• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.45-62
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• 1980

Defining a metal parameter $(Sp)_c$, which is related to the morphological parameters of C-M diagrams, we have estimated metal abundances for 97 globular clusters in our Galaxy. A correlation between absolute magnitude of the horizontal branch and metal abundance is derived, which is used for the determining distances to globular clusters whose visual magnitudes of the horizontal branch are known. The space distribution of globular clusters and the chemical evolution of the halo are examined. Our analysis suggests an initial mean gradient of metallicity to be d[Fe/H]/$dr_G$ = -0.06 $kpc^{-1}$ for the halo in galactocentric distance, $r_G$<20 kpc. Our findings also imply a slow collapse of protogalaxy.

• Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.345-347
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• 2015

We present evolutionary models of rotating self-gravitating systems (e.g. globular clusters, galaxy cores). These models are characterized by the presence of an initial axi-symmetry due to rotation. Central black hole seeds are included in our models, and black hole growth due to the consumption of stellar matter is simulated until the central potential dominates the kinematics of the core. Our goal is to study the long-term evolution (Gyr) of relaxed dense stellar systems which deviate from spherical symmetry, and their morphology and final kinematics. With this purpose in mind, we developed a 2D Fokker-Planck analytical code, and confirmed its results using detailed N-Body simulations, applying a high performance code developed for GPU machines. We conclude that the initial rotation significantly modifies the shape and lifetime of these systems, and cannot be neglected in the study of the evolution of globular clusters, and the galaxy itself. Our models give a constraint for the final intermediate black hole masses expected to be present in globular clusters.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.144.1-144.1
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• 2012

A number of recent observations have established that many globular clusters have double or multiple stellar populations. In particular, recent Calcium and Stromgren b & photometry shows a split in the RGB of some of these globular clusters, including M22, NGC 1851, and NGC 288. However, the origin of this split in the RGB is still controversial. In order to confirm the real difference in Calcium abundance between the two RGBs, we have performed low resolution spectroscopy for RGB stars in these globular clusters. The spectral data were obtained from WFCCD/duPont 2.5m telescope in Las Campanas Observatory. We found a significant bimodality of both Calcium and CN abundances in M22 and NGC 1851. NGC 288, however, shows a clear bimodality only in CN abundance.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.1-17
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• 1997

The results of a restricted numerical simulation for the color gradients within globular clusters have been presented. The standard luminosity function of M3 and Salperter's initial mass functions were used to generate model clusters as a fundamental population. Color gradients with the sample clusters for both King and power law cusp models of surface brightness distributions are discussed in the case of using the standard luminosity function. The dependence of color gradients on several parameters for the simulations with Salpter's initial mass functions, such as slope of initial mass functions, cluster ages, metallicities, concentration parameters of King model, and slopes of power law, are also discussed. No significant radial color gradients are shown to the sample clusters which are regenerated by a random number generation technique with various parameters in both of King and power law cusp models of surface brightness distributions. Dynamical mass segregation and stellar evolution of horizontal branch stars and blue stragglers should be included for the general case of model simulations to show the observed radial color gradients within globular clusters.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.7-14
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• 2001

Red giant branch shape and the luminosity of horizontal branch on the (V-I)-V CMD are used to derive the metallicity the globular cluster NGC 5053. The metallicities of NGC 5053 derived by SMR method ([Fe/H]=-2.62$\pm$0.07) and the relation between[Fe/H] and $(V-I)_{0.g}$ ([Fe/H]=-2.50) are in good agreement with previously determined values. This result confirms that the morphologies of RGB and HB on the (V-I)-V CMDs can be good indirect photometric metallicity indicators of galactic globular clusters.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.39-44
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• 2007

We report photometric features of the HB, MSTO, and SGB for a set of metal-poor Galactic globular clusters on the near-IR CMDs. The magnitude and color of the MSTO and SGB are measured on the fiducial normal points of the CMDs by applying a polynomial fit. The near-IR luminosity functions of horizontal branch stars in the classical second parameter pair M3 and M13 indicate that HB stars in M13 are dominated by hot stars that are rotatively faint in the infrared, whereas HB stars in M3 are brighter than those in M13. The luminosity functions of HB stars in the observed bulge clusters, except for NGC 6717, show a trend that the fainter hot HB stars are dominated in the relatively metal-poor clusters while the relatively metal-rich clusters contain the brighter HB stars. It is suggestive that NGC 6717 would be an extreme example of the second-parameter phenomenon for the bulge globular clusters.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.35.2-35.2
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• 2021

Blue straggler stars (BSs) are "rejuvenated" main sequence stars first recognized by Allan Sandage from his observation of the prominent northern globular cluster M3 in the year of 1953. BSs are now known to be present in diverse stellar environments including open clusters, globular clusters, dwarf galaxies, and even the field populations of the Milky Way. This makes them a very useful tool in a wide range of astrophysical applications: Particularly BSs are considered to have a crucial role in the evolution of stellar clusters because they affect on the dynamics, the binary population, and the history of the stellar evolution of the cluster they belong to. Here we report a part of the preliminary results from our ongoing research on the BSs in the two metal-poor globular clusters (GCs) in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), Hodge 11 and NGC1466. Using the high precision multi-band images obtained with the Advanced Camera for Survey (ACS) onboard the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), we extract time-series photometry to search for the signal of periodic variations in the luminosity of the BSs. Our preliminary results confirm that several BSs are intrinsic "short period (0.05 < P < 0.25 days)" variable stars with either pulsating or eclipsing types. We will discuss our investigation on the properties of those variable BS candidates in the context of the formation channels of these exotic main sequence stars, and their roles in the dynamical evolution of the host star clusters.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.91-96
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• 2006

We use near-infrared observations of eight selected Galactic globular clusters to estimate their distances by comparing the observed and theoretically predicted K magnitudes of the red giant branch bumps and tips. The K magnitude levels of the RGB bump and tip have been measured from the luminosity function of the selected RGB stars in the clusters. Theoretical absolute $M_k$ magnitudes of the RGB bump and tip are taken from the Yonsei-Yale isochrones. Comparing the observed apparent K magnitude with the derived absolute $M_k$ magnitude, we calculate the distance moduli of the clusters. We discuss the dependency of the derived distance modulus on the cluster age and the uncertainty of the distance measurement from the near-infrared photometry of the RGB bump and tip.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.97-105
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• 1990

The tidal radii of globular clusters reflect the tidal field of the Galaxy. The mass distribution of the Galaxy thus may be obtained if the tidal fields of clusters are well known. Although large amounts of uncertainties in the determination of tidal radii have been obstacles in utilizing this method, analysis of tidal density could give independent check for the Galactic mass distribution. Recent theoretical modeling of dynamical evolution including steady Galactic tidal field shows that the observationally determined tidal radii could be systematically larger by about a factor of 1.5 compared to the theoretical values. From the analysis of entire sample of 148 globular clusters and 7 dwarf spheroidal systems compiled by Webbink (1985), we find that such reduction from observed values would make the tidal density (the mean density within the tidal radius) distribution consistent with the flat rotation curve of our Galaxy out to large distances if the velocity distribution of clusters and dwarf spheroidals with respect to the Galactic center is isotropic.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.84.2-84.2
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• 2010

Radial changes of stellar population within the Galactic globular clusters have been reported in many spectroscopic and photometric studies. We present new integrated spectroscopic data for 24 Galactic globular clusters and have measured line indices within various aperture sizes. Radial gradients have been investigated for the Balmer lines and metal lines (Mgb). Our results show an increase in the strength of the Balmer lines toward the centres in some clusters including NGC7078, NGC7089, and NGC6934, in which colour gradients also have been detected previously. However, some other clusters show little trend or even an increase toward the outskirt in the Balmer lines. Metal sensitive lines generally have an anti-correlation with the Balmer lines. We discuss possible stellar populations being responsible for the radial change in line indices.