• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.62.1-62.1
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• 2014

Metallicity distribution of globular clusters (GCs) provides an important clue for star formation history of their host galaxy. With an assumption that GCs are generally old, GC colors have been used as a proxy of GC metallicities. Bimodal GC color distributions observed in most large galaxies have, for decades, been interpreted as bimodal metallicity distributions, indicating the presence of two populations within a galaxy. However, the conventional view has been challenged by a new theory that non-linear GC color-metallicity relations (CMRs) can cause a bimodal color distribution even from a single-peaked metallicity distribution. Using the photometric and spectroscopic data of NGC 5128 GCs in combination with stellar population simulation models, we examine the effect of non-linearity in GC CMRs on the transformation of GC color distributions into metallicity distributions. Although, in some colors, offsets are present between observations and models in the CMRs, their overall shape agrees well for various colors. After the offsets are corrected, the observed spectroscopic metallicity distribution is well reproduced via modeled CMRs from various color distributions having different morphologies. On the other hand, the linearly converted metallicity distributions from GC colors show a significant discrepancy with the observed spectroscopic metallicity distribution. We discuss the implications of our results.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.27.1-27.1
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• 2010

Globular cluster (GC) systems in most galaxies, particularly in ellipticals, show bimodal color distributions. Because broadband colors trace metallicity at old ages, this phenomenon has been commonly interpreted as bimodal metallicity distributions, implying the presence of two sub-populations in the globular cluster system within a galaxy. However, a new explanation has recently been proposed, in which the non-linear nature of color-metallicity relations induced by horizontal-branch stars can produce bimodal color distributions even from unimodal metallicity distributions. In this study, we put these two explanations to the test on the origin of color bimodality, using multi-band (U,B,V and I) photometry of globular clusters in NGC 1399, the central giant elliptical galaxy in Fornax galaxy cluster. We find significant changes in the morphology of color distributions when using different colors. The observation is also well reproduced by the Monte Carlo realization of GC color when a unimodal metallicity distribution and the theoretical non-linear color-metallicity relations are assumed. We discuss the implications regarding theories on galaxy formation and evolution.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.49.1-49.1
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• 2019

Giant radio relics in the outskirts of galaxy clusters have been observed and they are interpreted as synchrotron emission from relativistic electrons accelerated via diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) in weak shocks of Ms < 3.0. In the DSA theory, the particle momentum should be greater than a few times the momentum of thermal protons to cross the shock transition and participate in the Fermi acceleration process. In the equilibrium, the momentum of thermal electrons is much smaller than the momentum of thermal protons, so electrons need to be pre-accelerated before they can go through DSA. To investigate such electron injection process, we study the electron pre-acceleration in weak quasi-perpendicular shocks (Ms = 2.0 - 3.0) in an ICM plasma (kT = 8.6 keV, beta = 100) through 2D particle-in-cell simulations. It is known that in quasi-perpendicular shocks, a substantial fraction of electrons could be reflected upstream, gain energy via shock drift acceleration (SDA), and generate oblique waves via the electron firehose instability (EFI), leading the energization of electrons through wave-particle interactions. We find that such kinetic processes are effective only in supercritical shocks above a critical Mach number, $Ms{\ast}{\sim}2.3$. In addition, even in shocks with Ms > 2.3, energized electrons may not reach high energies to be injected to DSA, because the oblique EFI alone fails to generate long-wavelength waves. Our results should have implications for the origin and nature of radio relics.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.103-112
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• 2021

The intracluster medium (ICM) is expected to experience on average about three passages of weak shocks with low sonic Mach numbers, M ≲ 3, during the formation of galaxy clusters. Both protons and electrons could be accelerated to become high energy cosmic rays (CRs) at such ICM shocks via diffusive shock acceleration (DSA). We examine the effects of DSA by multiple shocks on the spectrum of accelerated CRs by including in situ injection/acceleration at each shock, followed by repeated re-acceleration at successive shocks in the test-particle regime. For simplicity, the accelerated particles are assumed to undergo adiabatic decompression without energy loss and escape from the system, before they encounter subsequent shocks. We show that in general the CR spectrum is flattened by multiple shock passages, compared to a single episode of DSA, and that the acceleration efficiency increases with successive shock passages. However, the decompression due to the expansion of shocks into the cluster outskirts may reduce the amplification and flattening of the CR spectrum by multiple shock passages. The final CR spectrum behind the last shock is determined by the accumulated effects of repeated re-acceleration by all previous shocks, but it is relatively insensitive to the ordering of the shock Mach numbers. Thus multiple passages of shocks may cause the slope of the CR spectrum to deviate from the canonical DSA power-law slope of the current shock.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.143.1-143.1
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• 2011

Deep Ca,b,y images obtained from the CTIO 4m Blaco telescope are used to investigate the multiple stellar populations of red giant branch (RGB) and sub-giant branch (SGB) in Galactic globular clusters NGC 6656 and NGC 6723. For NGC 6656, confirming the result of Lee et al. (2009), we find two discrete populations of the RGB stars of which mean color separation is about 0.2 mag in hk[=(Ca-b)-(b-y)] index. Furthermore, we also find the bimodel distribution of the SGB stars in (hk, y) color-magnitude diagram. A new finding is that the (hk, y) color-magnitude diagram of NGC 6723 shows two distinct RGB stars with different calcium abundances of which mean color separation is about 0.12 mag in hk index. This multiple stellar feature has not been observed in previous observation, suggesting that NGC 6723 may also be a possible relic of dwarf galaxies that merged into the Milky Way in the past. Thus our result adds further constraints to the merging scenario of the Galaxy formation. Unfortunately, the split of SGB stars in NGC 6723 is not obvious. We will present some statistical results to compare properties of two populations in two clusters.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.57.3-57.3
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• 2015

We present a test observation result of the KMTNet Intensive Nearby Southern Galaxy group Survey (KINGS). The KINGS is designed to study nearby galaxy groups (NGC 55, NGC 253, NGC 5128, and M83 groups), taking the advantage of the wide field coverage of the KMTNet. The main goal of the KINGS is to produce extensive catalogs of dwarf galaxies, ultra compact dwarfs (UCDs), and intraglobular clusters in the galaxy groups. We will also investigate the spatial distribution of intragroup light in each group. We present a progress report of the project based on the test BVI observations of two galaxy groups. We discuss the result from the test observation and possible improvement for future observations.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.83-92
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• 2016

The Toothbrush radio relic associated with the merging cluster 1RXS J060303.3 is presumed to be produced by relativistic electrons accelerated at merger-driven shocks. Since the shock Mach number inferred from the observed radio spectral index, M_radio ≈ 2.8, is larger than that estimated from X-ray observations, M_X ≲ 1.5, we consider the re-acceleration model in which a weak shock of M_s ≈ 1.2 - 1.5 sweeps through the intracluster plasma with a preshock population of relativistic electrons. We find the models with a power-law momentum spectrum with the slope, s ≈ 4.6, and the cutoff Lorentz factor, γ_e,c ≈ 7-8×10⁴ can reproduce reasonably well the observed profiles of radio uxes and integrated radio spectrum of the head portion of the Toothbrush relic. This study confirms the strong connection between the ubiquitous presence of fossil relativistic plasma originated from AGNs and the shock-acceleration model of radio relics in the intracluster medium.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.465-470
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• 2004

I address the issue of nonthermal processes in the large scale structure of the universe. After reviewing the properties of cosmic shocks and their role as particle accelerators, I discuss the main observational results, from radio to $\gamma$-ray and describe the processes that are thought be responsible for the observed nonthermal emissions. Finally, I emphasize the important role of $\gamma$-ray astronomy for the progress in the field. Non detections at these photon energies have already allowed us important conclusions. Future observations will tell us more about the physics of the intracluster medium, shocks dissipation and CR acceleration.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.563-570
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• 2004

Turbulence is a crucial component of dynamics of astrophysical fluids dynamics, including those of ISM, clusters of galaxies and circumstellar regions. Doppler shifted spectral lines provide a unique source of information on turbulent velocities. We discuss Velocity-Channel Analysis (VCA) and its offspring Velocity Coordinate Spectrum (VCS) that are based on the analytical description of the spectral line statistics. Those techniques are well suited for studies of supersonic turbulence. We stress that a great advantage of VCS is that it does not necessary require good spatial resolution. Addressing the studies of mildly supersonic and subsonic turbulence we discuss the criterion that allows to determine whether Velocity Centroids are dominated by density or velocity. We briefly discuss ways of going beyond power spectra by using of higher order correlations as well as genus analysis. We outline the relation between Spectral Correlation Functions and the statistics available through VCA and VCS.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.483-491
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• 2004

Clusters of galaxies are storage rooms of cosmic rays. They confine the hadronic component of cosmic rays over cosmological time scales due to diffusion, and the electron component due to energy losses. Hadronic cosmic rays can be accelerated during the process of structure formation, because of the supersonic motion of gas in the potential wells created by dark matter. At the shock waves that result from this motion, charged particles can be energized through the first order Fermi process. After discussing the most important evidences for non-thermal phenomena in large scale structures, we describe in some detail the main issues related to the acceleration of particles at these shock waves, emphasizing the possible role of the dynamical backreaction of the accelerated particles on the plasmas involved.