• 천문학회보
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• 제44권1호
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• pp.65-65
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• 2019

Near-Earth objects consist of a mixture of bodies originated from outer solar system and main asteroidal belt, which are recognized as comets and near-Earth asteroids. In principal, they have orbits distinguishable by their orbital elements. It is, however, that some comets are recognized as asteroids because they could have lost the most of volatile materials in their subsurface layers. Due to their asteroidal appearances, it has been challenging to discriminate such dormant comets from a list of known asteroids. Here we propose to utilize polarimetric technique for finding such dormant comets. We thus conducted a polarimetric observations of three candidates of dormant comet nuclei, (331471) 1984 QY1, (3552) Don Quixote and (944) Hidalgo, by using the 1.6-m Pirka Telescope at the Nayoro observatory (operated by Hokkaido University, Japan). We selected these asteroids in comet-like orbits (ACOs) based on the orbital elements (i.e., the Tisserand parameter with respect to Jupiter TJ < 3). We found that 1984 QY1 has a polarimetric albedo (geometric albedo determined via polarimetry) pV = 0.16 +/- 0.06 while both Don Quixote and Hidalgo have Rc-band polarimetric albedos pR < 0.05. In accordance with the polarimetric result together with a dynamical analysis, we surmised that 1984 QY1 could be an S-type asteroid evolved into the current orbit via 3:1 mean motion resonance with Jupiter. On the contrary, the previous spectroscopic studies indicated that Don Quixote and Hidalgo are classified into D-type taxonomic group, which are typical of comet nuclei. In this presentation, we will introduce our polarimetric observations of ACOs and emphasize that polarimetry is powerful for discriminating the asteroidal and cometary origins.

• 천문학회보
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• 제44권1호
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• pp.83.1-83.1
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• 2019

Identifying asteroid families, which are groups of asteroids with similar orbital properties, is important for understanding the formation and evolution of the solar system, and probing the origins of Near-Earth Objects (NEOs). Although asteroid taxonomy can be used to identify and refine asteroid families, there are numerous asteroids which are not taxonomically classified yet. Korea Microlensing Telescope Network (KMTNet) can be useful to investigate types of that asteroids, because the telescope can observe a number of asteroids at once by its large field of view. Using KMTNet data, we confirmed that the taxonomic classification of the asteroids is possible by plotting color-color diagram. There is a clear division between C-type and S-type, but ambiguous division between C-type and X-type. In the future, we will observe and classify asteroids which are not classified yet and utilize the data to identify and refine asteroid families.

• 한국방재안전학회논문집
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• 제9권1호
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• pp.25-32
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• 2016

기술의 개발은 인류의 활동영역을 넓히고, 기존에 대응하지 못했던 재난 상황에의 대응을 가능케 한다. 한편, 인류의 우주개발 활동은 새로운 종류의 재난인 우주물체에 의한 위험을 인식하게 하였다. 지난 '13년 러시아 첼야빈스크에 추락하여 1천 5백여 명의 인명피해를 낸 소행성처럼 과거에는 혜성 등 자연우주물체만이 위험요소에 해당하였다면, 오늘날에는 '87년 구소련의 원자력 핵전지 탑재 위성 추락, '12년 러시아의 포보스-그룬트 위성 추락 등 인공우주물체의 추락마저도 인류가 적극적으로 대처해야 할 위험요인이 된 것이다. 이에 정부에서는 국가차원의 대비책을 마련하고자 '14년에 우주위험대비기본계획을 확정하여 우주위험 예 경보 및 감시 분석 능력 등에 대한 목표를 제시한 바 있다. 본 연구에서는 우주위험을 대비하기 위해 개발해야 하는 기술의 중요성 및 시급성을 도출하기 위하여 관련 전문가를 대상으로 AHP 설문조사를 실시하였으며, 이의 결과를 근거로 우주위험감시기술개발 추진을 위한 정책전략을 제시하고자 한다.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• 제36권1호
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• pp.35-43
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• 2019

The Optical Wide-field patroL-Network (OWL-Net) is a global optical network for Space Situational Awareness in Korea. The primary operational goal of the OWL-Net is to track Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites operated by Korea and to monitor the Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) region near the Korean peninsula. To obtain dense measurements on LEO tracking, the chopper system was adopted in the OWL-Net's back-end system. Dozens of angle-only measurements can be obtained for a single shot with the observation mode for LEO tracking. In previous work, the reduction process of the LEO tracking data was presented, along with the mechanical specification of the back-end system of the OWL-Net. In this research, we describe an integrity assessment method of time-position matching and verification of results from real observations of LEO satellites. The change rate of the angle of each streak in the shot was checked to assess the results of the matching process. The time error due to the chopper rotation motion was corrected after re-matching of time and position. The corrected measurements were compared with the simulated observation data, which were taken from the Consolidated Prediction File from the International Laser Ranging Service. The comparison results are presented in the In-track and Cross-track frame.

• 천문학회보
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• 제41권1호
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• pp.75.4-76
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• 2016

DEEP-South (Deep Ecliptic patrol of the Southern sky) is one of the secondary science projects of KMTNet (Korea Microlensing Telescope Network). The objective of this project is twofold, the physical characterization and the discovery of small Solar System bodies, focused on NEOs (Near Earth objects). In order to achieve the goals, we are implementing a software package to detect and report moving objects in the $18k{\times}18k$ mosaic CCD images of KMTNet. In this paper, we present preliminary results of the moving object detection experiments using the prototype MODP (Moving Object Detection Program). We utilize multiple images that are being taken at three KMTNet sites, towards the same target fields (TFs) obtained at different epochs. This prototype package employs existing softwares such as SExtractor (Source-Extracto) and SCAMP (Software for Calibrating Astrometry and Photometry); SExtractor generates catalogs, while SCAMP conducts precision astrometric calibration, then MODP determines if a point source is moving. We evaluated the astrometric accuracy and efficiency of the current version of MODP. The plan for upgrading MODP will also be mentioned.

• 천문학회보
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• 제39권1호
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• pp.66.2-66.2
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• 2014

We carried out photometric observations of Maria family asteroids during 134 nights spanning from July 2008 to May 2013, and derived synodic rotational periods for 51 objects including obtained periods of 34 asteroids for the first time. In this study, we found that there is a significant excess of fast and slow rotators. The one-sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov test confirms that the spin rate distribution is not consistent with the Maxwellian at a 92% confidence level. From the correlations between rotational period, amplitude of lightcurve, and size, we conclude that rotational properties of Maria family have been changed considerably by the non-gravitational force such as the Yarkovsky and the YORP effect. Using the lightcurve inversion method, we successfully determined the pole orientation for the 13 Maria members, and found the excess of prograde objects versus retrograde with a ratio ($N_p/N_r$) of 3. This implies that retrograde rotators could have been ejected by the 3:1 resonance to the inner Solar System since the generation of Maria family. We estimate that approximately 37 - 75 kilometer-sized Maria asteroids have entered to near-Earth space every 100 Myr.

• 천문학회보
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• 제43권1호
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• pp.70.1-70.1
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• 2018

The DEEP-South photometric census of small Solar System bodies is producing massive time-series data of variable, transient or moving objects as a by-product. To fully investigate unexplored variable phenomena, we present an application of multi-aperture photometry and FastBit indexing techniques to a portion of the DEEP-South year-one data. Our new pipeline is designed to do automated point source detection, robust high-precision photometry and calibration of non-crowded fields overlapped with area previously surveyed. We also adopt an efficient data indexing algorithm for faster access to the DEEP-South database. In this paper, we show some application examples of catalog-based variability searches to find new variable stars and to recover targeted asteroids. We discovered 21 new periodic variables including two eclipsing binary systems and one white dwarf/M dwarf pair candidate. We also successfully recovered astrometry and photometry of two near-earth asteroids, 2006 DZ169 and 1996 SK, along with the updated properties of their rotational signals (e.g., period and amplitude).

• 천문학회보
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• 제41권1호
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• pp.61.3-62
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• 2016

An asteroid family is a group of asteroidal objects in the proper orbital element space (a, e, and i), considered to have been produced by a disruption of a large parent body through a catastrophic collision. Family members usually have similar surface properties such as spectral taxonomy types, colors, and visible geometric albedo with a same dynamical age. Therefore an asteroid family could be called as a natural Solar System laboratory and is also regarded as a powerful tool to investigate space weathering and non-gravitational phenomena such as the Yarkovsky/YORP effects. We carry out time series photometric observations for a number of asteroid families to obtain their physical properties, including sizes, shapes, rotational periods, spin axes, colors, and H-G parameters based on nearly round-the-clock observations, using several 0.5-2 meter class telescopes in the Northern hemisphere, including BOAO 1.8 m, LOAO 1.0 m, SOAO 0.6 m facilities in KASI, McDonald Observatory 2.1 m instrument, NARIT 2.4 m and TUG 1.0 m telescopes. This study is expected to find, for the first time, some important clues on the collisional history in our Solar System and the mechanisms where the family members are being transported from the resonance regions in the Main-belt to the near Earth space.

• 천문학회보
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• 제41권1호
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• pp.48.3-49
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• 2016

Current high-resolution IR spectroscopy at ground-based observatories made it possible to observe $3-{\mu}m\;CH_4$ emission lines from the atmospheres of Jupiter, Saturn, and Titan through narrow atmospheric windows avoiding the counterparts of telluric $CH_4$ absorptions if proper Doppler shifts betwen Earth and these planetary objects are provided. We are also expecting low-resolution (R~300) infrared spectra of Jupiter from the upcoming observations by JUNO's infrared $2-5{\mu}m$ spectrograph during the encounter with Jupiter approximately starting from July 4, 2016. Although the spectral resolution is not enough to resolve the $3-{\mu}m$ P, Q, R branch lines of CH4, the gross envelopes of the P, Q, R branches should yield information on rotational temperatures. The rotational temperatures are useful because theycan be regarded as local temperatures, as discussed by Kim et al. (2014). Since the $3-{\mu}m\;CH_4$ emission is mostly formed at micro-bar pressure levels, the derived rotational temperatures represent the local temperatures near the hompause of Jupiter. We discuss possible sciences from the derived homopause temperatures in the auroral and non-auroral regions of Jupiter.

• Journal of Power Electronics
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• 제9권4호
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• pp.631-642
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• 2009

The sun is a useful reference direction because of its brightness relative to other astronomical objects and its relatively small apparent radius as viewed by spacecrafts near the Earth. Most satellites use solar power as a source of energy, and so need to make sure that solar panels are oriented correctly with respect to the sun. Also, some satellites have sensitive instruments that must not be exposed to direct sunlight. For all these reasons, sun sensors are important components in spacecraft attitude determination and control systems. To minimize components and structural mass, some components have multiple purposes. The solar cells will provide power and also be used as coarse sun sensors. A coarse Sun sensor is a low-cost attitude determination sensor suitable for a wide range of space missions. The sensor measures the sun angle in two orthogonal axes. The Sun sensor measures the sun angle in both azimuth and elevation. This paper presents the development of a model to determine the attitude of a small cube-shaped satellite in space relative to the sun's direction. This sensor helps small cube-shaped Pico satellites to perform accurate attitude determination without requiring additional hardware.