• 천문학회보
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• 제40권2호
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• pp.43.3-44
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• 2015

Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) at millimeter wavelengths results in the highest angular resolutions achieved in astronomy and has a unique access to emission regions that are inaccessible with any other approach or at longer wavelengths. The simultaneous multi-frequency VLBI system in the Korean VLBI Network (KVN) is considered one of the most effective systems for compensating the atmospheric phase fluctuations, which is particularly bothersome at mm-VLBI. We have been demonstrating its performance and uniqueness at mm-VLBI observations. As a results, international VLBI partners from Japan, China, Australia and EU have expressed their interest on the KVN style simultaneous multi-frequency system. In this talk, we will report the activities for extending the simultaneous multi-frequency system to global VLBI network and introduce its science driver, measuring AGN core-shift effects.

• 천문학논총
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• 제19권1호
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• pp.93-99
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• 2004

In this paper, we describe a principle of the atomic frequency standard and clock system in VLBI(Very Long Baseline Interferometry). The hydrogen maser is a usual VLBI standard. During VLBI observations, signals emitted by distant sources of radio frequency energy(quasars) are received and recorded at several antennas. At each antenna(VLBI station), a very stable frequency standard(hydrogen maser) provides a reference signal which enables time-tagging to the quasar signals as they are being recorded on magnetic tapes or hard-disk modules. For each VLBl experiment, correlation of the time-tagged recorded information between the participating antennas is used to yield the arrival time differences of any specific quasar radio wave between the antennas. These time differences are used to calculate the relative antennas to each other. In this paper, we also introduce the KVN(Korean VLBI Network) atomic frequency standard and clock system.

• 천문학논총
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• 제30권2호
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• pp.115-118
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• 2015

We made phase-referencing Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) observations of Galactic 22 GHz $H_2O$ maser sources with VLBI Exploration of Radio Astrometry (VERA). We measured the parallax distances of G48.61+0.02, G48.99-0.30, G49.19-0.34, ON1, IRAS 20056+3350, IRAS 20143+3634, ON2N, and IRAS 20126+4104, which are located near the tangent point and the Solar circle. The angular velocity of the Galactic rotation at the LSR (i.e. the ratio of the Galactic constants) is derived using the measured parallax distances and proper motions of these sources. The derived value of ${\Omega}_0=28.8{\pm}1.7km\;s^{-1}kpc^{-1}$ is consistent with recent values obtained using VLBI astrometry but 10% larger than the International Astronomical Union (IAU) recommended value of $25.9km\;s^{-1}kpc^{-1}=(220km\;s^{-1})$ / (8.5 kpc).

• 천문학회보
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• 제44권1호
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• pp.59.1-59.1
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• 2019

Immediate vicinity of a supermassive black hole (SMBH) is an important place to test general relativity in strong gravity regime. Also, this is a place where mass accretion and jet formation actively occurs at the centers of active galaxies. Theoretical studies predict presence of bright ring-like emission encircling an accreting SMBH with a diameter of about 5 Schwarzschild radii, and a flux depression at the center (i.e., BH shadow). Direct imaging of the BH shadow is accordingly of great importance in modern astrophysics. However, the angular sizes of the horizon-scale structures are desperately small (e.g., ~40-50 microarcseconds (uas) diameter for the nearest best candidates). This poses serious challenges to observe them directly. Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) is a global network of sensitive radio telescopes operating at 230 GHz (1.3 mm), providing ultra-high angular resolution of 20 uas by cutting-edge very long baseline interferometry techniques. With this resolution, EHT aims to directly image the nearest SMBHs; M87 and the galactic center Sgr $A{\ast}$ (~40-50 uas diameters). In Spring 2017, the EHT collaboration conducted a global campaign of EHT and multiwavelength observations of M87 and Sgr $A{\ast}$, with addition of the phased ALMA to the 1.3mm VLBI array. In this talk, I review results from past mm-VLBI and EHT observations, provide updates on the results from the 2017 campaign, and future perspectives.

• 융합신호처리학회논문지
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• 제18권1호
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• pp.13-20
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• 2017

본 논문에서는 KVN의 광대역 VLBI 관측을 위한 백엔드 시스템으로써 도입한 32 Gbps 급 관측장비의 기본적인 시험결과에 대해 고찰한다. 천문학자들은 천체의 초미세 구조를 관측하고자 성능이 우수한 큰 전파망원경을 만들고 싶지만, 많은 돈이 소요된다. 따라서 민감도를 높이기 위해 수신시스템의 성능개선이나 넓은 주파수 대역폭을 관측하는 방법을 도입하고 있다. 이를 위해 본 연구에서는 넓은 관측 주파수 대역폭을 관측하기 위해서는 아날로그 신호를 초고속으로 변환하는 광대역 샘플링 방법과 디지털 필터링을 수행하는 광대역 샘플러를 도입하였다. 광대역 샘플러(OCTAD-K)는 최대 16Gsps-2bit 샘플링을 지원하며, 디지털필터링 기술을 이용하여 다양한 관측대역폭의 관측을 지원한다. 특히 KVN의 4주파수 동시관측시스템과 VERA의 2-beam 관측시스템을 지원할 수 있도록 설계되었다. 그리고 편파관측도 지원할 수 있으며, 관측데이터의 출력의 표준 VDIF 형식을 지원한다. 본 논문에서는 광대역 샘플러를 도입하기 전 수행한 공장검수와 현장시험을 수행한 후 시스템의 성능결과와 문제점 해결 등에 대해 자세히 기술한다.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• 제29권1호
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• pp.63-67
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• 2012

Observations with milliarsecond resolution using the Navy Optical Interferometer have been obtained for a number of stellar systems which include high-mass binaries, eclipsing binaries, and radio stars. These observations also reveal the previously unseen companions in single-lined spectroscopic binaries via directly measured flux ratios. We will present examples of published and ongoing research efforts of these systems to illustrate how an optical interferometer contributes to our knowledge of stars, their environment, and companions. These studies include a conclusive revealing of the previously unseen companion in the single-lined binary ${\Phi}$ Herculis, the direct determination of orbital parameters in the wide and close orbits of Algol, and revealing the orbit of ${\beta}$ Lyrae with spatially resolved images of the $H{\alpha}$ emission.

• 한국정밀공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국정밀공학회 2005년도 추계학술대회 논문집
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• pp.188-191
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• 2005

A common feature in various methods of optical interferometry for absolute distance measurements is the use of multiple monochromatic light components either in sequence or in parallel at the same time. Two or multiple wavelength synthesis has been studied though its performance is vulnerable to the frequency instability of the light source. Recently continuous frequency modulation is considered a promising method with availability of wide band tunable diode lasers, which also have frequency instability errors. We can lock frequencies of these third-party light sources to the modes of the femtosecond laser which is stabilized to the precision of the standard radio frequency. To this end, we have stabilized all the modes of the femtosecond laser to the atomic frequency standard by using powerful tools of frequency-domain laser stabilization.

• 천문학회보
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• 제44권1호
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• pp.58.3-58.3
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• 2019

Optical intensity interferometry, developed in the 1950s, is a simple and inexpensive method for achieving angular resolutions on microarcsecond scales. Its low sensitivity has limited intensity interferometric observations to bright stars so far. Substantial improvements are possible by using avalanche photodiodes (APDs) as light detectors. We present here the results of laboratory measurements with a prototype astronomical intensity interferometer using APDs in continuous ("linear") detection mode - arguably, the first of its kind. We used two interferometer configurations, one with zero baseline and one with variable baseline. Using a superluminous diode as light source, we unambiguously detected Hanbury Brown-Twiss photon-photon correlations at very high significance. From measuring the correlation as function of baseline, we measured the angular diameter of the light source, in analogy to the measurement of the angular diameter of a star. Our results demonstrate the possibility to construct large astronomical intensity interferometers that can address a multitude of astrophysical science cases.

• 천문학회지
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• 제48권5호
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• pp.229-236
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• 2015

We report results of investigation of amplitude calibration for very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) observations with Korean VLBI Network (KVN). Amplitude correction factors are estimated based on comparison of KVN observations at 22 GHz correlated by Daejeon hardware correlator and DiFX software correlator in Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) with Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) observations at 22 GHz by DiFX software correlator in National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO). We used the observations for compact radio sources, 3C 454.3, NRAO 512, OJ 287, BL Lac, 3C 279, 1633+382, and 1510–089, which are almost unresolved for baselines in a range of 350-477 km. Visibility data of the sources obtained with similar baselines at KVN and VLBA are selected, fringe-fitted, calibrated, and compared for their amplitudes. We find that visibility amplitudes of KVN observations should be corrected by factors of 1.10 and 1.35 when correlated by DiFX and Daejeon correlators, respectively. These correction factors are attributed to the combination of two steps of 2-bit quantization in KVN observing systems and characteristics of Daejeon correlator.

• 천문학회지
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• 제47권6호
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• pp.235-253
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• 2014

Intensity interferometry, based on the Hanbury Brown-Twiss effect, is a simple and inexpensive method for optical interferometry at microarcsecond angular resolutions; its use in astronomy was abandoned in the 1970s because of low sensitivity. Motivated by recent technical developments, we argue that the sensitivity of large modern intensity interferometers can be improved by factors up to approximately 25 000, corresponding to 11 photometric magnitudes, compared to the pioneering Narrabri Stellar Interferometer. This is made possible by (i) using avalanche photodiodes (APD) as light detectors, (ii) distributing the light received from the source over multiple independent spectral channels, and (iii) use of arrays composed of multiple large light collectors. Our approach permits the construction of large (with baselines ranging from few kilometers to intercontinental distances) optical interferometers at the cost of (very) long-baseline radio interferometers. Realistic intensity interferometer designs are able to achieve limiting R-band magnitudes as good as $m_R{\approx}14$, sufficient for spatially resolved observations of main-sequence O-type stars in the Magellanic Clouds. Multi-channel intensity interferometers can address a wide variety of science cases: (i) linear radii, effective temperatures, and luminosities of stars, via direct measurements of stellar angular sizes; (ii) mass-radius relationships of compact stellar remnants, via direct measurements of the angular sizes of white dwarfs; (iii) stellar rotation, via observations of rotation flattening and surface gravity darkening; (iv) stellar convection and the interaction of stellar photospheres and magnetic fields, via observations of dark and bright starspots; (v) the structure and evolution of multiple stars, via mapping of the companion stars and of accretion flows in interacting binaries; (vi) direct measurements of interstellar distances, derived from angular diameters of stars or via the interferometric Baade-Wesselink method; (vii) the physics of gas accretion onto supermassive black holes, via resolved observations of the central engines of luminous active galactic nuclei; and (viii) calibration of amplitude interferometers by providing a sample of calibrator stars.