• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.447-454
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• 2004

During the hierarchical formation of large scale structure in the universe, the progressive collapse and merging of dark matter should inevitably drive shocks into the gas, with nonthermal particle acceleration as a natural consequence. Two topics in this regard are discussed, emphasizing what important things nonthermal phenomena may tell us about the structure formation (SF) process itself. 1. Inverse Compton gamma-rays from large scale SF shocks and non-gravitational effects, and the implications for probing the warm-hot intergalactic medium. We utilize a semi-analytic approach based on Monte Carlo merger trees that treats both merger and accretion shocks self-consistently. 2. Production of $^6Li$ by cosmic rays from SF shocks in the early Galaxy, and the implications for probing Galaxy formation and uncertain physics on sub-Galactic scales. Our new observations of metal-poor halo stars with the Subaru High Dispersion Spectrograph are highlighted.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.125-128
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• 2005

In this paper, we argue that the gigahertz peaked spectrum (GPS) quasars are special blazars, blazars in dense and dusty gas enviornment. The ROSAT detection rate of GPS quasars is similar to that of flat spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs), suggesting that the relativistic jets in GPS quasars are oriented at small angle to the line of sight. Due to strong inverse Compton scattering off infrared photons from dense and dusty nuclear interstellar media in GPS quasars, most of them may have significant soft gamma-ray and X-ray emission, which is consistent with ASCA X-ray observations. Because Compton cooling in GPS quasars is stronger than that in FSRQs, synchrotron emission in GPS quasars may less dominate over thermal emission of the accretion disk and hot dust, hence most GPS quasars show low optical polarization and small variability, consistent with observations. We suggest that it is the significant radio emission of electron/positron pairs produced by the interaction of gamma-rays with the dense gas and dust grains in GPS quasars that makes GPS quasars show steep radio spectra, low radio polarization, and relatively faint VLBI/VLBA cores. Whether GPS quasars are special blazars can be tested by gamma-ray observations with GLAST in the near future, with the detection rate of GPS quasars being similar to that of FSRQs.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.597-600
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• 2004

A substantial number of processes have been suggested as possible contributors to the extragalactic $\gamma$-ray background (EGRB). Yet another contribution to this background will be emission produced in hadronic interactions of cosmic-ray protons with the cluster thermal gas; this class of cosmic rays (CRs) has been shown to be responsible for the EUV emission in the Coma Cluster of galaxies. In this paper we assume the CRs in the Coma Cluster is prototypic of all clusters and derive the contribution to the EGRB from all clusters over time. We examine two different possibilities for the scaling of the CR flux with cluster size: the number density of the CRs scale with the number density of the thermal plasma, and alternatively, the energy density of the CRs scale with the energy density of the plasma. We find that in all scenarios the EGRB produced by this process is sufficiently low that it will not be observable in comparison with other mechanisms that are likely to produce an EGRB.

• 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.36 no.3
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• pp.177-187
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• 2003

Active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are distant, powerful sources of radiation over the entire electromagnetic spectrum, from radio waves to gamma-rays. There is much evidence that they are driven by gravitational accretion of stars, dust, and gas, onto central massive black holes (MBHs) imprisoning anywhere from $\~$1 to $\~$10,000 million solar masses; such objects may naturally form in the centers of galaxies during their normal dynamical evolution. A small fraction of AGNs, of the radio-loud type (RLAGNs), are somehow able to generate powerful synchrotron-emitting structures (cores, jets, lobes) with sizes ranging from pc to Mpc. A brief summary of AGN observations and theories is given, with an emphasis on RLAGNs. Preliminary results from the imaging of 10000 extragalactic radio sources observed in the MITVLA snapshot survey, and from a new analytic theory of the time-variable power output from Kerr black hole magnetospheres, are presented. To better understand the complex physical processes within the central engines of AGNs, it is important to confront the observations with theories, from the viewpoint of analyzing the time-variable behaviours of AGNs - which have been recorded over both 'short' human ($10^0-10^9\;s$) and 'long' cosmic ($10^{13} - 10^{17}\;s$) timescales. Some key ingredients of a basic mathematical formalism are outlined, which may help in building detailed Monte-Carlo models of evolving AGN populations; such numerical calculations should be potentially important tools for useful interpretation of the large amounts of statistical data now publicly available for both AGNs and RLAGNs.