 globular clusters are bluer than (B-V)=0.7. The existence of these old globular clusters suggests that the starburst galaxy M82 has an old stellar halo that may be as old as the Milky Way halo.

• 천문학회보
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• 제46권2호
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• pp.36.1-37
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• 2021

Six images of IRC+10216 taken by the Hubble Space Telescope at three epochs in 2001, 2011, and 2016 are compared in the rest frame of the central carbon star. An accurate astrometry has been achieved with the help of Gaia Data Release 2. The positions of the carbon star in the individual epochs are determined using its known proper motion, defining the rest frame of the star. In 2016, a local brightness peak with compact and red nature is detected at the stellar position. A comparison of the color maps between 2016 and 2011 epochs reveals that the reddest spot moved along with the star, suggesting a possibility of its being the dusty material surrounding the carbon star. Relatively red, ambient region is distributed in an Ω shape and well corresponds to the dusty disk previously suggested based on near-infrared polarization observations. In a larger scale, differential proper motion of multiple ring-like pattern in the rest frame of the star is used to derive the average expansion velocity of transverse wind components, resulting in ~12.5 km s-1 (d/123 pc), where d is the distance to IRC+10216. Three dimensional geometry is implied from its comparison with the line-of-sight wind velocity determined from half-widths of submillimeter emission line profiles of abundant molecules. Uneven temporal variations in brightness for different searchlight beams and anisotropic distribution of extended halo are revisited in the context of the stellar light illumination through a porous envelope with postulated longer-term variations for a period of 10 years.