• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.45.1-45.1
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• 2018

We present observational evidence of the surface homogeneity on Phaethon based on the time-series multi-band photometry and spectrometry. The observations of Phaethon were conducted in Nov.-Dec. 2017. We confirmed that Phaethon is a B-type asteroid, as was previously known, and its rotational color variation was not detected. During our observation period, the sub-solar latitude of this asteroid was approximately $55^{\circ}S$, corresponding to the southern hemisphere of the body. Thus, we found that the southern hemisphere of Phaethon has a homogeneous surface from our observation results. In addition, we compared our spectra with archival data to investigate the latitudinal surface properties of the asteroid. The result showed that it doesn't have a latitudinal color variation. To verify this assumption, we investigated its solar-radiation heating effect, and the result suggested that this asteroid underwent a uniform thermal metamorphism regardless of latitude, which is consistent with our observations. Based on this result, we discuss the homogeneity of the surface of the body.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.48.2-48.2
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• 2021

The lunar surface progressively darkens and reddens as a result of sputtering from solar wind particles and bombardment of micrometeoroids. The extent of exposure to these space weathering agents is frequently calculated as the location in a diagram of reflectance at 750 nm vs. 950 nm/750 nm color (R-C). Sim & Kim (2018) examined the R-C trends of pixels within ~3,500 craters, and revealed that the length (L) and skewness (s) of R-C trends can be employed as a secondary age or maturity indicator. We broaden this research to general lunar surface areas (3,400 tiles of 0.25° × 0.25° size) in 218 mare basalt units, whose ages have been derived from the size-frequency distribution analysis by Hiesinger et al. (2011). We discover that L and s rise with age until ~3.2 Gyr and reduce rather rapidly afterward, while the optical maturity, OMAT, reduces monotonically with time. We show that in some situations, when not only OMAT but also L and s are incorporated in the estimation utilizing 750 & 950 nm photometry, the age estimation becomes considerably more reliable. We also observed that OMAT and the lunar cratering chronology function (cumulative number of craters larger than a certain diameter as a function of time) have a relatively linear relationship.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.37.1-37.1
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• 2013

We present our study of analyzing the photometric properties of the globular cluster (GC) system which resides in the extended halo of the central bright Coma cluster galaxy NGC 4874. The core of the Coma cluster of galaxies (Abell 1656) was observed with both the HST Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) in the F475W (g475) and F814W (I814) and Wide Field Camera 3 IR Channel (WFC3/IR) in the F160W (H160) filters. The data analysis procedure and GC candidate selection criteria are briefly described. We investigate the interesting "tilt" features in color-magnitude diagrams for this GC system and their link to the nonlinear color-metallicity relation for GCs. The NGC 4874's GC system exhibits a bimodal distribution in the optical g475-I814 color and much more than half the GCs fall in the red side at g475-I814 ~ 1.1. This bimodality is weakened in the optical-IR I814-H160 color; the quantitative analysis on the features of both color distributions using the Gaussian Mixture Modeling code proves the bimodalities are different. Both colors, thus, cannot linearly reflect the bimodality of an underlying metallicity, supporting the suggestion that observed bimodalities in extragalactic GC colors are the metallicity-to-color projection effect.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.43.2-43.2
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• 2013

AGN are known for irregular variability on all time scales, down to intra-day variability with relative variations of a few percent within minutes to hours. In the shortest time scale of AGN activity, unexplored territory still exists: first, the existence of a shortest time scale of AGN activity and secondly the shape of high frequency end of AGN power spectrum. Also the spectral variations at the shortest timescale. Here, we present the preliminary results of AGN fast photometry performed with Korean VLBI Network(KVN). Observations were done in a 'anti-correlated' mode using two antennas, with always either one antenna pointing at the target. This results in an effective time resolution of 3 minutes. We used all four KVN frequencies, 22, 43, 86, and 129 GHz, in order to trace spectral variability. We have been able to derive high-quality light curves for 3C111 and 3C279 at 22 and 86 GHz observed on 31st of May and 30th of Nov. in 2012. We are currently performing detailed statistical analysis in order to assess the levels of variability or the corresponding upper limits.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.73.2-73.2
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• 2013

In the current ${\Lambda}CDM$ hierarchical merging paradigm, a galaxy like the Milky Way formed by numerous mergers of ancient subsystems. Most of the relics of these building blocks, however, are yet to be discovered or identified. Recent progress in the Milky Way globular cluster research is throwing new light on this perspective. The discoveries of multiple stellar populations having different heavy element abundances in some massive globular clusters are suggesting that they are most likely the remaining cores or relics of disrupted dwarf galaxies. In this talk, we will report our progress in the (1) narrow-band photometry, (2) low-resolution spectroscopy, and (3) population modeling for this growing group of peculiar globular clusters.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.83.2-83.2
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• 2014

Flare and rotational variabilities induced by stellar activity are important for studying the effect of magnetic fields on the evolution of red dwarf stars. The level and frequency of magnetic activity in these stars have a different aspect at every moment of the observations due to the effect of age-rotation relation. The use of both tracers is thus essential to have a relatively homogeneous set of stellar activity data for statistical studies. The archival light curves and imaging data of the open cluster M37 taken by MMT 6.5m telescope were used for this work. In order to achieve much more accurate photometric precisions and also to make the most efficient use of the data, the entire imaging database were re-analyzed with our new time-series photometry technique and carefully calibration procedures. Based on the new light curves, we study, for the first time, a variety of aspects of those two variabilities in red dwarfs and their relation to magnetic activity. In this talk, we present all observational evidences that support the idea that the strength of magnetic activity is closely connected with the rotation rate of a star and its evolutionary status (age-activity-rotation paradigm). In conclusion, we suggest future directions to improve our understanding of stellar activity in cool stars with photometric time-series data.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.68.1-68.1
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• 2014

M74 is a nearby face-on spiral galaxy that hosts three core-collapse supernovae (SNe) : SN Ic 2002ap, SN II-P 2003gd, and SN II-P 2013ej. Therefore it is an ideal target to investigate the properties of the core-collapse SNe and to improve the calibration of Type II-P SNe as a standardizable candle. However, its distance is not well known. We present a new distance estimate to M74 based on the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB). From the photometry of archival F555W and F814W images taken with the Hubble Space Telescope, we derive the TRGB to be at $ITRGB=26.13{\pm}0.02$ and the distance modulus to be $30.04{\pm}0.04$ (random) ${\pm}0.12$ (systematic) (corresponding to a linear distance, $10.19{\pm}0.14{\pm}0.56Mpc$). With this result, we calibrate the standardized candle method of SNe II-P. From the absolute magnitude of SN 2003gd corrected for its expansion velocity and reddening, we derive the value of the Hubble constant, $H0=72{\pm}6{\pm}7km\;s-1\;Mpc-1$. It is in agreement with the uncertainty with the recent estimates based on the luminosity calibration of Type Ia SNe.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.86.2-86.2
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• 2017

Blue stragglers (BSs) are the objects that are brighter and bluer than the stars at main-sequence turn-off point. In this study, we present the Ca-by and VI photometry for Galactic dwarf spheroidal galaxies using Subaru/Suprime-Cam and investigate the spatial distribution characteristics of BS stars using the hk index as a photometric metallicity indicator. We compare the cumulative radial distribution of the BS stars with those of two groups of red-giant-branch (RGB) stars divided by the hk-index strength, and find that the spatial distribution of all BS stars is closer to that of hk-weak (i.e. metal-poor) RGB stars. We also find that the hk-strong BS stars are more centrally concentrated than the hk-weak ones. We will discuss the use of hk-index as a metallicity indicator for the hot BS stars and suggest possible explanations for the results in terms of the origin of BS stars in the dwarf gal.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.54.2-54.2
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• 2010

The most massive galactic globular cluster, $\omega$ Cen has been observed using recently mounted WFC3/UVIS cameras of Hubble Space Telescope at both near-UV and optical bands. We present the photometry of stars in the central region of $\omega$ Cen in F225W, F275W and F336W bands. The near-UV color-magnitude diagrams and color-color diagrams of stars in $\omega$ Cen show multiple red giant branches and main sequences as already discovered in both ground-based and HST/ACS observations in the optical bands. We modelled the stellar populations of $\omega$ Cen using Yonsei Isochrone, where $\alpha$-particles and helium enhancement processes have been included properly. We compare the best-fit stellar populations obtained from the current near-UV observations to the suggested stellar population models based on optical band data. We also discuss the methodological issues arising when dealing with the near-UV observations; red-leak in near-UV filters and the huge interstellar extinction in near-UV bands compared to the optical bands and its non-linear effect in color-magnitude diagrams.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.59.1-59.1
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• 2018

On 2018 February 5 a gamma ray burst with trigger time 04:25:29.3 UT was detected by Swift BAT and this event was named GRB 180205A. We observed the optical afterglow of GRB 180205A starting from about 1 hour after the burst until February 22 in the optical bands with the 1m telescope of Deokheung Optical Astronomy Observatory (DOAO), the 1m telescope at Mt. Lemmon Optical Astronomy Observatory(LOAO) and the 0.8m and 0.25m telescopes at McDonald Observatory. According to the fireball model, which is a well-accepted and conventional model for the afterglow of the GRB, the mechanism of the afterglow is that the expanding external blast wave of the GRB successively collides with the ambient medium and loses its energy, and as a result emits radiation at wavelengths longer than gamma rays. Here we present optical photometry and light curve of the afterglow in the R band and analyze it to characterize GRB 180205A.