• 천문학회지
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• 제47권1호
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• pp.15-39
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• 2014

Polarization is a basic property of light and is fundamentally linked to the internal geometry of a source of radiation. Polarimetry complements photometric, spectroscopic, and imaging analyses of sources of radiation and has made possible multiple astrophysical discoveries. In this article I review (i) the physical basics of polarization: electromagnetic waves, photons, and parameterizations; (ii) astrophysical sources of polarization: scattering, synchrotron radiation, active media, and the Zeeman, Goldreich-Kylafis, and Hanle effects, as well as interactions between polarization and matter (like birefringence, Faraday rotation, or the Chandrasekhar-Fermi effect); (iii) observational methodology: on-sky geometry, influence of atmosphere and instrumental polarization, polarization statistics, and observational techniques for radio, optical, and $X/{\gamma}$ wavelengths; and (iv) science cases for astronomical polarimetry: solar and stellar physics, planetary system bodies, interstellar matter, astrobiology, astronomical masers, pulsars, galactic magnetic fields, gamma-ray bursts, active galactic nuclei, and cosmic microwave background radiation.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• 제36권3호
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• pp.105-113
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• 2019

Spectroscopic observations of barium star ${\zeta}$ Capricornus (HD204075) obtained at the 8.2 m telescope of the European Southern Observatory, with a spectral resolving power R = 80,000 and signal to noise ratio greater than 300, were used to refine the atmospheric parameters. We found new values for effective temperature ($T_{eff}=5,300{\pm}50K$), surface gravity ($log\;g=1.82{\pm}0.15$), micro-turbulent velocity ($v_{micro}=2.52{\pm}0.10km/s$), and iron abundance ($log\;N(Fe)=7.32{\pm}0.06$). Previously published abundances of chemical elements in the atmosphere of HD204075 were analyzed and no correlations of these abundances with the second ionization potentials of these elements were found. This excludes the possible influence of accretion of hydrogen and helium atoms from the interstellar or circumstellar environment to the atmosphere of this star. The accretion of nuclear processed matter from the evolved binary companion was primary cause of the abundance anomalies. The young age of HD204075 allows an estimation of the time-scale for the creation of the abundance anomalies arising from accretion of interstellar hydrogen and helium as is the case of stars with low magnetic fields; which we estimate should exceed $10^8$ years.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• 제28권1호
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• pp.13-16
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• 2011

The $CH_3OH$ $4_2-5_1$ E transition was observed toward the Sgr B2 region, including the Principal Cloud and its surroundings. This methanol transition shows an extended emission along the 2'N cloud, which is believed to be colliding with the Principal Cloud and may trigger the massive star formation in this cloud. This extended methanol emission may also suggest that the 2'N cloud is under shocks. We derive total methanol column density $N(CH_3OH)\;=\;2.9{\pm}0.3{\times}10^{14}\;cm^{-2}$ toward the peak position of the extended emission. The fractional abundance of methanol is about 10.9, relative to the estimated total $H_2$ abundance, which is similar to the methanol abundances in quiet gas phase.

• 천문학회지
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• 제29권spc1호
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• pp.195-196
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• 1996

We observed CO J = 2 $\to$ 1 and J = 3 $\to$ 2 lines toward several star formation regions with extremely high velocity (EHV) outflows: W3 IRS5, W28 A2, GL2591, S140, and Cepheus A. The full width of the wings are 90-235 km $s^{-1}$. Some wings show clear break of slope in the line profile implying that the nature of the EHV outflow is different from that of the high velocity outflow. We suggest that the EHV CO wing emission is tracing CO molecules in the stellar wind or jet which drives the high velocity outflow.

• 천문학논총
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• 제27권4호
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• pp.353-356
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• 2012

We present new constraints on the cosmic optical background (COB) obtained from an analysis of the Pioneer 10/11 Imaging Photopolarimeter (IPP) data. After careful examination of the data quality, the usable measurements free from the zodiacal light are integrated into sky maps at the blue (${\sim}0.44{\mu}m$) and red (${\sim}0.64{\mu}m$) bands. Accurate starlight subtraction was achieved by referring to all-sky star catalogs and a Galactic stellar population synthesis model down to 32.0 mag. We find that the residual light is separated into two components: one component shows a clear correlation with the thermal $100{\mu}m$ brightness, whilst the other shows a constant level in the lowest $100{\mu}m$ brightness region. The presence of the second component is significant after all the uncertainties and possible residual light in the Galaxy are taken into account, thus it most likely has an extragalactic origin (i.e., the COB). The derived COB brightness is ($(1.8{\pm}0.9){\times}10^{-9}$ and $(1.2{\pm}0.9){\times}10^{-9}\;erg\;s^{-1}\;cm^{-2}\;sr^{-1}\;{\AA}^{-1}$ in the blue and red spectral regions, respectively, or $7.9{\pm}4.0$ and $7.7{\pm}5.8\;nW\;m^{-2}\;sr^{-1}$. Based on a comparison with the integrated brightness of galaxies, we conclude that the bulk of the COB is comprised of normal galaxies which have already been resolved by the current deepest observations. There seems to be little room for contributions from other populations including "first stars" at these wavelengths. On the other hand, the first component of the IPP residual light represents the diffuse Galactic light (DGL)-scattered starlight by the interstellar dust. We derive the mean DGL-to-$100{\mu}m$ brightness ratios of $2.1{\times}10^{-3}$ and $4.6{\times}10^{-3}$ at the two bands, which are roughly consistent with previous observations toward denser dust regions. Extended red emission in the diffuse interstellar medium is also confirmed.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• 제38권3호
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• pp.175-183
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• 2021

The dependencies of the chemical element abundances in stellar atmospheres with respect to solar abundances on the second ionization potentials of the same elements were investigated using the published stellar abundance patterns for 1,149 G and K giants in the Local Region of the Galaxy. The correlations between the relative abundances of chemical elements and their second ionization potentials were calculated for groups of stars with effective temperatures between 3,764 and 7,725 K. Correlations were identified for chemical elements with second ionization potentials of 12.5 eV to 20 eV and for elements with second ionization potentials higher than 20 eV. For the first group of elements, the correlation coefficients were positive for stars with effective temperatures lower than 5,300 K and negative for stars with effective temperatures from 5,300 K to 7,725 K. The results of this study and the comparison with earlier results for hotter stars confirm the variations in these correlations with the effective temperature. A possible explanation for the observed effects is the accretion of hydrogen and helium atoms from the interstellar medium.

• 천문학논총
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• 제27권4호
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• pp.111-116
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• 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.

• 천문학회보
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• 제41권2호
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• pp.57.2-57.2
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• 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.

• 천문학회지
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• 제41권2호
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• pp.23-37
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• 2008

The high-resolution optical region spectroscopic data of the symbiotic nova AG Peg secured with the Hamilton Echelle Spectrograph at the Lick Observatory, have been analyzed along with the International Ultraviolet Explorer UV archive data. We measure about 700 line intensities in the wavelengths of 3859 to $9230{\AA}$ and identify about 300 lines. We construct pure photoionization models that represent the observed lines and the physical condition for this symbiotic nova. The spectral energy distribution of the ionizing radiation is adopted from stellar model atmospheres. Based on photoionization models, we derive the elemental abundances; C & N appear to be similar to be smaller than the Galactic planetary nebular value while O is enhanced. Our result is compared with the Contini (1997, 2003) who analyzed the UV region spectral data with the shock + ionization model. The Fe abundance appears to be enhanced than that of normal planetary nebulae, which suggests that AG Peg may have formed in the Galactic disk. The models indicate that the temperature of the central star which excite the shell gas may have fluctuated to an unexpected extent during the years 1998 - 2002.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• 제36권3호
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• pp.115-119
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• 2019

This paper is a part of the series on positron annihilation spectroscopy of two-phase diffuse gas-and-dust aggregates, such as interstellar medium and the young remnants of type II supernovae. The results obtained from prior studies were applied here to detect the relationship between the processes of the annihilation of the K-shell electrons and incident positrons, and the effects of these processes on the optical spectra of their respective atoms. Particular attention was paid to the Doppler broadening of their optical lines. The relationship between the atomic mass of the elements and the Doppler broadening, ${\Delta}{\lambda}_D$ (${\AA}$), of their emission lines as produced in these processes was established. This relationship is also illustrated for isotope sets of light elements, namely $^3_2He$, $^6_3Li$, $^7_3Be$, $^{10}_5B$ and $^{11}_5B$. A direct correlation between the ${\gamma}-line$ luminosity ( $E_{\gamma}=1.022MeV$) and ${\Delta}{\lambda}_D$ (${\AA}$) was proved virtually. Qualitative estimates of the structure of such lines depending on the positron velocity distribution function, f(E), were made. The results are presented in tabular form and can be used to set up the objectives of further studies on active galactic nuclei and young remnants of type II supernovae.