• Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.32 no.1
• /
• pp.67-71
• /
• 2017

Debris disks are circumstellar dust disks around main-sequence stars. They are important observational clues to understanding the planetary system formation. The zodiacal light is the thermal emission from the dust disk in our Solar system. For a comprehensive understanding of the nature and the evolution of dust disks around main-sequence stars, we try a comparative study of debris disks and the zodiacal light. We search for debris disks using the AKARI mid-infrared all-sky point source catalog. By applying accurate flux estimate of the photospheric emission based on the follow-up near-infrared observations with IRSF, we have improved the detection rate of debris disks. For a detailed study of the structure and grain properties in the zodiacal dust cloud, as an example of dust disks around main-sequence stars, we analyze the AKARI mid-infrared all-sky diffuse maps. As a result of the debris disks search, we found old (>1 Gyr) debris disks which have large excess emission compared to their age, which cannot be explained simply by the conventional steady-state evolution model. From the zodiacal light analysis, we find the possibility that the dust grains trapped in the Earth's resonance orbits have increased by a factor of ~3 in the past ~20 years. Combining these results, we discuss the non-steady processes in debris disks and the zodiacal light.

• Bulletin of the Korean Space Science Society
• /
• 2008.10a
• /
• pp.38.1-38.1
• /
• 2008

Tides caused by the Galactic gravitational field affect the current dynamical structure of globular clusters in the Galaxy. Indeed, the observed feature of tidal tails stretching beyond globular clusters' tidal radii provides a key information of interaction with the gravitational field of the Galaxy and kinematical orbit of the clusters, which can be an evidence of the merging scenario of the Galaxy formation and evolution. To find such a tidal feature, we have studied spatial density distribution of stars around five globular clusters in the Galactic halo and one cluster in the Galactic bulge, for which we have used wide-field deep photometric data of gri and JHK bands obtained from the MegaCam and WIRCam of the CFHT. Applying the statistical contrast filtering of field stars in the color-magnitude plane of detected stars around five halo clusters, we have found features of tidal tails for four clusters M53, M15, NGC 5053, and NGC 5466. The detected over-density tidal features are well aligned with the cluster's orbits and stretched into the direction of the Galactic center. Statistical analysis indicate that these tidal tails are believed to be cluster stars that have escaped due to the tidal effects to the clusters. A similar tidal feature to that of halo clusters is also detected for the bulge cluster NGC 6626, while the over-density feature seems to be extended into the Galactic plane rather than into the orbital direction and the Galactic center. Conclusively, our result adds further observational evidence of the merging scenario of the Galaxy formation and evolution.

• Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.7 no.1
• /
• pp.89-96
• /
• 1992

Recent spectroscopic observations indicate concentration of dark masses in the nuclei of nearby galaxies. This has been usually interpreted as the presence of massive black holes in these nuclei. Alternative explanations such as the dark cluster composed of low mass stars (brown dwarfs) or dark stellar remnants are possible provided that these systems can be stably maintained for the age of galaxies. For the case of low mass star cluster, mass of individual stars can grow to that of conventional stars in collision time scale. The requirement of collision time scale being shorter than the Hubble time gives the minimum cluster size. For typical conditions of M31 or M32, the half-mass radii of dark clusters can be as small as 0.1 arcsecond. For the case of clusters composed of stellar remnants, core-collapse and post-collapse expansion are required to take place in longer than Hubble time. Simple estimates reveal that the size of these clusters also can be small enough that no contradiction with observational data exists for the clusters made of white dwarfs or neutron stars. We then considered the possible outcomes of interactions between the black hole and the surrounding stellar system. Under typical conditions of M31 or M32, tidal disruption will occur every $10^3$ to $10^4$ years. We present a simple scenario for the evolution of stellar debris based on basic principles. While the accretion of stellar material could produce large amount of radiation so that the mass-to-light ratio can become too small compared to observational values it is too early to rule out the black hole model because the black hole can consume most of the stellar debris in time scale much shorter than mean time between two successive tidal disruptions. Finally we outline recent effort to simulate the process of tidal disruption and subsequent evolution of the stellar debris numerically using Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics technique.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.39 no.1
• /
• pp.39.1-39.1
• /
• 2014

We present the results of our analysis of the RR Lyrae (RRL) variable stars detected in two transition-type dwarf galaxies (dTrans), ESO294-G010 and ESO410-G005 in the Sculptor group, which is known to be one of the closest neighboring galaxy groups to our Local Group. Using deep archival images from the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) onboard the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), we have identified a sample of RR Lyrae candidates in both dTrans galaxies [219 RRab (RR0) and 13 RRc (RR1) variables in ESO294-G010; 225 RRab and 44 RRc stars in ESO410-G005]. The metallicities of the individual RRab stars are calculated via the period-amplitude-[Fe/H] relation derived by Alcock et al. This yields mean metallicities of <[Fe/H]>_{ESO294} = -1.77 +/- 0.03 and <[Fe/H]>_{ESO410} = -1.64+/- 0.03. The RRL metallicity distribution functions (MDFs) are investigated further via simple chemical evolution models; these reveal the relics of the early chemical enrichment processes for these two dTrans galaxies. In the case of both galaxies, the shapes of the RRL MDFs are well-described by pre-enrichment models. This suggests two possible channels for the early chemical evolution for these Sculptor group dTrans galaxies: 1) The ancient stellar populations of our target dwarf galaxies might have formed from the star forming gas which was already enriched through "prompt initial enrichment" or an "initial nucleosynthetic spike" from the very first massive stars, or 2) this pre-enrichment state might have been achieved by the end products from more evolved systems of their nearest neighbor, NGC 55.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.55 no.2
• /
• pp.23-36
• /
• 2022

We present a method to determine nitrogen abundance ratios with respect to iron ([N/Fe]) from molecular CN-band features observed in low-resolution (R ~ 2000) stellar spectra obtained by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST). Various tests are carried out to check the systematic and random errors of our technique, and the impact of signal-to-noise (S/N) ratios of stellar spectra on the determined [N/Fe]. We find that the uncertainty of our derived [N/Fe] is less than 0.3 dex for S/N ratios larger than 10 in the ranges T_eff = [4000, 6000] K, log g = [0.0, 3.5], [Fe/H] = [-3.0, 0.0], [C/Fe] = [-1.0, +4.5], and [N/Fe] = [-1.0, +4.5], the parameter space that we are interested in to identify N-enhanced stars in the Galactic halo. A star-by-star comparison with a sample of stars with [N/Fe] estimates available from the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE) also suggests a similar level of uncertainty in our measured [N/Fe], after removing its systematic error. Based on these results, we conclude that our method is able to reproduce [N/Fe] from low-resolution spectroscopic data, with an uncertainty sufficiently small to discover N-rich stars that presumably originated from disrupted Galactic globular clusters.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
• /
• v.40 no.5
• /
• pp.538-547
• /
• 2019

This study analyzes the conceptual understanding of in-service and pre-service earth science teachers about the H-R diagrams and evolution of stars using conceptual status analysis categories. The results show that (a) many teachers use unscientific language in the Intelligibility range, (b) teachers are categorized in Low scientific inquiry ability related to graph creation and unscientific analogy for scientific concept which is hightly corelated to the possibility of misunderstanding in the teaching process, and (c) pre-service teachers lack the understanding of the secondary science curriculum. It is necessary to develop pre-service curriculum that can be applied to the school site. In the category of Plausibility range, (d) both groups understood the cosmological meaning of stellar evolution. However, pre-service teachers do not specifically explain the mechanism of a star. In the category of Fruitfulness range, in-service teachers come up with educational problems reflecting the academic characteristics of earth science and apply their knowledge to actual problem solving. On the other hand, pre-service teachers show high nonresponse ratio, they do not see the H-R diagram and the evolution of stars as a practical concept. In the analysis process, both groups are found to have many unscientific conceptions about the H-R diagram and evolution of stars. Therefore, it is suggested that caution be used in developing a professional development program of earth science teachers.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.38 no.2
• /
• pp.62.2-62.2
• /
• 2013

Recent spectroscopic observations have provided evidence for complex chemical evolution by supernovae and/or asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars in the two metal-poor globular clusters (GCs) NGC2419 and M15. In particular, the horizontal branches (HBs) of these metal-poor GCs are very extended in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram. The origin of these peculiar features, as well as that for the Sandage period-shift effect observed in these clusters, are yet to be understood. Here we show, by constructing population models including the Nitrogen enhanced subpopulation, that the second generation populations in these clusters would be enhanced not only in Helium, but also in Nitrogen. This working hypothesis can simultaneously explain the observed extended feature on the HB and the period-shift of RR Lyrae variables.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.42 no.1
• /
• pp.31.3-31.3
• /
• 2017

The presence of a bar in disk galaxies indicates that galaxies reached their dynamical maturity, and secular evolution has started to play key roles in the evolution of disk galaxies. Numerical simulations predicted that as a barred galaxy evolves, the bar becomes longer by capturing its immediate neighbor disk stars. We test the hypothesis by exploring bar lengths and measuring the light deficit around the bar at various redshift. Supplementing already classified barred galaxies in later type disk galaxies ($$T{\geq_-}2$$, Sheth et al. 2008), we classify barred galaxies among earlier type disk galaxies (T<2) up to z~0.8 using F814W images from the Cosmic Evolution Survey (COSMOS). We estimate the length of bars analytically for ~400 galaxies, and find that there is a slight decrease in bar length with redshift. We also find that longer bars show more prominent light deficit around the bar and this trend is stronger for nearby galaxies. Our results are consistent with the predictions from numerical simulations, and imply that the bar induced secular evolution is already in place since z~0.8. 

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.25 no.1
• /
• pp.47-64
• /
• 1992

Cores of globular clusters are an ideal place for close encounters between stars. The outcome of tidal capture can be stellar mergers, close binaries between normal stars (W UMa type), cataclysmic variables composed of white dwarf and normal star pairs, or low-mass X-ray binaries consisting of a neutron star and a normal star pairs. Stellar mergers can be the origin of blue stragglers in dense globular clusters although they are hard to observe. Low mass X-ray binaries would eventually become binary pulsars with short pulse periods after the neutron stars accrete sufficient amount of matter from the companion. However, large number of recently discovered, isolated millisecond pulsars (as opposed to binary pulsars) in globular clusters may imply that they do not have to gain angular speeds during the X-ray binary phase. We propose that these isolated millisecond pulsars may have formed through the disruptive encounters, which lead to the formation of accretion disk without Roche lobe filling companion, between a neutron star and a main-sequence star. Based on recently developed multicomponent models for the dynamical evolution of globular clusters, we compute the expected numbers of various systems formed by tidal capture as a function of time.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.167-180
• /
• 2004

We present HST NIC3 photometry of metal-rich globular clusters Palomar 6, Liller 1 and 47 Tuc (NGC 104). We discuss the interstellar reddening law for the HST NICMOS F110W/F160W photometric system which depends on the temperature of the source. The distance moduli and interstellar reddening values for Palomar 6 and Liller 1 are estimated by comparing the magnitudes and colors of RHB stars in the clusters with those of 47 Tuc. We obtain $(m-M)_0=14.48$mag and E(B-V)=1.34mag for Palomar 6 and $(m-M)_0=15.17$mag and E(B-V)=2.50 mag for Liller 1.