• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.39 no.3
• /
• pp.73-80
• /
• 2006

We analyze the extinction law towards several B1V stars-members of our Galaxy, searching for possible discrepancies from the galactic average extinction curve. Our photometric data allow to build extinction curves in a very broad range: from extreme UV till infrared. Two-colour diagrams, based on the collected photometric data from the ANS UV satellite, published UBV measurements and on the infrared 2MASS data of the selected stars, are constructed. Slopes of the fitted straight lines are used to build the average extinction curve and to search for discrepant objects. The selected stars have also been observed spectroscopically from the Terskol and ESO Observatories; these spectra allow to check their Sp/L's. The spectra of only about 30% of the initially selected objects resemble closely that of HD144470, considered as the standard of B1 V type. Other spectra either show some emission features or belong clearly to another spectral types. They are not used to build the extinction curve. Two-colour diagrams, constructed for the selected B1 V stars, showing no emission stellar features, prove that the interstellar extinction law is homogeneous in the Galaxy. Both the shape of the curve and the total-to-selective extinction ratio do not differ from the galactic average and the canonical value(3.1) respectively. The circumstellar emissions usually cause some discrepancies from the average interstellar extinction law; the discrepancies observed in the extraterrestrial ultraviolet, usually follow some misclassifications.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.38 no.1
• /
• pp.55.1-55.1
• /
• 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
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.237-242
• /
• 2012

We have performed a systematic study of interstellar dust grains in various environments of galaxies. AKARI has revealed the detailed properties of dust grains not only in star-forming regions but also in regions not relevant to star formation, some of which are found not to follow our old empirical knowledge. Because of its unique capabilities, AKARI has provided new knowledge on the processing of large grains and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). For example, we detect PAHs from elliptical galaxies, which show unusual spectral features and spatial distributions, demonstrating importance of material processing in the interstellar space. We find that copious amounts of large grains and PAHs are flowing out of starburst galaxies by galactic superwinds, which are being shattered and destroyed in galactic haloes. We discover evidence for graphitization of carbonaceous grains near the center of our Galaxy, providing a clue to understanding the activity of the Galactic center. We review the results obtained from our AKARI program, focusing on the processing of carbonaceous grains in various environments of galaxies.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.29 no.spc1
• /
• pp.171-172
• /
• 1996

We present the results of an rocket-borne observation of far-infrared [CII] line at 157.7 ${\mu}m$ from the diffuse inter-stellar medium in the Ursa Major. We also introduce a part of results on the [CII] emission recently obtained by the IRTS, a liquid-helium cooled 15cm telescope onboard the Space Flyer Unit. From the rocket-borne observation we obtained the cooling rate of the diffuse HI gas due to the [CII] line emission, which is $1.3{\pm}0.2 {\times} 10^{-26}$ $ergss^{-1} H^{-1}_{atom}$. We also observed appreciable [CII] emission from the molecular clouds, with average CII/CO intensity ratio of 420. The IRTS observation provided the [CII] line emission distribution over large area of the sky along great circles crossing the Galactic plane at I = $50^{\circ}$ and I = $230^{\circ}$. We found two components in their intensity distributions, one concentrates on the Galactic plane and the another extends over at least $20^{\circ}$ in Galactic latitude. We ascribe one component to the emission from the Galactic disk, and the another one to the emission from the local interstellar gas. The [CII] cooling rate of the latter component is $5.6 {\pm} 2.2 {\times}10$.

• Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.111-116
• /
• 2012

Far-infrared observations provide crucial data for the investigation and characterisation of the properties of dusty material in the Interstellar Medium (ISM), since most of its energy is emitted between ~ 100 and $200{\mu}m$. We present the first all-sky image from a sensitive all-sky survey using the Japanese AKARI satellite, in the wavelength range $50-180{\mu}m$. Covering > 99% of the sky in four photometric bands with four filters centred at $65{\mu}m$, $90{\mu}m$, $140{\mu}m$, and $160{\mu}m$ wavelengths, this achieved spatial resolutions from 1 to 2 arcmin and a detection limit of < 10 MJy $sr^{-1}$, with absolute and relative photometric accuracies of < 20%. All-sky images of the Galactic dust continuum emission enable astronomers to map the large-scale distribution of the diffuse ISM cirrus, to study its thermal dust temperature, emissivity and column density, and to measure the interaction of the Galactic radiation field and embedded objects with the surrounding ISM. In addition to the point source population of stars, protostars, star-forming regions, and galaxies, the high Galactic latitude sky is shown to be covered with a diffuse filamentary-web of dusty emission that traces the potential sites of high latitude star formation. We show that the temperature of dust particles in thermal equilibrium with the ambient interstellar radiation field can be estimated by using $90{\mu}m$, $140{\mu}m$, and $160{\mu}m$ data. The FIR AKARI full-sky maps provide a rich new data set within which astronomers can investigate the distribution of interstellar matter throughout our Galaxy, and beyond.

• Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.25 no.1
• /
• pp.1-13
• /
• 2010

Astrochemistry provides powerful tools to understand various cosmic phenomena, including those in our solar system to the large-scale structure of the universe. In addition, the chemical property of an astronomical body is a crucial factor which governs the evolution of the system. Recent progress in astrophysical theories, computational modelings, and observational techniques requires a detailed understanding of the interactions between the constituents of an astronomical system, which are atoms and molecules within the system. Especially the far-infrared/sub-millimeter wave range, which is called as the last frontier in astronomical observations, contains numerous molecular lines, which may provide a huge amount of new information. However, we need an astrochemical understanding to use this information fully. Although this review is very limited, I would like to stress the importance of astrochemical approach in this overview for the field, which is getting much more attention than ever before.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.40 no.1
• /
• pp.41.4-42
• /
• 2015

The Immersion Grating Infrared Spectrograph (IGRINS) is the first of a new generation of infrared instruments with high sensitivity, high spectral resolution, and broad spectral grasp. IGRINS, a joint project of the University of Texas and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, designed and constructed by a team at UT, KASI, and Kyung Hee University, has been available to the Korean and Texas communities on the McDonald Observatory 2.7m telescope since 2014 September. On this modest-sized telescope, the instrument has 30 times the spectral grasp of CRIRES at the 8m VLT and is only slightly less sensitive. Already, Korean and UT astronomers have produced a raft of new results in star formation studies, investigations of the interstellar medium, and the nature of cool stars. Several programs are under way to detect and study the atmospheres of exoplanets. We will present highlights from the first 6 months of IGRINS operations and look at the future of IR spectroscopy both with IGRINS and with GMTNIRS, a UT/KASI/KHU instrument for the Giant Magellan Telescope.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.38 no.2
• /
• pp.109-112
• /
• 2005

We present the design, expected performance, and current status of the wide field near-infrared camera (OAOWFC) now being developed at Okayama Astrophysical Observatory, NAOJ, NINS. OAOWFC is a near-infrared survey telescope whose effective aperture is 91cm. It works at Y, J, H, and $K_s$ bands and is dedicated to the survey of long period variable stars in the Galactic plane. The field of view is $0.95 {\times} 0.95 deg^2$ which is covered by one HAWAII-2 RG detector of 2048 ${\times}$ 2048 pixels with the pixel size of $18.5 {\mu}m\;{\times}\;18.5{\mu}m$, that results in the sampling pitch of 1.6 arcsec/pixel. OAOWFC can sweep the area of $840 deg^2$ every 3 weeks, attaining a limiting magnitude of 13 in $K_s$ band. It allows us to observe long period variables embedded in the Galactic plane where interstellar extinction is severe in optical.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.43 no.6
• /
• pp.213-223
• /
• 2010

Young Stellar Objects (YSOs) in the early evolutionary stages are very embedded, and thus they emit most of their energy at long wavelengths such as far-infrared (FIR) and submillimeter (Submm). Therefore, the FIR observational data are very important to classify the accurate evolutionary stages of these embedded YSOs, and to better constrain their physical parameters in the dust continuum modeling. We selected 28 YSOs, which were detected in the AKARI Far-Infrared Surveyor (FIS), from the Spitzer c2d legacy YSO catalogs to test the effect of FIR fluxes on the classification of their evolutionary stages and on the constraining of envelope properties, internal luminosity, and UV strength of the Interstellar Radiation Field (ISRF). According to our test, one can mis-classify the evolutionary stages of YSOs, especially the very embedded ones if the FIR fluxes are not included. In addition, the total amount of heating of YSOs can be underestimated without the FIR observational data.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.41 no.2
• /
• pp.57.2-57.2
• /
• 2016

Polarimetry is an important tool for studying the physical processes in the interstellar medium, including star-forming regions. Polarimetry of young stellar objects and their circumstellar structures provides invaluable information about distributions of matter and configurations of magnetic fields in their environments. However, only a few near-infrared circular polarization (CP) observations were reported so far (before our survey). A systematic near-infrared CP survey has been firstly conducted in various star-forming regions, covering high-mass, intermediate-mass, and low-mass young stellar objects. All the observations were made using the SIRPOL imaging polarimeter on the Infrared Survey Facility (IRSF) 1.4 m telescope at the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO). In this presentation, we present the first CP survey results. The polarization patterns, extents, and maximum degrees of circular and linear polarizations are used to determine the prevalence and origin of CP in the star-forming regions. Our results are explained with a combination of circumstellar scattering and dichroic extinction mechanism generating the high degrees of CP in star-forming regions. The universality of the large and extended CPs in star-formaing regions can also be linked with the origin of homochirality of life.