• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.249-254
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• 2008

We report the distance modulus of nearby dwarf irregular galaxy NGC 6822 estimated from the so-called Tip of Red-giant Branch (TRGB) method. To detect the apparent magnitudes of the TRGB we use the color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) and luminosity functions (LFs) in the near-infrared JHK bands. Foreground stars, main-sequence stars, and supergiant stars have been classified on the (g - K, g) plane and removed on the near-infrared CMDs, from which only RGB and AGB stars are remained on the CMDs and LFs. By applying the Savitzky-Golay filter to the obtained LFs and detecting the peak in the second derivative of the observed LFs, we determined the apparent magnitudes of the TRGB. Theoretical absolute magnitudes of the TRGB are estimated from Yonsei-Yale isochrones with the age of 12Gyr and the metallicity range of -2.0 <[Fe/H]< -0.5. The derived values of distance modulus to NGC 6822 are (m - M) = $23.35{\pm}0.26$, $23.20{\pm}0.42$, and $23.27{\pm}0.50$ for J, H, and K bands, respectively. Distance modulus in bolometric magnitude is also derived as (m - M) = $23.41{\pm}0.17$. We compare the derived values of the TRGB distance modulus to NGC 6822 in the near-infrared bands with the previous results in other bands.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.30.1-30.1
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• 2016

We have estimated a metallicity map of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) using the Magellanic Cloud Photometric Survey (MCPS) and Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment (OGLE III) photometric data. This is a first of its kind, high-spatial resolution map of metallicity up to a radius of $4^{\circ}-5^{\circ}$, derived using large area photometric data and calibrated using spectroscopic data of Red Giant Branch (RGB) stars. The RGB is identified in the V, (V - I) colour- magnitude diagrams of small subregions of varying sizes in both data sets. The slope of the RGB is used as an indicator of the mean metallicity of a subregion, and it is calibrated to metallicity using spectroscopic data for field and cluster red giants in selected subregions. The mean metallicity of the LMC is found to be [Fe/H] = -0.37 dex (${\sigma}[Fe/H]=0.12$) from MCPS data, and [Fe/H] = -0.39 dex (${\sigma}[Fe/H]=0.10$) from OGLE III data. The bar is found to have an uniform and higher metallicity compared to the disk, and is indicative of an active bar in the past. Both the data sets suggest a shallow radial metallicity gradient up to a radius of 4 kpc ($-0.049{\pm}0.002$ dex kpc-1 to $-0.066{\pm}0.006$ dex kpc-1). This metallicity gradient of the LMC disk, though shallow, resembles the gradient seen in spiral galaxies, and similar to that found in our Galaxy.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.169-175
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• 1995

Deep V I CCD photometry of the Pegasus dwarf irregular galaxy shows that the tip of the red giant branch (RGB) is located at I = $21.15{\pm}0.10$ mag and (V - I) = $1.58{\pm}0.03$. Using the I magnitude of the tip of the RGB (TRGB), the distance modulus of the Pegasus galaxy is estimated to be $(m\;-\;M)_o\;=\;25.13{\pm}0.11$ mag (corresponding to a distance of d = $1060{\pm}50$ kpc). This result is in a good agreement with the recent distance estimate based on the TRGB method by Aparicio [1994, ApJ, 437, L27],$ (m\;-\;M)_o$ = 24.9 (d = 950 kpc). However, our distance estimate is much smaller than that based on the Cepheid variable candidates by Hoessel et al.[1990, AJ, 100, 1151], $(m\;-\;M)_o\;=\;26.22{\pm}0.20$ (d = $1750{\pm}160$ kpc) mag. The color-magnitude diagram illustrates that the Cepheid candidates used by Hoessel et al.are not located in the Cepheid instability strip, but in the upper part of the giant branch. This result shows that the Cepheid candidates studied by Hoessel et al.are probably not Cepheids, but other types of variable stars. Taking the average of our distance estimate and Aparicio's, the distance to the Pegasus galaxy is d= $1000{\pm}80$ kpc. Considering the distance and velocity of the Pegasus galaxy with respect to the center of the Local Group, we conclude that the Pegasus galaxy is probably a member of the Local Group.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.76-76
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• 2013

The current hierarchical model of galaxy formation predicts that galaxy halos contain merger relics in the form of long stellar streams. In order to find stellar substructures in galaxy, we focused our investigation on the stellar spatial density around globular clusters and on the quantitative properties of the evolved sequences in the color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs). First, we investigated the spatial configuration of stars around five metal-poor globular clusters in halo region (M15, M30, M53, NGC 5053, and NGC 5466) and one metal-poor globular cluster in bulge region (NGC 6626). Our findings indicate that all of these globular clusters show strong evidence of extratidal features in the form of extended tidal tails around the clusters. The orientations of the extratidal features show the signatures of tidal tails tracing the clusters' orbits and the effects of dynamical interactions with the galaxy. These features were also confirmed by the radial surface density profiles and azimuthal number density profiles. Our results suggest that these six globular clusters are potentially associated with the satellite galaxies merged into the Milky Way. Second, we derived the morphological parameters of the red giant branch (RGB) from the near-infrared CMDs of 12 metal-poor globular clusters in the Galactic bulge. The photometric RGB shape indices such as colors at fixed magnitudes, magnitudes at fixed colors, and the RGB slope were measured for each cluster. The magnitudes of the RGB bump and tip were also estimated. The derived RGB parameters were used to examine the overall behavior of the RGB morphology as a function of cluster metallicity. The behavior of the RGB shape parameters was also compared with the previous observational calibration relation and theoretical predictions of the Yonsei-Yale isochrones. Our results of studies for stellar spatial distribution around globular clusters and the morphological properties of RGB stars in globular clusters could add further observational evidence of merging scenario of galaxy formation.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.46.4-47
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• 2015

Carnegie Hubble Program II (hereafter CHP II) is a large Hubble Space Telescope (HST) observing campaign in the cycle 22 composed of a total of 184 orbits (132 primes + 52 parallels), which aims to measure H0 directly with an unprecedented accuracy. Unlike our previous efforts in CHP I which used Cepheids as a yardstick, CHP II takes the Population II (Pop II) distance indicators such as RR Lyraes and tip of the red giant branch stars (TRGBs) to set up a new calibration to Type Ia supernovae (SN Ia) distance. The Pop II distance scales have two immediate advantages over the classical Cepheid method: 1) The period-luminosity relation of the RR Lyrae has a scatter that is a factor of 2 smaller; 2) The RR Lyrae/TRGB distance scale can be applied to both elliptical and spiral galaxies. This will provide a great systematic benefit by ultimately allowing us to double the number of SN Ia distances based on geometry. By taking advantage of this Pop II route, we expect to measure H0 value to 3 % of error which will be the highest accuracy H0 measurement to date using the "Distance Ladder" method. In this talk I will present a brief background/overview on the CHP II, observations/data acquisition status, and ongoing research progress/preliminary results.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.421-424
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• 2009

The $JHK_S$ magnitudes of the red giant branch tip (TRGB) and the distance moduli of the nearby dwarf irregular galaxy IC 1613 have been determined from the near-infrared luminosity functions (LFs) of the resolved stars in the galaxy. Applying a Savitzky-Golay filtering, we derived the second derivatives of the LFs, and estimated the apparent magnitudes of the TRGB as $m_J\;=\;19.1$, $m_H\;=\;18.4$, and $m_{Ks}\;=\;18.0$. The mean values of the theoretical absolute magnitudes of the TRGB were measured by using the Yonsei-Yale isochrones with a metallicity range of -2.1 < [Fe/H] < -0.5 and age of 12 Gyr. The derived values of near-infrared TRGB distance moduli for IC 1613 are (m - M) = $24.12{\pm}0.25$, $24.20{\pm}0.44$, and $24.00{\pm}0.52$ for J, H, and $K_S$ bands, respectively.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.51.2-51.2
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• 2014

Ultra faint dwarf galaxies (UFDs) are larger but fainter than globular clusters, being the faintest galaxies in the universe. They have been found only in the Local Group. We report the discovery of an UFD in the intracluster field of the Virgo cluster (Virgo UFD1). It is located near the core of Virgo cluster, and far from any massive galaxies. The color magnitude diagram of resolved stars in Virgo UFD1 shows narrow, metal poor red giant branch (RGB), which is very similar to the UFDs in the Local Group. by comparing RGB in this galaxy with 12 Gyr stellar isochrones, we estimate its distance, $d=16.4{\pm}0.4$ Mpc and mean metallicity, $[Fe/H]=-2.4{\pm}0.4$. We derive its integrated photometric properties and structural parameters : V-band absolute magnitude of $MV=-6.3{\pm}0.2$, effective radius of $84{\pm}7pc$, and central surface brightness of ${\mu}V,0=26.49{\pm}0.09$ mag arcsec-2. These properties are similar to these of Local Group UFDs. Virgo UFD1 is the first UFD discovered beyond the Local Group. These results indicate that it may be a fossil remnant of the first galaxies.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.43.4-44
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• 2016

The presence of multiple stellar populations is now well established in most globular clusters (GCs) in the Milky Way. The origin of this phenomenon, however, is yet to be understood. In this respect, the study of NGC 2808, an intriguing GC which hosts subpopulations with extreme helium abundances, would help to resolve this problem. In order to investigate chemical abundance patterns among different subpopulations in this GC, we have performed low-resolution spectroscopy for the red-giant-branch (RGB) stars and measured CN & CH bands, and Ca line strength. We have identified at least three subpopulations from the CN abundance distribution. This GC shows CN-CH anti-correlation following the general trend among "normal" GCs. In addition, we have cross-matched our results with the high-resolution data in literature, and found a tight correlation between CN strength and sodium abundance. However, CN is anticorrelated with oxygen abundance, as expected from the well known N(&Na)-O anticorrelation. In this talk, we will discuss the implication of these results.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.41-69
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• 1985

For the well observed 16 globular clusters with known metal abundance (Z), the helium abundances (Y) and ages are determined by various methods, and the relations between Y, Z and age are examined. The luminosity $L_{RR}$ of RR Lyrae stars is known to be dependent of evolutionary models and pulsation theory in the sense that the pulsation theory and horizontal branch (HB) models yield the anticorrelation between $L_{RR}$ and Z whereas main sequence (MS) and red giant branch (RGB) models yield the direct correlation between them. Similarly the anticorrelation between Y and Z is obtained from the HB models and pulsation theory whereas the direct correlation between them is obtained when the RGB model is applied. The current evolutionary models yield the anticorrelation between Z and age of clusters whenever the direct correlation between Y and Z holds. However when the anticorrelation between Y and Z is applied for age determination, the similar age of clusters is obtained as shown by Sandage (1982b). The ages, which are determined by the fitting of C-M diagrams to isochrones in the ($M_v$, B-V)-plane, suggest the two different chemical enrichment processes, which could be accounted for by the disk-halo model for the chemical evolution of the Galaxy (Lee and Ann 1981). Also it is known that the R-method is very useful for Y-determination and the derived Y's show the increasing rate of $\frac{{\Delta}Y}{{\Delta}Z}{\simeq}0.5$ which is comparable to the observed value of $\frac{{\Delta}Y}{{\Delta}Z}{\simeq}0.3$ from HII regions and planetary nebulae by Peimbert and Torres-Peimbert (1976). In this case, the age-metallicity relation of globular clusters could be explained by the disk-halo model.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.45.1-45.1
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• 2013

Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) are a powerful tool to investigate the expansion history of the universe, because their peak luminosity is as bright as a galaxy and is known as an excellent standard candle. Since the discovery of the acceleration of the universe based on the observations of SNe Ia, higher than ever accuracy of their peak luminosity is needed to investigate various problems in cosmology. We started a project to improve the accuracy of the calibration of the peak luminosity of SNe Ia by measuring accurate distances to nearby resolved galaxies that host SNe Ia. We derive accurate distances to the SN Ia host galaxies using the method to measure the luminosity of the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB). In this study we present the results for M66 and M96 in the Leo I Group which are nearby spiral galaxies hosting SN 1989B and SN 1998bu, respectively. We obtain VI photometry of resolved stars in these galaxies from F555W and F814W images in the Hubble Space Telescope archive. We derive the distances to these galaxies from the luminosity of the TRGB. With these results we derive absolute maximum magnitudes of two SNe (SN 1989B in M66 and SN 1998bu in M96). We derive a value of the Hubble constant from the optical magnitudes of these SNe Ia and SN 2011fe in M101 based on our TRGB analysis. This value is similar to the values derived from recent estimates from WMAP9 and Planck results, but smaller than other recent determinations based on Cepheid calibration for SNe Ia luminosity.