• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.115-115
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• 2014

First, We will briefly introduce early science results of AGN observations with KVN and KaVA. KaVA is the combined array of the Korean VLBI network (KVN) and VLBI Exploration of Radio Astronomy (VERA). These include KaVA monitoring of M87, Sgr A* and a few bright blazars and KVN Search for circular polarized Blazars. Furthermore, we will present our future plan of monitoring observation of Sgr A* and M87 with KaVA and Low Radio Power AGN multi frequency polarization survey with KVN. Because of the largeness of their centralsuper-massive black holes, we select them as top-priority sources of our key science program (KSP). The main science goals of the KaVA KSP are (1) mapping the velocity field of the M87 jet and testing magnetically-driven-jet paradigm, and (2) obtaining tightest constraints on physical properties of radio emitting region in Sgr A. High sensitivity achieved through simultaneous multifrequency phase referencing technique of KVN will allow us to explore Low Radio Power AGN cores which build majority of AGNs and therefore are important for undestanding the evolution of AGNs and of their hosts.

• Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.637-639
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• 2015

The Korean very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI) network (KVN) and VLBI Exploration of Radio Astrometry (VERA) Array (KaVA) is the first international VLBI array dedicated to high-frequency (23 GHz (K-band) and 43 GHz (Q-band)) observations in East Asia. To evaluate the imagine capability of KaVA, we performed imaging observations of three bright active galactic nuclei (AGNs) known for their complex morphologies: 4C 39.25, 3C 273, and M87 by KaVA at K-/Q-band. Our KaVA images reveal extended outflows with complex substructure such as knots and limb brightening, in agreement with previous observations by other VLBI facilities. Angular resolutions are better than 1.4 and 0.8 milliarcsecond (max) at K-/Q-band, respectively. KaVA achieves a high dynamic range of ~1000, more than three times the value achieved by VERA. We conclude that KaVA is a powerful array with a great potential for the study of AGN outflows, at least comparable to the best existing radio interferometric arrays.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.114-114
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• 2014

We present our activities linking to planning of possible forms of large program to study on circumstellar H2O and SiO maser sources with KaVA. A great advantage of KaVA for the stellar maser observations is the combination of the unique capability of the multi-frequency phase referencing technique of KVN and the dual-beam astrometry of VERA with the KaVA's relative dense antenna configuration. We have demonstrated this advantage through the test observations conducted by the KaVA Evolved Stars Sub-working Group since 2012 March. Snapshot KaVA imaging is confirmed to be possible in integration time of 0.5 hour at the 22 GHz band and 1.0 hour at the 43 GHz band in typical cases. This implies that large snapshot imaging surveys towards many H2O and SiO stellar masers are possible within a reasonable machine time (e.g., scans on ~100 maser sources within 200 hours). This possibility enables us to select the maser sources, which are suitable for future long-term (10 years) intensive (biweekly-monthly) monitoring observations, from 1000 potential target candidates selected from dual-frequency band (K/Q-bands) KVN single-dish observations. The output of the survey programs will be used for statistical analysis of the structures of individual stellar maser clumps and the spatio-kinematical structures of circumstellar envelopes with accelerating outflows. The combination of astrometry in milliarcsecond(mas) level and the multi-phase referencing technique yields not only trigonometric parallax distances to the masers but also precise position reference for registration of different maser lines. The accuracy of the map registration affects interpretation of the excitation mechanism of the SiO maser lines and the origin of the variety of the maser actions, which are expected to reflect periodic behaviors of the circumstellar envelope with stellar pulsation. Currently we are checking the technical feasibility of KaVA operations for this combination. After this feasibility test, the long-term monitoring campaign program will run as one of KaVA's legacy projects.

• Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.633-636
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• 2015

KaVA (KVN and VERA Array) is a new combined VLBI array composed of KVN (Korean VLBI Network) and VERA (VLBI Exploration of Radio Astrometry). Here, we report the following two issues. (1) We review the initial results of imaging observations of M87 at 23 GHz following Niinuma et al. (2014). The KaVA images reveal extended outflows including complex substructures such as knots and limb-brightening, in agreement with previous VLBI observations. KaVA achieves a high dynamic range of ~1000, more than three times better than that achieved by VERA alone. (2) Based on subsequent observations and discussions led by the KaVA AGN SubWorking Group, we set monitoring observations of Sgr $A^{\ast}$ and M87 as our Key Science Project (hereafter KSP) because of the closeness and largeness of their central super-massive black holes. The main science goals of the KSP are (i) testing the magnetically-driven-jet paradigm by mapping velocity fields of the M87 jet, and (ii) obtaining tight constraints on physical properties of the radio emitting region in Sgr $A^{\ast}$. Towards KSP, we show the first preliminary images of M87 at 23 GHz and Sgr $A^{\ast}$ at 43 GHz with the bandwidth of 256 MHz.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.51.1-51.1
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• 2018

동아시아 VLBI 관측망(East-Asian VLBI Network; EAVN)은 한 중 일 각국의 전파망원경을 통합해서 구성되는 동아시아 지역의 새로운 VLBI 네트워크이다. EAVN은 2013년부터 공동이용관측을 실시하고 있는 한일 VLBI 관측망(KaVA)을 중심으로 총 20개 전파망원경을 포함한다. 4개 주파수(6.7/8/22/43 GHz)로 관측할 수 있으며, 최대로 0.6 mas (22 GHz)의 해상도로 관측할 수 있는 기능을 가지고 있다. 우리는 2017년 3월부터 5월까지 EAVN을 이용한 총 17번의 AGN 관측 캠페인을 실시하였다. 이것은 ALMA를 이용한 Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) 관측과 같은 시기에 실시되며, 총 15개의 전파망원경이 참가하였다. 이 관측을 통해서 EAVN으로 얻은 영상이 KaVA의 영상에 대해 80% 정도 성능이 개선되는 것을 확인하였다. 또한, 주된 관측천체인 M87과 Sgr A*의 영상은 과거의 결과를 재현해서 AGN 중심 주변의 sub-pc 스케일의 제트 구조를 보다 자세히 볼 수가 있었다. 이 결과에 의거해서 우리는 KaVA의 관측시간의 일부를 이용해서 2018년 하반기부터 EAVN의 공동이용관측을 시작한다. 공개될 범위는 KaVA, 일본 Nobeyama 45 m, 중국 Tianma 65 m의 총 9개 망원경이며, 중국 Nanshan 26 m 망원경도 Large Program 관측에 한해서 참가한다. 관측주파수는 22 GHz (KaVA + Tianma) 및 43 GHz (KaVA + Tianma + Nobeyama) 이며, 오는 관측시즌(2018년 8월부터 2019년 1월까지)에 제공될 총 관측시간은 100 시간이다. 관측제안서 제출 마감날은 6월 1일이며, 많은 관측제안서가 제출될 것을 기대한다. 이 발표에서는 EAVN AGN 캠페인의 결과 및 EAVN 공동이용 관측의 자세한 내용을 보고한다.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.68.4-69
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• 2016

We report preliminary results of KaVA observations of central galaxies in cool-core and non cool-core clusters. The main goal is to study how cooling environments of galaxy clusters affect the central AGN activities especially at its innermost region. For KaVA observations, 7 radio bright AGNs have been selected from the extended Highest Flux Galaxy Cluster Sample (eHIFLUGCS; the X-ray flux limited & all sky galaxy cluster catalog) with various cooling timescales. In our previous KVN study, we have found that most AGNs in the cool-core clusters show the hint of pc-scale jet-like features while the ones in the non cool-core clusters do not. Using the KaVA 22/43 GHz data of a much higher resolution than the KVN resolution, we have investigated detailed pc-scale jet properties such as physical size, morphology, and radiative age. Based on the KaVA data, we discuss the effect of cluster cooling environment on the evolution of AGNs in the cluster center.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.32.4-33
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• 2016

활동성은하핵(AGN)의 거대 블랙홀 주변에 존재하는 플라스마 디스크의 구조나 물리적인 상태를 관측으로 직접 찾는 것은 AGN 중심부분에서의 제트 형성, 방출과정이나 에너지 수송과정을 조사하기 위해 중요한다. 지금껏 주로 센치미터파장 영역의 다주파 VLBI 관측으로 우리은하에서 가까운 AGN 속에 존재하는 10 pc 정도의 플라스마 디스크가 발견되어 있다만, AGN의 활동성을 정하고 있는 1 pc 이하의 스케일에서의 디스크 구조를 직접 관측한 결과는 아직 없다. 우리는 2015년8월부터 KVN 및 KVN과 일본 VERA로 구성되는 한일공동 VLBI 관측망(KaVA)을 이용해서 전파 은하 3C 84(z = 0.0176, 1 mas = 0.36 pc)의 밀리미터파장 모니터링을 진행하고 있다. KVN과 KaVA를 이용하면 1 pc 이하의 스케일로 3C 84의 중심구조를 고감도에서 분해할 수 있다. 이번 발표에서는 KVN 및 KaVA로 거의 동시에 실시한 관측결과를 중심으로 보고한다. 관측은 2016년2월22일(KaVA 43 GHz) 및 23일(KVN 86 GHz)에 실시되었다. 양 주파수의 이미지에서 종래의 센치미터 ~ 밀리미터파장 VLBI관측으로도 검출되어 있는 중심핵(C1) 및 남쪽에 약 3 mas 떨어져서 위치하는 로브(C3) 성분 뿐만 아니라 C1으로부터 북쪽에 약 2.5 mas 떨어져서 위치하는 새로운 성분(N1)을 검출하였다. N1의 검출 수준은 43, 86 GHz 모두 $6{\sigma}$이며, 양 주파수 사이에서 광학적으로 두꺼운 스펙트럼을 가지고 있다. 과거의 관측으로 측정된 C3의 겉보기 속도는 빛의 속도의 약 23%이며, 남북 로브의 구조와 운동의 대칭을 가정하면 N1이 도플러 분사출 효과 때문에 어두워지고 있는 가능성은 낮다. 따라서 C3에 대응하는 북쪽 N1로브로부터의 복사가 블랙홀 주변의 플라스마 디스크로 인해 저주파수에서 강한 흡수를 받고 있는 결과고 생각된다.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.51.4-51.4
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• 2019

We started a systematic observational study of the 22 GHz water and 44 GHz class I methanol masers in 87 high-mass young stellar objects (HM-YSOs) as a KaVA large program (LP). The primary goal is to understand dynamical evolution of HM-YSOs and their circumstellar structures by measuring spatial distributions and 3-dimensional velocity fields of multiple maser species. In the first-year observations (2016-2017), we made snap-shot imaging surveys of 25 water and 19 methanol maser sources. In the second-year observations (2018-2019), we have carried out monitoring observations of 19 water and 3 methanol maser sources that were selected on the basis of the first-year survey results. By combining follow-up observations with VERA (distances), JVN/EAVN (6.7 GHz methanol masers), and ALMA cycles 3 and 6 (thermal lines/continuum), we will provide novel information on physical properties (density, temperature, size, mass), 3D dynamical structures of disk/jet/outflow/infalling envelope, and relationship between evolutionary of HM-YSOs. In this presentation, we will report the current status and future plans of our KaVA large program.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.112.1-112.1
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• 2014

KVN은 현재 연간 3000시간 이상의 VLBI 관측 시간을 운영하는 안정적인 운영단계에 들어섰다. 또한 일본의 VLBI 관측망인 VERA와 연결한 KaVA (KVN and VERA Array)도 한일상관센터의 운영시작과 더불어 연간 1000 시간의 관측 운영을 하고 있으며 KaVA를 이용한 연구 성과가 나오기 시작하였다. KVN은 다파장 Astrometry를 위해 다파장 P-Cal 시스템을 개발하고 있으며 관측 감도를 높이기 위해 8Gbps 운영을 준비하고 있다. KVN의 운영 및 시스템 개선 계획, 국제 협력 내용 등을 소개한다.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.45.2-46
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• 2017

3C 84 (NGC 1275) is one of the most famous radio galaxies and a lot of VLBI observations have been conducted to date because of its brightness and proximity (z = 0.0176; 1 mas = 0.36 pc). The source is entering a significantly active phase with long-term increase in radio flux at cm wavelengths since 2005, and the increased activity at very-high-energy (VHE) gamma rays. In order to study properties of sub-pc-scale structure and the circumnuclear environment in 3C 84, we have conducted multi-epoch VLBI observations with the Korean VLBI Network (KVN) at 86 and 129 GHz, and monthly monitoring by the KVN and VERA Array (KaVA) at 43 GHz from 2015 August. Following the report in the previous KAS meeting (cf. 2016 KAS Autumn Annual Meeting, [구 GC-10]), we present further results mainly on the basis of twelve-epoch observations with KaVA at 43 GHz. Through the monthly monitoring with KaVA, we found that peak intensity of the pc-scale southern lobe (C3) was increased from $2.60\;Jy\;beam^{-1}$ in 2015 October to $9.80\;Jy\;beam^{-1}$ in 2016 June, corresponding to a flux increase of 3.7 times in eight months. We also detected change in direction of motion of C3 from transversal to outward with respect to C1, concurrently with the beginning of its flux increase in 2015 October. We consider that these phenomena are due to interaction of C3 with the ambient medium, and are related to the gamma-ray flare which has been detected with VHE gamma-ray telescopes such as MAGIC and VERITAS.