• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.101.1-101.1
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• 2012

Interplanetary dust particles are observable as zodiacal light, which is the sunlight scattered by the interplanetary dust particles. The origins of interplanetary dust particles are still in question because they are eroded by Poynting-Robertson photon drag and mutual collisions among dust particles. The small-scale structures in the zodiacal light provided a clue to specify their origins. Asteroidal debris were detected as band-like structures (dust bands), and the cometary large particles were detected as narrow trails (dust trails). However, little is confirmative about their detailed origins and mineralogical compositions because of the lack of observational data particularly in the optical wavelength. We made a high-resolution optical zodiacal light map based on the CCD observations at Mauna Kea, Hawaii. We analyzed data taken on November 12, 2004. After the data reduction, such as flat fielding and subtraction of airglow emissions, we succeeded in the construction of the zodiacal light map with the spatial resolution of 3' in the solar elongation between 45 degree and 180 degree. This is the highest resolution map in the visible wavelength so far. In this map, we confirmed the dust bands structures near the ecliptic plane. We will discuss about the similarities and the differences between optical and infrared dust bands.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.83.3-84
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• 2017

On 2016 April $13^{th}$ the Jovian satellite Ganymede occulted a $7^{th}$ magnitude star. The predicted occultation track (occultation shadow) crossed the Northern Pacific Ocean, Japan, and South Korea. Hence, it was a very favorable event due to the star brightness in order to be accessible for small-aperture telescopes as well. While no other similar event is expected for the next 10 years, only two occultation events are reported in the literature in the past, from Earth in 1972 and from Voyager, in large disagreement in respect to the atmospheric detection. However, evidence of an exosphere around Ganymede was inferred through H Lyman alpha emission detected by Galileo UVS, through HST/GHRS detection of far-UV atomic O airglow emissions, signature of dissociated molecular oxygen. We organized a short-notice international coordinated occultation monitoring network with the aim to search for a signature of Ganymede's exosphere in the occultation light-curve by using facilities on Mauna Kea (NASA-IRTF) and Sobaeksan Optical Astronomy Observatory (SOAO) in South Korea.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.109-116
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• 1997

The Mesopause (85km) is the boundary between the Mesosphere and the Thermosphere and is very interesting region because there are active fluid dynamic motions and airglow phenomena due to various chemical reactions. But there have been not many studies due to the difficulties of insitu measurement. However in this study we have obtained the Doppler temperatures and winds through the observing Hydroxyl(OH) emission at 843nm using a ground-based Fabry-Perot interferometer. Due to the 2 years of long term observation, we can confirm the seasonal Mesopause temperature variation, which is the opposite trend against the temperature at the ground level, and reveal annual and biannual variations for meridional and zonal wind respectively. These seasonal variations might be the result of the inter-hemispheric circulation.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.87-98
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• 2022

The Far-UltraViolet (FUV) imager onboard the Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) spacecraft provides two-dimensional limb images of oxygen airglow in the nightside low-latitude ionosphere that are used to determine the oxygen ion density. As yet, no FUV limb imager has been used for climatological analyses of Equatorial Plasma Bubbles (EPBs). To examine the potential of ICON/FUV for this purpose, we statistically investigate small-scale (~180 km) fluctuations of oxygen ion density in its limb images. The seasonal-longitudinal variations of the fluctuation level reasonably conform to the EPB statistics in existing literature. To further validate the ICON/FUV data quality, we also inspect climatology of the ambient (unfiltered) nightside oxygen ion density. The ambient density exhibits (1) the well-known zonal wavenumber-4 signatures in the Equatorial Ionization Anomaly (EIA) and (2) off-equatorial enhancement above the Caribbean, both of which agree with previous studies. Merits of ICON/FUV observations over other conventional data sets are discussed in this paper. Furthermore, we suggest possible directions of future work, e.g., synergy between ICON/FUV and the Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk (GOLD) mission.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.359-371
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• 1998

We present the design specifications and the performance estimation of the FUVS (Far Ultraviolet Spectrograph) proposed for the observations of aurora, day/night airglow and astronomical objects on small satelltes in the spectral range of $900~1750AA$. The design of FUVS is carried out with the full consideration of optical characteristics of the grating and the aspheric substrate. Two independent methods, ray-tracing and the wave front aberration theory, are employed to estimate the performance of the optical design and it is verified that both procedures yield the resolution of $2~5AA$ in the entire spectral range. MDF (Minimum Detectable Flux) is also estimated using the known characteristics of the reflecting material and MCP, to study the feasibility of detection for faint emission lines from the hot interstellar plasmas. The results give that the observations from 1 day to 1 week, depending on the line intensity, can detect such faint emission lines from diffuse interstellar plasmas.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.185-193
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• 2018

Jang Bogo Station (JBS), the second Korean Antarctic research station, was established in Terra Nova Bay, Antarctica ($74.62^{\circ}S$ $164.22^{\circ}E$) in February 2014 in order to expand the Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI) research capabilities. One of the main research areas at JBS is space environmental research. The goal of the research is to better understand the general characteristics of the polar region ionosphere and thermosphere and their responses to solar wind and the magnetosphere. Ground-based observations at JBS for upper atmospheric wind and temperature measurements using the Fabry-Perot Interferometer (FPI) began in March 2014. Ionospheric radar (VIPIR) measurements have been collected since 2015 to monitor the state of the polar ionosphere for electron density height profiles, horizontal density gradients, and ion drifts. To investigate the magnetosphere and geomagnetic field variations, a search-coil magnetometer and vector magnetometer were installed in 2017 and 2018, respectively. Since JBS is positioned in an ideal location for auroral observations, we installed an auroral all-sky imager with a color sensor in January 2018 to study substorms as well as auroras. In addition to these observations, we are also operating a proton auroral imager, airglow imager, global positioning system total electron content (GPS TEC)/scintillation monitor, and neutron monitor in collaboration with other institutes. In this article, we briefly introduce the observational activities performed at JBS and the preliminary results of these observations.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.77-86
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• 2000

There have been a few attempts to measure diffuse line emission between 900 $\AA$ and 1200 $\AA$, and only in a limited number of sight lines has it been detected. The main contributions to the equilibrium radiative cooling curve between $10^{4.5}K\;to\;10^6K$ are from the doublet of Ovi ${lambda}{lambda}1032;and;{lambda}{lambda}1038$ in the FUV spectral region. There are several bright airglow lines which could interfere with attempts to observe the OVI lines. The nearest lines HI 1025 $\AA$, OI 1027 $\AA$ have a combined intensity of about $10^{5.5}$ photons/s/$cm^2$/sr. In the present study, the detectability simulation of OVI doublet is performed using a Monte-Carlo technique and chi-square statistics. The analysis results are compared with the previous observations and with the predictions of several interstellar medium models, and are used to limit manufacturing and alignment errors of FIMS optical system.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.55-68
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• 2007

We carried out a validation study on AURIC FUV/EUV dayglow calculation with $OII\;834{\AA},\;OI\;989{\AA},\;OI\;1027{\AA},\;NII\;1085{\AA},\;NI\;1134{\AA},\;NI\;1200{\AA},\;OI\;1304{\AA},\;OI\;1356{\AA}$ dayglows observed by STP78-1 satellite. Comparison between calculated and observed values indicates that they are in agreement within about 20% for dayglows of $OII\;834{\AA},\;OI\;1027{\AA},\;NI\;1200{\AA},\;OI\;1304{\AA}$. However, the calculated intensities of $OI\;989{\AA},\;NII\;1085{\AA},\;NI\;1134{\AA}$ are only 42, 74 and 45% of the observed values, respectively, showing serious differences from the observation. It was surmised that the differences in $OI\;989{\AA}\;and\;NI\;1134{\AA}$ are due to incomplete calculation of radiative transfer and uncertain photochemical processes in AURIC model, respectively. The difference in $NII\;1085{\AA}$ is conjectured to be due to variation of the input solar EUV flux rather than due to AURIC model itself. For up-looking dayglows from the satellite, the calculated values from AURIC are all less than those of STP78-1, which may imply that AURIC model does not include dayglow contribution from regions below the satellite altitude when it computes dayglows in up-looking direction. The differences are particularly serious for $OI\;989{\AA},\;NI\;1134{\AA},\;NI\;1200{\AA}$ dayglows. The calculated latitudinal variation of $OII\;834{\AA}$ dayglow is also significantly different from the observed one, especially at mid-latitude regions. This may be due to inability of MSISE-90 (in input of AURIC) to simulate oxygen atom densities at mid-latitudes during auroral storms at those days of STP78-1 observations. Our findings of the validation study should be resolved when AURIC model is revised in future.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.283-298
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• 2003

The 2001 Leonid meteor storm has been observed all over the world, and its most intense flux since the last few decades has caused great interest among both laymen and experts. Especially, its maximum hours occurred at dawn hours of Nov. 19 in the east Asia, during which moonless clear night at the Mt. Bohyun allowed us near perfect condition of observation. Observation was carried out in the period of 01:00∼05:40(KST), which include the predicted maximum hours, with all-sky camera installed for upper atmospheric airglow research. Tn this paper we analyze 68 all-sky images obtained in this period, which contain records of 172 meteors. Utilizing the zenith hourly rate(ZHR) of 3000 and magnitude distribution index of 2, which were reported to International Meteor Organization by visible observers in the east Asia, we estimate the limiting magnitude of about 3 for meteors detected in our all-sky images. We then derive magnitudes of 83 meteors with clear pixel brightness outlines among the initially detected 172 meteors by comparing with neighbor standard stars. Angular velocities of meteors needed for computing their passing times over an all-sky image are expressed with a simple formula of an angle between a meteor head and the Leonid radiant point. The derived magnitudes of 83 meteors are in the range of -6∼-1 magnitude, and its distribution shows a maximum new -3mag. The derived magnitudes are much smaller than the limiting magnitude inferred from the comparison with the result of naked-eye observations. The difference may be due to the characteristic difference between nearly instantaneuous naked-eye observations and CCD observations with a long exposure. We redetermine magnitudes of the meteors by adjusting a meteor lasting time to be consistent with the naked-eye observations. The relative distribution of the redetermined magnitudes, which has a maximum at 0 mag., resembles that of the magnitudes determined with the in-principle method. The relative distribution is quite different from ones that decrease monotonically with decreasing magnitudes for meteors(1∼6) sensitive to naked-eye observations. We conclude from the magnitude distribution of our all-sky observation that meteors brighter than about 0 mag., appeared more frequently during the 2001 Leonid maximum hours. The frequent appearance of bright meteors has significantly important implication for meteor research. We noted, however, considerably large uncertainties in magnitudes determined only by comparing standard stars due to the unknown lasting time of meteors and the non-linear sensitivity of all-sky camera.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.94-108
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• 1997

The temperature of the upper thermosphere is generally varied with the solar activity, and largely with geomagnetic activity in the high latitude. The data analyzed in this study are acquired at two ground stations, Thule Air Base($76,5{deg} N, 68.4{deg} W, A = 86{deg}$) and $S{psi}ndre Str{psi}mfjord (67.0{deg} N, 50.9{deg} W, A = 74{deg}$), Greenland. Both stations are located in the high latitude not only geographically but also geomagnetically. The terrestrial night glow at 6300 ${angs}$ from atomic oxygen has been observed from the two ground-based Fabry-Perot interferometers, during periods of 1986~1991 in Thule Air Base and 1986~1994 in $S{psi}ndre Str{psi}mfjord$. Some features noted in this study are as follows: (1) The correlation between the solar activity and the measured thermospheric temperature is highest in the case of $3{leq}Kp{leq}4$ in Thule, and increases with the geomagnetic activity in $S{psi}ndre Str{psi}mfjord$. (2) The measured temperatures at Thule is generally higher than those at $S{psi}ndre Str{psi}mfjord$, but the latter shows steeper slope with the solar activity. (3) The harmonic analysis shows that the diurnal variation(24hrs) is the main feature of the daily temperature variation with a temperature peak at about 13-14 LT (LT=UT-4). However, the semi-diurnal variation is evident during the period of weak solar activity. (4) Generally the predicted temperatures from both MSIS86 and VSH models are lower than the measured temperature, and this discrepancy grows as the solar activity increases. Therefore, we urge modelers to develope a new thermospheric model utilizing broader sets of measurements, especially for high solar activity.