• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.55.1-55.1
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• 2013

We analyze the behaviors of reddening vectors in the Spitzer/IRAC photometric system for young stellar objects (YSOs) of different evolutionary stages, masses, and inclinations using the model spectral energy distributions (SED) by Robitaille et al. As reported in visible and near-infrared photometric systems, the magnitudes and colors of YSOs show strong SED dependence and non-linearity. In the [8.0] band where the 9.7 ${\mu}m$ interstellar silicate feature plays a significant role in extinction, the effective wavelength shifts "bluewards", not "redwards" as in most, if not all, optical and infrared bands including the other three IRAC bands, as the extinction in Ks increases up to ~2 mag, and then asymptotically reaches a constant value as the extinction further increases. This "bluening" is seen when the YSO is in later evolutionary stage and/or has a stellar mass of ~2 $M_{\odot}$ or greater. In many cases, the reddening vectors in the IRAC color-color diagrams are prominently curved, and in some extreme cases, the colors involving the [8.0] band becomes bluer in the beginning and then becomes redder later as the amount of extinction increases. We also present our "suggested" extinction laws employing the combination of a broken-power law and the 9.7 ${\mu}m$ silicate feature, which well reproduce the extinction behaviors observed in the IRAC bands.

• Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.49-53
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• 2017

The point sources in the Bright Source Catalogue of the AKARI Far-Infrared Surveyor (FIS) were classified based on their FIR and mid-IR fluxes and colours into young stellar object (YSO) and extragalactic source types using a Quadratic Discriminant Analysis method (QDA) and Support Vector Machines (SVM). The reliability of the selection of YSO candidates is high, and the number of known YSO candidates were increased significantly, that we demonstrate in the case of the nearby open cluster IC348. Our results show that we can separate galactic and extragalactic AKARI point sources in the multidimensioal space of FIR fluxes and colours with high reliability, however, differentiating among the extragalactic sub-types needs further information.

• Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.105-107
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• 2017

We present results of AKARI/IRC near-infrared (NIR) slit-spectroscopy ($2.5-5.0{\mu}m$, R ~ 100) of Galactic sources, focusing on ice absorption features. We investigate the abundance of $H_2O$ and $CO_2$ ices and other ice species (CO and XCN ices) along lines of sight towards Galactic H $\small{II}$ regions, massive YSOs, and infrared diffuse sources. Even among those different kinds of astronomical objects, the abundance ratio of $CO_2$ to $H_2O$ ices does not vary significantly, suggesting that the pathway to $CO_2$ ice formation driven by UV irradiation is not effective at least among the present targets.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.38.3-39
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• 2016

We present the results of a search for Very Low-Luminosity Objects (VeLLOs) in the Gould Belt (GB) clouds using infrared and sub-millimeter (sub-mm) data from 1.25 to $850{\mu}m$ and our N2H+ (J = 1-0) observations. We modified the criteria by Dunham et al. to select the VeLLOs in the GB clouds, finding 95 VeLLO candidates, 79 of which are newly identified in this study. Out of 95 sources, 44 were detected in both sub-mm continuum and N2H+ emission and were classified as Group A (the VeLLOs), and 51 sources detected in either sub-mm emission or N2H+ emission were classified with Group B as candidate VeLLOs. We find that these VeLLOs and the candidates are forming in environments different from those of the likely VeLLOs. Seventy-eight sources are embedded within their molecular clouds, and thus are likely VeLLOs forming in a dense environment. The remaining 17 sources are located in low-level extinction regions (Av < 1) connected to the clouds, and can be either background sources or candidate substellar objects forming in an isolated mode. The VeLLOs and the candidates are likely more luminous and their envelopes tend to be more massive in denser environments. The VeLLOs and the candidates are more populous in the clouds where more YSOs form, indicating that they form in a manner similar to that of normal YSOs. The bolometric luminosities and temperatures of the VeLLOs are compared to predictions of episodic accretion models, showing that the low luminosities for most VeLLOs can be well explained by their status in the quiescent phases of a cycle of episodic mass accretion.

• Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.21-30
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• 2018

Formation processes of high-mass stars have been long-standing issues in astronomy and astrophysics. This is mainly because of major difficulties in observational studies such as a smaller number of high-mass young stellar objects (YSOs), larger distances, and more complex structures in young high-mass clusters compared with nearby low-mass isolated star-forming regions (SFRs), and extremely large opacity of interstellar dust except for centimeter to submillimeter wavelengths. High resolution and high sensitivity observations with Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA) at millimeter/submillimeter wavelengths will overcome these observational difficulties even for statistical studies with increasing number of high-mass YSO samples. This review will summarize recent progresses in high-mass star-formation studies with ALMA such as clumps and filaments in giant molecular cloud complexes and infrared dark clouds (IRDCs), protostellar disks and outflows in dense cores, chemistry, masers, and accretion bursts in high-mass SFRs.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.36.2-36.2
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• 2013

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. The focal plane instruments onboard SPICA will enable us to resolve many astronomical key issues from the formation and evolution of galaxies to the planetary formation. The FPC-S (Focal Plane Camera - Sciecne) is a near-infrared instrument proposed by Korea as an international collaboration. Owing to the capability of both low-resolution imaging spectroscopy and wide-band imaging with a field of view of $5^{\prime}{\times}5^{\prime}$, it has large throughput as well as high sensitivity for diffuse light compared with JWST. In order to strengthen advantages of the FPC-S, we propose the studies of probing population III stars by the measurement of cosmic near-infrared background radiation and the star formation history at high redshift by the discoveries of active star-forming galaxies. In addition to the major scientific targets, to survey large area opens a new parameter space to investigate the deep Universe. The good survey capability in the parallel imaging mode allows us to study the rare, bright objects such as quasars, bright star-forming galaxies in the early Universe as a way to understand the formation of the first objects in the Universe, and ultra-cool brown dwarfs. Observations in the warm mission will give us a unique chance to detect high-z supernovae, ices in young stellar objects (YSOs) even with low mass, the $3.3{\mu}$ feature of shocked circumstance in supernova remnants. Here, we report the current status of SPICA/FPC project and its extragalactic sciences.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.45.3-46
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• 2018

Although mass accretion from the disk to the central protostar is a key process of low mass star formation, the accretion mechanism is still poorly understood. To investigate "episodic accretion", which has been suggested as an accretion mechanism in low mass star formation, we have carried out near-infrared spectroscopic observations of three very low-luminosity objects (VeLLOs) and one background source, using InfraRed Camera onboard the AKARI space telescope. The ice absorption features of $H_2O$, $CO_2$, and CO were detected around the wavelengths of 3.0, 4.26, and $4.67{\mu}m$, respectively. In addition, we revealed the XCN ice feature, which is attributed to high energy UV photons produced by the episodic burst accretion. The comparisons of the ice abundances of our targets with those of other YSOs observed previously with AKARI IRC imply that the three VeLLOs had experienced burst accretions although they are now in a very quiescent phase.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.49.2-49.2
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• 2019

We present results from our long-term observing campaign, using the NASA IRTF at Maunakea, to obtain 2 - 4 ㎛ spectra of 118 red point sources in the line of sight to the Galactic Center (GC). Our sample is largely composed of point sources selected from near- and mid-infrared photometry, but also includes a number of massive young stellar objects. Many of these sources show high foreground extinction as shown by deep 3.4 ㎛ aliphatic hydrocarbon absorption feature, which is a characteristic of the diffuse ISM and comes from the long line of sight through the diffuse medium toward the Central Molecular Zone (CMZ), the central 300 pc region of the GC. The deep 3.1 ㎛ H₂O ice absorption band coming from the local, dense material in the GC CMZ suggests that most sources are likely located in the GC CMZ. A few of these sources show weak CCH₃OH ice absorption at 3.535 ㎛, which can provide a strong constraint on the CCH₃OH ice formation in the unique environment of the CMZ. From the best-fitting models, the optical depths of these features are determined and used to generate a well-rounded view of the ice composition across the GC CMZ and the spectral characteristics of massive YSOs in the GC.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.67.2-67.2
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• 2010

We present results of searching for the Very Low Luminosity Objects (VeLLOs; internal luminosity : $L_{int}$ < $0.1(d/140pc)^2\;L\odot$) in the Gould's Belt clouds using observations from 3.6 to 70 micron by the Spitzer Space Telescope. The clouds are California, Chamaeleon I, III, Musca, Lupus V, VI, Scorpius, Serpens, Corona Australis, Cepheus, and IC 5146 having the properties of active low-mass star-forming such as the Taurus cloud. The observing sensitivity of the Spitzer data is estimated to be about $L_{int}\;\geq\;5\times10^{-3}(d/140pc)^2\;L\odot$, a factor of 20 better than that of the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS). The observing data were processed by the c2d Legacy pipeline. As the criteria to select the VeLLOs, we slightly modified previous ones by Dunham et al. The most important criterion is a flux density at 70 micron that is directly converted to the internal luminosity. Also, we used additional criteria to remove the contamination of evolved stars and extragalaxies which have colors or SEDs very similar to YSOs. We identified a total of 64 new embedded VeLLO candidates with $L_{int}$ < $0.1(d/140pc)^2\;L\odot$, consisting of 8 in California, 15 in Chamaeleon-Musca, 13 in Scorpius-Lupus, 20 in Serpens, 3 in Corona Australis, 3 in Cepheus, and 2 in IC 5146. The classification of the spectral index (${\alpha}$) fitted to the shape of the Ks-24 micron SEDs shows most of VeLLO candidates (89%) are in types of Class I and Flat spectrum. We plot various diagrams based on their 2MASS-Spitzer bands colors and magnitudes to discuss properties of the VeLLOs. This search will lead us new adventure toward a future systematic study of the VeLLOs.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.65.2-65.2
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• 2018

Through MIRIS $Pa{\alpha}$ Galactic plane survey, a lot of $Pa{\alpha}$ blobs were detected along the plane. To reveal their characteristics, we are planning to collect NIR high-resolution spectroscopic data for them by using Immersion GRating INfrared Spectrograph (IGRINS). Here, we present the preliminary results of the IGRINS observations for a Herbig Be star, MWC 1080, which is one of the $Pa{\alpha}$ blobs detected in Cepheus. This Herbig Be star is known to possess a lot of young stellar objects (YSOs) and bright MIR ($10-20{\mu}m$) nebulosity in its vicinity. From IPHAS $H{\alpha}$ data, we revealed large extended $H{\alpha}$ features that correlate well with MIR and 13CO morphologies around MWC 1080. A part of the $H{\alpha}$ features shows a bow shock shape to the northeast of the primary star MWC 1080A, which seems to be due to an outflow from MWC 1080A. Through IGRINS observations, we detected faint [Fe II] ${\lambda}1.644{\mu}m$ and H2 1-0 S(1) ${\lambda}2.122{\mu}m$ emission lines around the bow shock feature. Interestingly, to the east region of MWC 1080A, we also detected strong [Fe II] and H2 emission lines with a couple of velocity components, which suggests the detection of a new outflow from another YSO. Broad $Br{\gamma}$ ${\lambda}2.1662{\mu}m$ line and H2 lines with various velocity components were detected around the bright MIR and $H{\alpha}$ nebulosity as well.