• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.155-164
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• 2018

We present various infrared two-color diagrams (2CDs) using WISE data for asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars and Planetary Nebulae (PNe) and investigate possible evolutionary tracks. We use the sample of 5036 AGB stars, 660 post-AGB stars, and 2748 PNe in our Galaxy. For each object, we cross-identify the IRAS, AKARI, WISE, and 2MASS counterparts. To investigate the spectral evolution from AGB stars to PNe, we compare the theoretical model tracks of AGB stars and post-AGB stars with the observations on the IR 2CDs. We find that the theoretical dust shell model tracks can roughly explain the observations of AGB stars, post-AGB stars, and PNe on the various IR 2CDs. WISE data are useful in studying the evolution of AGB stars and PNe, especially for dim objects. We find that most observed color indices generally increase during the evolution from AGB stars to PNe. We also find that $Fe_{0.9}Mg_{0.1}O$ dust is useful to fit the observed WISE W3-W4 colors for O-rich AGB stars with thin dust shells.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.57.3-57.3
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• 2015

The formation of the Milky Way stellar halo is thought to be the result of merging and accretion of building blocks such as dwarf galaxies and massive globular clusters. Recently, Deason et al. (2015) suggested that the Milky Way outer halo formed mostly from big building blocks, such as dwarf spheroidal galaxies, based on the similar number ratio of blue straggler (BS) stars to blue horizontal-branch (BHB) stars. Here we demonstrate, however, that this result is seriously biased by not taking into detailed consideration on the formation mechanism of BHB stars from helium enhanced second-generation population. In particular, the high BS-to-BHB ratio observed in the outer halo fields is most likely due to a small number of BHB stars provided by GCs rather than to a large number of BS stars. This is supported by our dynamical evolution model of GCs which shows preferential removal of first generation stars in GCs. Moreover, there are sufficient number of outer halo GCs which show very high BS-to-BHB ratio. Therefore, the BS-to-BHB number ratio is not a good indicator to use in arguing that more massive dwarf galaxies are the main building blocks of the Milky Way outer halo. Several lines of evidence still suggest that GCs can contribute a signicant fraction of the outer halo stars.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.68.2-68.2
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• 2019

Chemical abundance ratios of ultra metal-poor (UMP; [Fe/H] < -4.0) stars can provide important constraints on the early chemical enrichment of the Milky Way (MW), associated with the nucleosynthesis processes that occurred during the evolution of their progenitors, which are presumably the first generation of stars. Despite their importance, only about thirty UMP stars have been discovered thus far. In an effort to identify such stars additionally, we selected UMP candidates from low-resolution (R ~ 2000) spectra from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fibre Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST), and obtained with Gemini/GRACES high-resolution (R ~ 40,000) spectra of 15 UMP candidates. In this study, we present the results of the chemical abundance analysis of the UMP candidates. Furthermore, we compare the abundance patterns of our UMP stars with those of various metal-poor stars from literature to understand the early chemical evolution of the MW.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.49.1-49.1
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• 2017

In order to investigate the origin of multiple stellar populations in the halo and bulge of the Milky Way, we have constructed chemical evolution models for the low-mass proto-Galactic subsystems such as globular clusters (GCs). Unlike previous studies, we assume that supernova blast waves undergo blowout without expelling the pre-enriched gas, while relatively slow winds of massive stars, together with the winds and ejecta from low and intermediate mass asymptotic giant branch stars, are all locally retained in these less massive systems. We first applied these models to investigate the origin of super-helium-rich red clump stars in the metal-rich bulge as recently suggested by Lee et al. (2015). We find that chemical enrichments by the winds of massive stars can naturally reproduce the required helium enhancement (dY/dZ = 6) for the second generation stars. Disruption of these "building blocks" in a hierarchical merging paradigm would have provided helium enhanced stars to the bulge field. Interestingly, we also find that the observed Na-O anticorrelation in metal-poor GCs can be reproduced, when multiple episodes of starbursts are allowed to continue in these subsystems. Specific star formation history with decreasing time intervals between the stellar generations, however, is required to obtain this result, as would be expected from the orbital evolution of these subsystems in a proto-Galaxy. The "mass budget problem" is also much alleviated by our models without ad-hoc assumptions on star formation efficiency and initial mass function.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.46.1-46.1
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• 2018

In order to investigate the origin of multiple stellar populations in the halo and bulge of the Milky Way, we have constructed chemical evolution models for the low-mass proto-Galactic subsystems such as globular clusters. Unlike previous studies, we assume that supernova blast waves undergo blowout without expelling the pre-enriched gas, while relatively slow winds of massive stars, together with the winds and ejecta from low and intermediate mass asymptotic-giant-branch stars, are all locally retained in these less massive systems. We find that the observed Na-O anti-correlations in metal-poor GCs can be reproduced when multiple episodes of starbursts are allowed to continue in these subsystems. A specific form of star formation history with decreasing time intervals between the stellar generations, however, is required to obtain this result, which is in good agreement with the parameters obtained from our stellar evolution models for the horizontal-branch. The "mass budget problem" is also much alleviated by our models without ad-hoc assumptions on star formation efficiency and initial mass function. We also applied these models to investigate the origin of super helium-rich red clump stars in the metal-rich bulge as recently suggested by Lee et al. (2015). We find that chemical enrichments by the winds of massive stars can naturally reproduce the required helium enhancement (dY/dZ = 6) for the second-generation stars. Disruption of proto-globular clusters in a hierarchical merging paradigm would have provided helium enhanced stars to the bulge field.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.70.1-70.1
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• 2019

Recent investigation of the APOGEE bulge stars by Zasowski et al. (2018) shows a fraction of stars enhanced in O, Ca, and Mg abundances. It is not clear, however, that this apparent ${\alpha}$-bimodality is reflecting a real feature or an artifact from spectral fitting. We will report our progress in understanding the nature and reality of this phenomenon. We will also discuss the spread in Na abundance among the inner bulge stars with respect to that observed among disk sample.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.29 no.spc1
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• pp.239-240
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• 1996

Precise masses, radii, and luminosities from eclipsing binaries and colour-magnitude diagrams for open clusters are classic tools in empirical tests of stellar evolution models. We review the accuracy and completeness required for such data to discriminate between current models and describe some recent. results with implications for convection theory.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.82.2-82.2
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• 2010

We investigate the distribution of stars along the red giant branch (RGB) in the globular clusters (GCs) NGC 288 and NGC 362 from Caby photometry using the CTIO 4m Blanco telescope. Our color-magnitude diagrams in hk index show that the RGB stars have two distinct subpopulations with different Ca abundances apparently supplied by the Type II supernovae explosions. However, the RGB splits are not shown in the b - y color, as indicated by previous observations. Our stellar population models show that the presence of two distinct RGBs in these GCs can be reproduced if metal-rich second generation stars are also enhanced in helium and younger by 1 ~ 2 Gyrs.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.175-180
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• 2012

White dwarf stars have played important roles in rather diverse areas of astrophysics. This paper outlines how these stellar remnants, especially those in widely separated "fragile" binaries, have provided unique leverage on difficult astrophysical problems such as the ages of stars, the structure and evolution of the Galaxy, the nature of dark matter and even the discovery of dark energy.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.77.4-78
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• 2016

Binary interactions may have significant impact on Pop III stellar evolution. Pop III single star evolution indicates that for primary masses less than $20M_{\odot}$, no significant binary mass transfer would occur before core helium exhaustion. We perform binary system evolution for various primary masses ($20M_{\odot}$ < $M_1$ < $60M_{\odot}$) and initial periods under same mass ratio $M_2/M_1=0.9$, and follow the evolution and mass transfer of the primary star. If binary mass transfer occurs during post main sequence, the primary star does not evolve into naked helium star and still contain significant hydrogen in the envelope. During the post mass transfer phase, the primary star evolves redward, and does not become sufficiently hot to enhance the number of ionizing photons, compared to the case of single star evolution for a given initial mass. This result implies that primary stars of massive Pop III binary systems would have little contribution to the reionization in the early universe. Given the large hydrogen content ($0.326-1.793M_{\odot}$), the primary stars that underwent stable mass transfers would explode as a Type IIb supernova, and it would be difficult for Pop III binary stars to produce Type Ib/c supernovae that look similar to those found in the local universe.