• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.173-180
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• 2010

As a preparatory study for Global Positioning System-Very Long Baseline Interferometry (GPS-VLBI) hybrid system, we examined if VLBI type observation of the GPS signal is realizable through a test experiment. The test experiment was performed between Kashima and Koganei, Japan, with 110 km baseline. The GPS L1 and L2 signals were received by commercial GPS antennas, down-converted to video-band signals by specially developed GPS down converters, and then sampled by VLBI samplers. The sampled GPS data were recorded as ordinary VLBI data by VLBI recorders. The sampling frequency was 64 MHz and the observation time was 1 minute. The recorded data were correlated by a VLBI correlator. From correlation results, we simultaneously obtained correlation fringes from all 8 satellites above a cut-off elevation which was set to 15 degree. 87.5% of L1 fringes and 12.5% of L2 fringes acquired the Signal to Noise Ratios which are sufficient to achieve the group delay precision of 0.1nsec that is typical in current geodetic VLBI. This result shows that VLBI type observation of GPS satellites will be readily realized in future GPS-VLBI hybrid system.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.52 no.5
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• pp.207-216
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• 2019

In this paper we introduce a software package, the Very long baseline interferometry Network SIMulator (VNSIM), which provides an integrated platform assisting radio astronomers to design Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) experiments and evaluate the network performance, with a user-friendly interface. Though VNSIM is primarily motivated by the East Asia VLBI Network, it can also be used for other VLBI networks and generic interferometers. The software package not only integrates the functionality of plotting (u, v) coverage, scheduling the observation, and displaying the dirty and CLEAN images, but also adds new features including sensitivity calculations for a given VLBI network. VNSIM provides flexible interactions on both command line and graphical user interface and offers friendly support for log reports and database management. Multi-processing acceleration is also supported, enabling users to handle large survey data. To facilitate future developments and updates, all simulation functions are encapsulated in separate Python modules, allowing independent invoking and testing. In order to verify the performance of VNSIM, we performed simulations and compared the results with other simulation tools, showing good agreement.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.59.3-59.3
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• 2019

Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) is a special technique which can provide high angular resolutions of milliarcsecond and sub-milliarcsecond sales in radio astronomical observations. Recently, the mm/sub-mm VLBI observations becomes more widely available and related activities are increasing accordingly. In this talk, I'll introduce ongoing global mm-VLBI activities and EHT collaboration and our (Korean) contributions to them.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.261-266
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• 2005

This paper reviews the progress in the VLBI (Very Long Baseline Interferometry) studies of Sgr A$\ast$, the best known supermassive black hole candidates with a dark mass concentration of $4 {\times} 10^6 M_{\bigodot}$ at the center of the Milky Way. The emphasis is on the importance of the millimeter and sub-millimeter VLBI observations in the detection of Sgr A$\ast$'s intrinsic structure and search for the structural variation.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.54.1-54.1
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• 2015

We report results of investigation of amplitude calibration for very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) observations with Korean VLBI Network (KVN). Amplitude correction factors are estimated based on comparison of KVN observations at 22 GHz correlated by Daejeon hardware correlator and DiFX software correlator in Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institue (KASI) with Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) observations at 22 GHz by DiFX software correlator in National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO). We used the observations for compact radio sources, 3C 454.3 and NRAO 512 which are almost unresolved for baselines in a range of 350-477 km. VLBA visibility data of the sources observed with similar baselines as KVN are selected, fringe-fitted, calibrated, and compared in their amplitudes. We found that visibility amplitudes of KVN observations should be corrected by factors of 1.14 and 1.40 when correlated by DiFX and Daejeon correlators, respectively. These correction factors are attributed to the combination of two steps of 2-bit quantization in KVN observing systems and characteristics of Daejeon correlator.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.60.2-60.2
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• 2016

We present recent results of very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) observations of gamma-ray bright active galactic nuclei (AGNs) using Korean VLBI Network (KVN) at 22, 43, 86, and 129~GHz bands, which are part of a KVN key science program; Interferometric Monitoring of Gamma-ray Bright AGNs (iMOGABA). We selected a total of 34 radio-loud AGNs of which 30 sources are gamma-ray bright AGNs, including 24 sources monitored by the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope using the Large Area Telescope on board. The selected sources consist of 24 quasars, 7 BL Lacs, and 3 radio galaxies. In this talk, we summarize recent results of the iMOGABA, including results of single-epoch multi-frequency VLBI observations of the target sources, conducted during a 24-hr session on 2013 November 19 and 20. All observed sources were detected and imaged at all frequency bands with or without a frequency phase transfer technique which enabled to detect and image 12 faint sources at 129 GHz, except for 0218+357 which was detected for only one baseline at all frequency bands.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.76.1-76.1
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• 2019

CTA 102, one of gamma-ray bright active galactic nuclei (AGN) has been observed with Korean very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) network (KVN) during the period of 2012 December-2018 May as part of interferometric Monitoring Of Gamma-ray Bright AGN (iMOGABA). Multi-frequency VLBI observations enable us to compare the milliarcsecond(mas)-scale iMOGABA images of relativistic jets with those from the Monitoring Of Jets in AGN with Very long baseline array (VLBA) Experiments (MOJAVE) and the VLBA-Boston University(BU)-BLAZAR programs which use VLBA with its angular resolutions of 0.2-1.3 mas. In spite of the relative larger beam sizes of KVN (1-10 mas), we are able to identify jet components of CTA 102 using the KVN multi-frequency VLBI observations with those resolved with VLBA. Considering an instrumental beam blending effect on the jet component identification, we were able to obtain a blending shift of the core position based on a convolution analysis using the VLBA data. When we apply the core position shift to the KVN images of CTA 102, we find that the identified jet components of CTA 102 from the KVN observations are well matched with those from the VLBA observations. Based on the results of the analysis, we may be able to study the jet kinematics and its correlation with gamma-ray flare activity.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.54.2-54.2
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• 2015

Phase referencing is an important tool to study weak radio sources, especially in mm-VLBI (Very Long Baseline Interferometry) which are usually too faint to be observed using conventional VLBI. VLBI astrometry is a unique method to measure the position and to identify radio emitting regions of a radio source with unprecedented angular resolution. In order to evaluate the phase referencing and astrometric capabilities of KVN and KaVA, several observations have been conducted and analyzed. I will present the observational results and discuss constraints and requirements for high precision VLBI astrometry.

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

Studies of compact radio sources since the discovery of quasars have revealed a variety of physical properties: both in morphology and kinematics from sub-parsec to Mega-parsec scales, radiation mechanisms at frequencies from the radio to ${\gamma}$-rays, theoretical models for relativistic jets, etc. The frontier discovery of Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) observations for the compact extragalactic radio sources have triggered the extensive studies to investigate the underlying physics of the relativistic jets. In this context, the highest resolution VLBI surveys of ultra-compact radio sources provide the potentially important statistical basis for future study. As a tool of this study, a new millimeter VLBI network in Korea, the Korean VLBI Network (KVN) will paly an important role. We present results from large VLBI surveys of compact radio sources at millimeter wavelengths and discuss the prospects with the KVN on this study.

• Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.93-99
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• 2004

In this paper, we describe a principle of the atomic frequency standard and clock system in VLBI(Very Long Baseline Interferometry). The hydrogen maser is a usual VLBI standard. During VLBI observations, signals emitted by distant sources of radio frequency energy(quasars) are received and recorded at several antennas. At each antenna(VLBI station), a very stable frequency standard(hydrogen maser) provides a reference signal which enables time-tagging to the quasar signals as they are being recorded on magnetic tapes or hard-disk modules. For each VLBl experiment, correlation of the time-tagged recorded information between the participating antennas is used to yield the arrival time differences of any specific quasar radio wave between the antennas. These time differences are used to calculate the relative antennas to each other. In this paper, we also introduce the KVN(Korean VLBI Network) atomic frequency standard and clock system.