• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.64.2-64.2
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• 2012

The SPICA (SPace Infrared Telescope for Cosmology & Astrophysics) project is a next-generation infrared space telescope optimized for mid- and far-infrared observation with a cryogenically cooled 3m-class telescope. It will achieve the high resolution as well as the unprecedented sensitivity from mid to far-infrared range. The FPC (Focal Plane Camera) is a Korean-led near-infrared instrument as an international collaboration. The FPC-S and FPC-G are responsible for the scientific observation in the near-infrared and the fine guiding, respectively. The FPC-G will significantly reduce the alignement and random pointing error through the observation of guiding stars in the focal plane. We analyzed the pointing requirement from the focal plane instruments. The feasibility study was performed to achieve the requirements. Here, we present the role of SPICA/FPC as a fine guiding camera.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.41.1-41.1
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• 2010

IGRINS (the Immersion GRating Infrared Spectrograph) is a high resolution infrared spectrograph which is being developed by a collaboration of the University of Texas, the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, and Kyung Hee University. The wavelength calibration unit of IGRINS will be situated between the telescope flange and IGRINS dewar. It will include Th-Ar hallow cathode lamp, optical elements, and gas absorption cell for the case that requires precise calibration (e.g., radial velocity observation). The system will also use a tungsten halogen lamp in an integrating sphere as a blackbody source for the flat-field imaging. IGRINS will be placed initially on the McDonald 2.7m Harlan J. Smith telescope and later on 4-8m class telescopes. We present an overview of the plan for the wavelength calibration sources and of the development process for the optical and mechanical design of the IGRINS calibration system.

• Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.391-397
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• 2012

The SPICA (SPace Infrared Telescope for Cosmology & Astrophysics) project is a next-generation infrared space telescope optimized for mid- and far-infrared observation with a cryogenically cooled 3m-class telescope. It will achieve the high resolution as well as the unprecedented sensitivity from mid to far-infrared range. The FPC (Focal Plane Camera) proposed by KASI as an international collaboration is a near-infrared instrument. The FPC-S and FPC-G are responsible for the scientific observation in the near-infrared and the fine guiding, respectively. The FPC-G will significantly reduce pointing error down to below 0.075 arcsec through the observation of guiding stars in the focal plane. We analyzed the pointing requirement from the focal plane instruments as well as the error factors affecting the pointing stability. We also obtained the expected performance in operation modes. We concluded that the FPC-G can achieve the pointing stability below 0.075 arcsec which is the requirement from the focal plane instruments.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.126.1-126.1
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• 2011

The SPICA (SPace Infrared Telescope for Cosmology & Astrophysics) project is a next-generation infrared space telescope optimized for mid- and far-infrared observation with a cryogenically cooled 3m-class telescope. Owing to unique capability of focal plane instruments onboard SPICA, it will enable us to resolve many astronomical key issues from the star-formation history of the universe to the planetary formation. The FPC (Focal Plane Camera) is a Korean-led near-infrared instrument as an international collaboration. Korean consortium for FPC proposed a key instrument responsible for a fine guiding (FPC-G). The back-up of FPC-G will make scientific observations as well. We have examined the legacy science programs for FPC and performed the feasibility study for the fine guiding system. Recently, the international review process is now in progress, in order to make a selection of the focal plane instruments. Here, we report the current status of SPICA/FPC project.

• Atmosphere
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.421-437
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• 2020

The effects of the terminal fall velocity-diameter relationship for raindrops, which is prescribed based on the measurement, on the simulated surface precipitation over Korea during summer season were investigated in our study. Two rainfall cases, 1-month summer precipitation and mesoscale rainfall, have been simulated using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. The selected cloud microphysics parameterizations are WRF Single-Moment 5-class (WSM5) and WRF Single-Moment 6-class (WSM6) in the WRF model. The measured terminal fall-diameter relationship for raindrops by Gunn and Kinzer (1949) was applied in both WSM5 and WSM6. The sensitivity experiments with WSM5 and WSM6, applying the measured fall-diameter relationship, presents the different responses in simulated precipitation amount for the 1-month summer precipitation case. Precipitation increases with WSM5, thus enhancing the precipitation statistical skills. However, precipitation decreases with WSM6 leading to the deterioration of precipitation statistical skills. For the mesoscale rainfall case, precipitation increases with both WSM5 and WSM6, which further enhances the positive bias in precipitation amount.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.221.1-221.1
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• 2012

The Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) is developing three 1.6m optical telescopes with $18k{\times}18k$ mosaic CCD cameras. These telescopes will be installed and operated at Chile, South Africa, and Australia for Korea Micro-lensing Telescope Network (KMTNet) project. The main scientific goal of the project is to discover earth-like extra-solar planets using the gravitational micro-lensing technique. To achieve the goal, each telescope at three sites will continuously monitor the specific region of Galactic bulge with 2.5 minute cadence for five years. Assuming 12 hour observation in maximum for a night, the amount of 200 GB file storage is required for one night observation at one observatory. If we consider the whole project period and the data processing procedure, a few PB class data storage, high-speed network, and high performance computers are essential. In this presentation, we introduce the KMTNet data management plan that handles gigantic data; raw image collecting, image processing, photometry pipeline, database archiving, and backup.

• Current Optics and Photonics
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• v.6 no.6
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• pp.627-633
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• 2022

To realize uniform side pumping of solar lasers and improve their output power, a solar concentrating system based on off-axis parabolic mirrors is proposed. Four identical off-axis parabolic mirrors with focal length of 1,000 mm are toroidally arranged as the primary concentrator. Four two-dimensional compound parabolic concentrators (2D-CPCs) are designed as a secondary concentrator to further compress the focused spot induced by the parabolic mirrors, and the focused light is then homogenized by four rectangular diffusers and provides uniform pumping for a laser-crystal rod to achieve solar laser emission. Simulation results show that the solar power received by the laser rod, uniformity of the light spot, and output power of the solar laser are 7,872.7 W, 98%, and 351.8 W respectively. This uniform pumping configuration and concentrator design thus provide a new means for developing high-power side-pumped solid-state solar lasers.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.76.1-76.1
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• 2014

We investigate the solar flare and CME occurrence rate and probability depending on sunspot class and its area change. These CMEs are front-side, partial and full halo CMEs associated with X-ray flares. For this we use the Solar Region Summary(SRS) from NOAA, NGDC flare catalog, and SOHO/LASCO CME catalog for 16 years (from January 1996 to December 2011). We classify each sunspot class into two sub-groups: "Large" and "Small". In addition, for each class, we classify it into three sub-groups according to sunspot class area change: "Decrease", "Steady", and "Increase". In terms of sunspot class area, the solar flare and CME occurrence probabilities noticeably increase at compact and large sunspot groups (e.g., 'Fkc'). In terms of sunspot area change, solar flare and CME occurrence probabilities for the "Increase" sub-groups are noticeably higher than those for the other sub-groups. For example, in case of the (M+X)-class flares of 'Dkc' class, the flare occurrence probability of the "Increase" sub-group is three times higher than that of the "Steady" sub-group. In case of the 'Eai' class, the CME occurrence probability of the "Increase" sub-groups is five time higher than that of the "Steady" sub-group. Our results demonstrate statistically that magnetic flux and its emergence enhance solar flare and CME occurrence, especially for compact and large sunspot groups.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.127-135
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• 2016

Inactive space objects are usually rotating and tumbling as a result of internal or external forces. KOREASAT 1 has been inactive since 2005, and its drift trajectory has been monitored with the optical wide-field patrol network (OWL-Net). However, a quantitative analysis of KOREASAT 1 in regard to the attitude evolution has never been performed. Here, two optical tracking systems were used to acquire raw measurements to analyze the rotation period of two inactive satellites. During the optical campaign in 2013, KOREASAT 1 was observed by a 0.6 m class optical telescope operated by the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI). The rotation period of KOREASAT 1 was analyzed with the light curves from the photometry results. The rotation periods of the low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite ASTRO-H after break-up were detected by OWL-Net on April 7, 2016. We analyzed the magnitude variation of each satellite by differential photometry and made comparisons with the star catalog. The illumination effect caused by the phase angle between the Sun and the target satellite was corrected with the system tool kit (STK) and two line element (TLE) technique. Finally, we determined the rotation period of two inactive satellites on LEO and geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) with light curves from the photometry. The main rotation periods were determined to be 5.2 sec for ASTRO-H and 74 sec for KOREASAT 1.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.57.2-57.2
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• 2019

The NISS (Near-infrared Imaging Spectrometer for Star formation history) onboard NEXTSat-1 was successfully launched on last December and is now under the operation phase. The capability of both imaging and spectroscopy is a unique function of the NISS. It has realized the imaging spectroscopy (R~20) with a wide field of view of $2{\times}2deg$. in a wide near-infrared range from 0.95 to $2.5{\mu}m$. The major scientific mission is to study the cosmic star formation history in the local and distant universe. It also demonstrated the space technologies related to the infrared spectro-photometry in space. The NISS is performing the imaging spectroscopic survey for local star-forming galaxies, clusters of galaxies, star-forming regions, ecliptic deep fields and so on. As an extension of the NISS, the SPEHREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe Epoch of Reionization, and Ices Explorer) was selected as the NASA MIDEX (Medium-class Explorer) mission (PI Institute: Caltech). As an international partner, KASI will participate in the development and the science for SPHEREx. It will perform the first all-sky infrared spectro-photometric survey to probe the origin of our Universe, to explore the origin and evolution of galaxies, and to explore whether planets around other stars could harbor life. Compared to the NISS, the SPHEREx is designed to have a much wider FoV of $3.5{\times}11.3deg$. as well as wider spectral range from 0.75 to $5.0{\mu}m$. Here, we introduce the status of the two space missions.