• The Journal of Korean Institute of Electromagnetic Engineering and Science
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.463-470
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• 2016

In this paper, we introduce a method of scattering centers extraction using the polarimetric data. VIRAF software based on the PO (Physical Optics) and PTD(Physical Theory of Diffraction) were used to calculate the surface scattering and the edge or wedge scattering, respectively. In addition, by using the unitary transformation, 4-channel data based on the linear polarization basis were converted to 2-channel data based on the left/vertical-circular polarization basis, leading to data compression coherently. The scattering mechanism was analyzed in terms of the polarization states and different look angles by using the scattering center of a target extracted by the 2D RELAX algorithm.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.50.2-50.2
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• 2017

Spatial distribution of atmosphereless bodies in the solar system provides an important clue as to their origins, namely asteroids from Mainbelt or comets from outer solar system. It is, however, difficult to distinguish asteroids and dormant comets due to their similar appearances. In this study, we conducted a unique observation to differentiate asteroids and dormant comets in terms of 'polarimetry'. We observed (331471) 1984 QY1 (hereafter QY1) at large phase angles using the Multi-Spectral Imager (MSI) on the 1.6-m Pirka Telescope from UT 2016 May 25 to June 24. QY1 is a dormant comet candidate in terms of the dynamical properties (i.e. the Tisserand parameter with respect to Jupiter, TJ = 2.68). We analyzed the polarization degree of QY1 as a function of phase angle and found its maximum polarization degree, $Pmax=8.68{\pm}0.28%$ and $8.72{\pm}0.38%$, in RC-and V-band, respectively, around the phase angle of ${\alpha}=100^{\circ}$. In addition, we obtained the geometric albedo, $pV=0.16{\pm}0.02$ by means of an empirical slope-albedo law. The polarimetric properties and the albedo value we acquired are similar to those of S-type asteroids rather than cometary nuclei. In this presentation, we introduce our observation and findings. In addition, we further discuss a dynamical transportation process from Mainbelt to the current orbit.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.285-298
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• 2015

Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) with bright radio jets offer the opportunity to study the structure of and physical conditions in relativistic outflows. For such studies, multi-frequency polarimetric very long baseline interferometric (VLBI) observations are important as they directly probe particle densities, magnetic field geometries, and several other parameters. We present results from first-epoch data obtained by the Korean VLBI Network (KVN) within the frame of the Plasma Physics of Active Galactic Nuclei (PAGaN) project. We observed seven radio-bright nearby AGN at frequencies of 22, 43, 86, and 129 GHz in dual polarization mode. Our observations constrain apparent brightness temperatures of jet components and radio cores in our sample to > 10^8.01 K and > 10^9.86 K, respectively. Degrees of linear polarization m_L are relatively low overall: less than 10%. This indicates suppression of polarization by strong turbulence in the jets. We found an exceptionally high degree of polarization in a jet component of BL Lac at 43 GHz, with m_L ~ 40%. Assuming a transverse shock front propagating downstream along the jet, the shock front being almost parallel to the line of sight can explain the high degree of polarization.

• The Journal of Korean Institute of Electromagnetic Engineering and Science
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• v.17 no.12 s.115
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• pp.1172-1180
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• 2006

The backscattering coefficients of a bare soil surface were measured using an R-band polarimetric scatterometer, which were used to verify the validities of scattering models and inversion algorithms. The soil moisture contents and the surface roughness parameters (the RMS height and correlation length) were also measured from the soil surface. The backscattering coefficients were obtained from several scattering models with these surface parameters, and the computation results were compared with the measured backscattering coefficients. The soil moisture contents of the surface were retrieved from the measured backscattering coefficients, and compared with the measured surface parameters. This paper shows how well the scattering models agree with the measurements, and also shows the inversion results.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.86.1-86.1
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• 2011

We are developing a new universal spectropolarimeter on the Domeless Solar Telescope (DST) at the Hida Observatory to realize precise spectropolarimetric observations in a wide range of wavelength in visible and near infrared. The system aims to open a new window of plasma diagnostics by using Zeeman effect, Hanle effect, Stark effect, impact polarization, and atomic polarization for measuring the external magnetic field, electric field, or an anisotropy in the excitation of the atoms. The polarimeter is a successor of formerly developed polarimeter on DST, which make possible to observe a polarization in a photospheric spectral line with polarimetric accuracy of 10-2 (Kiyohara et al. 2004). The new system consists of a 60cm aperture vacuum telescope, a high dispersion vacuum spectrograph, polarization modulator / analyzer composed of a rotating waveplate whose retardation is constant for a wide range of wavelength and Wallaston prism, and a fast and large format CCD camera or IR camera. Spectral images in both orthogonal polarizations are taken simultaneously with a frame rate of ~20Hz while the waveplate rotates continuously in a rate of 1rev./sec. Thus It takes 5 ~ 60 sec to observe polarization with accuracy of 10-3 in a wide wavelength range (400 - 1100nm). We also examined a polarimetric model of the telescope with accuracy of 10-3 to calibrate instrumental polarization on some wavelengths. In this talk, I will focus on the performance of the instrument.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.34 no.6_1
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• pp.969-979
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• 2018

This paper presents reflection symmetry of polarimetric SAR over the Amazon rainforest in terms of correlation coefficients between the pairs of HH- and HV-pol and VV- and VH-pol data by ALOS PALSAR. The reflection symmetry is defined as a non-zero correlation between HH- and HV-pol and VV- and VH-pol over natural distributed targets, and is a fundamental assumption for cross-talk calibration coefficient computation and for three-component decomposition for polarimetric SAR data. The Amazon rainforest is especially one of the common global reference sites for the reflection symmetry. The correlation coefficients for the pairs of reflection symmetry obtained in this study range from 0.018 to 0.097. The results imply that there exists a non-negligible dependency between co-pol and cross-pol in the distributed natural targets, and consequently the non-zero correlation must be considered as a potential contribution to errors of spaceborne SAR polarimetry to some extent.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.44.4-45
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• 2018

(4179) Toutatis (Toutatis hereafter) is one of the Near-Earth Asteroids which has been studied most rigorously not only via ground-based photometric, spectroscopic, polarimetric, and radar observations, but also via the in-situ observation by the Chinese Chang'e-2 spacecraft. However, one of the most fundamental physical properties, the geometric albedo, is less determined. In order to derive the reliable geometric albedo and further study the physical condition on the surface, we made photometric observations of Toutatis near the opposition (i.e., the opposite direction from the Sun). We thus observed it for four days on 2018 April 7-13 using three 1.6-m telescopes, which consist of the Korean Microlensing Telescope Network (KMTNet). Since the asteroid has a long rotational period (5.38 and 7.40 days from Chang'e-2, Zhao et al., 2015), the continuous observations with KMTNet matches the purpose of our photometric study of the asteroid. The observed data cover the phase angle (Sun-asteroid-observer's angle) of 0.65-2.79 degree. As a result, we found that the observed data exhibited the magnitude changes with an amplitude of ~0.8 mag. We calculated the time-variable geometrical cross-section using the radar shape model (Hudson & Ostro 1995), and corrected the effect from the observed data to derive the geometric albedo. In this presentation, we will present our photometric results. In addition, we will discuss about the regolith particles size together with the polarimetric properties based on the laboratory measurements of albedo-polarization maximum.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.45.1-45.1
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• 2021

The polarization degree as a function of phase angle (the Sun-target-observer's angle), so-called the polarimetric phase curves (PPC), have provided priceless information on asteroids' albedos since B. Lyot (1929). Succeeding experimental works in 1970s have confirmed the Umow law: There is a universal and strong correlation between the albedo and the PPC slope (slope of the tangential line at the zero of the PPC at phase angle ~ 20 degrees). Experiments in 1990s (ref [1]), on the other hand, have demonstrated that the negative branch of PPC is dependent on the size parameter (X ~ π * particle-size / wavelength), especially when X <~5. The change in particle size changed the minimum polarization degree, location of the minimum, and the width of the negative branch (called the inversion angle). From polarimetry[2] and spectroscopy[3], large asteroids are expected to be covered with fine (<~ 10 ㎛ size) particles due to the gravity. The size parameters are X ~ 30 at the optical wavelength (λ ~ 0.5 ㎛) and X ~ 10 in near-infrared (J, H, Ks bands; λ ~ 1.2-2.2 ㎛), if the representative particle size of 5 ㎛ is considered. Accordingly, the near-infrared polarimetry has a great potential to validate the idea in ref[1]. We conducted near-infrared photopolarimetry of the large asteroid (4) Vesta using the Nishiharima Infrared Camera (NIC) at Nishi-Harima Astronomical Observatory (NHAO). NIC allows simultaneous polarimetric measurements in J, H, and Ks bands, and thus the change of PPC is obtained for three different size parameters. As a result, we found a signature of the change in the negative branch in the PPC of asteroid (4) Vesta. We will introduce our observation and the results and give an interpretation of the regolith on Vesta.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.191-201
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• 2011

Soybean has widely grown for its edible bean which has numerous uses. Microwave remote sensing has a great potential over the conventional remote sensing with the visible and infrared spectra due to its all-weather day-and-night imaging capabilities. In this investigation, a ground-based polarimetric scatterometer operating at multiple frequencies was used to continuously monitor the crop conditions of a soybean field. Polarimetric backscatter data at L, C, and X-bands were acquired every 10 minutes on the microwave observations at various soybean stages. The polarimetric scatterometer consists of a vector network analyzer, a microwave switch, radio frequency cables, power unit and a personal computer. The polarimetric scatterometer components were installed inside an air-conditioned shelter to maintain constant temperature and humidity during the data acquisition period. The backscattering coefficients were calculated from the measured data at incidence angle $40^{\circ}$ and full polarization (HH, VV, HV, VH) by applying the radar equation. The soybean growth data such as leaf area index (LAI), plant height, fresh and dry weight, vegetation water content and pod weight were measured periodically throughout the growth season. We measured the temporal variations of backscattering coefficients of the soybean crop at L, C, and X-bands during a soybean growth period. In the three bands, VV-polarized backscattering coefficients were higher than HH-polarized backscattering coefficients until mid-June, and thereafter HH-polarized backscattering coefficients were higher than VV-, HV-polarized back scattering coefficients. However, the cross-over stage (HH > VV) was different for each frequency: DOY 200 for L-band and DOY 210 for both C and X-bands. The temporal trend of the backscattering coefficients for all bands agreed with the soybean growth data such as LAI, dry weight and plant height; i.e., increased until about DOY 271 and decreased afterward. We plotted the relationship between the backscattering coefficients with three bands and soybean growth parameters. The growth parameters were highly correlated with HH-polarization at L-band (over r=0.92).

• Proceedings of the KSRS Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.441-441
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• 2002

In order to ensure a balance between economic development and a healthy Mekong Basin environment supporting natural resources diversity and productivity critical to the livelihood of its 65 million inhabitants, the Mekong River Commission (MRC) has been investigating the use of radar to remotely characterize and monitor the diversity, complexity, size and connectivity of the Basin's aquatic habitats. The PACRIM AIRSAR Mission provided an opportunity to evaluate the usefulness of radar technology to derive information for assessing, forecasting and mitigating possible cumulative and long-term impacts of development on the natural environment and the people's livelihood. This paper presents the results of mapping wetland cover types using multi-polarimetric radar for an area of the north-western corner of the Tonle Sap basin with data acquired from the AIRSAR Mission in September 2000. The implementation of a newly developed segmentation classification routine used to derive the image classification is described and the results of a fieldwork campaign to check the classification is presented.