• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.113-119
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• 2021

It is difficult for observers to conduct an optical alignment at an observatory without the assistance of an optical engineer if optomechanical parts are to be replaced at night. We present a practical tilt correction method to obtain the optimal optical alignment condition using the symmetricity of optical aberrations of a wide-field on-axis telescope at night. We conducted coarse tilt correction by visually examining the symmetry of two representative star shapes obtained at two guide chips facing each other, such as east-west or north-south pairs. After coarse correction, we observed four sets of small stamp images using four guide cameras located at each cardinal position by changing the focus positions in 10-㎛ increments and passing through the optimum focus position in the range of ±200 ㎛. The standard deviation of each image, as a function of the focus position, was fitted with a second-order polynomial function to derive the optimal focus position at each cardinal edge. We derived the tilt angles from the slopes converted by the distance and the focus position difference between two paired guide chip combinations such as east-west and north-south. We used this method to collimate the on-axis wide-field telescope KMTNet in Chile after replacing two old focus actuators. The total optical alignment time was less than 30 min. Our method is practical and straightforward for maintaining the optical performance of wide-field telescopes such as KMTNet.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.145-152
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• 2001

For the research of solar EUV (extreme ultraviolet) radiation, we have designed a small-sifted engineering model of solar EUV telescope, which is suitable for a Korean satellite. The EUV sole. telescope was designed to observe the sun at $584.3AA$(He I) and $629.7AA$(OV) The optical system is an f/8 Ritchey-Chr rien, and the effective diameter and focal length are 80mm and 640mm, respectively. The He I and 0V filters are loaded in a filter wheel. In the detection part, the MCP (Microchannel Plate) type is Z-stack, and the channel-to-diameter radio is 40:1. MCP and CCD are connected by fiber optic taper. A commercial optical design software is used for the analysis of the optical system design.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.78.1-78.1
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• 2017

We present a noble method to determine BH mass of many AGNs directly through reverberation mapping using a small telescope with wide-field of view. In 2017 August we installed five medium-band filters to a 0.25m diameter $5deg^2$ FOV telescope at the McDonald observatory. The width of these filters (FWHM ~ 50nm) are matched to the broad line width of type-1 AGNs at various redshifts. From recently obtained data, about r ~ 19 magnitude AGNs can be detected in line component with 150s exposure. With this magnitude limit, about 20~30 AGNs can be studied in one field. We plan to carry out at one day cadence observation over 20~30 fields, enabling us to monitor up to ~1000 AGNs over a wide range of variability. This poster presents out plan and early results from test observation.

• Journal of the Optical Society of Korea
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.178-183
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• 2009

At the time that the Keck-I 10m telescope was constructed in 1993, the era of Very Large Telescopes (VLTs) was opened. Now thirteen VLTs are in operation, and the largest of the monolithic mirrors is 8.4 m in diameter. Such monolithic mirrors are mostly aspheric and require high accuracies on the surface figures, reaching up to the diffraction limit. At present, next generation telescopes, Giant telescopes, are being developed. One is the GMT (Giant Magellan Telescope) whose size is 25.4 m in diameter. The primary mirror consists of seven segments figuring elliptical shapes on the surface. The surrounding six segments are off-axis and the edges are steep, as the fast focal ratio is adopted. It means that testing of the mirrors is a challenging task. In this paper, testing methods for the GMT primary mirror are reviewed, and accuracy of measuring devices is assessed. Results and discussions follow.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.57.2-57.2
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• 2017

Remote and robotic telescopes are the most effective instrument for astronomical survey projects. The system is based on the dynamic operation of all astronomical instruments such as dome and telescope control system (TCS), focuser, filter wheel and data taking camera. We adopt the ASCOM driver platform to control the instruments through the integrated software. It can convert different interface libraries from various manufacturers into a uniform standard library. This allows us to effectively control astronomical instruments without modifying codes. We suggest a conceptual design of software for automation of a small telescope such as the new wide-field 0.25m telescope at McDonald Observatory. It can also be applied to operation of multi-telescopes in future projects.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.153-160
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• 2010

We modified the optical system of 500 mm wide-field telescope of which point spread function showed an irregularity. The telescope has been operated for Near Earth Space Survey (NESS) located at Siding Spring Observatory (SSO) in Australia, and the optical system was brought back to Korea in January 2008. After performing a numerical simulation with the tested value of surface figure error of the primary mirror using optical design program, we found that the surface figure error of the mirror should be fabricated less than root mean square (RMS) $\lambda$/10 in order to obtain a stellar full width at half maximum (FWHM) below $28\;{\mu}m$. However, we started to figure the mirror for the target value of RMS $\lambda$/20, because system surface figure error would be increased by the error induced by the optical axis adjustment, mirror cell installation, and others. The radius of curvature of the primary mirror was 1,946 mm after the correction. Its measured surface figure error was less than RMS $\lambda$/20 on the table of polishing machine, and RMS $\lambda$/15 after installation in the primary mirror cell. A test observation performed at Daeduk Observatory at Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute by utilizing the exiting mount, and resulted in $39.8\;{\mu}m$ of stellar FWHM. It was larger than the value from numerical simulation, and showed wing-shaped stellar image. It turned out that the measured-curvature of the secondary mirror, 1,820 mm, was not the same as the designed one, 1,795.977 mm. We fabricated the secondary mirror to the designed value, and finally obtained a stellar FWHM of $27\;{\mu}m$ after re-installation of the optical system into SSO NESS Observatory in Australia.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.24.1-24.1
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• 2007

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.120.2-120.2
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• 2009

• Journal of the Optical Society of Korea
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.243-246
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• 2012

An off-axis four-mirror-anastigmatic telescope is presented here which is composed of two aspheric surfaces and two spherical surfaces. The entrance pupil diameter is 290 mm and the stop is located at the primary mirror. The effective focal length is 900 mm. The strip field of view for the telescope is $15^{\circ}{\times}0.2^{\circ}$ and if the telescope is launched into an orbit about 400 km altitude, the observed range width will be more than 105 km within a scene without any other auxiliary scanning instrument. The spectral range can be as wide as from visual wave band to infrared wave band in the mirror system. This telescope can be used for environmental monitoring with different detectors whose pixel is adapted to the optical resolution. In this paper, the spectral range is chosen as 3.0 -5.0 ${\mu}m$, and center distance of the pixel is 30 ${\mu}m$. And the image quality is near the diffraction limit.

• Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.331-335
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• 2017

We present project updates of the next-generation infrared space mission SPICA (Space Infrared Telescope for Cosmology and Astrophysics) as of November 2015. SPICA is optimized for mid- and far-infrared astronomy with unprecedented sensitivity, which will be achieved with a cryogenically cooled (below 8 K), large (2.5 m) telescope. SPICA is expected to address a number of key questions in various fields of astrophysics, ranging from studies of the star-formation history in the universe to the formation and evolution of planetary systems. The international collaboration framework of SPICA has been revisited. SPICA under the new framework passed the Mission Definition Review by JAXA in 2015. A proposal under the new framework to ESA is being prepared. The target launch year in the new framework is 2027/28.