• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.85.1-85.1
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• 2014

The progenitors of Type Ibc supernovae (SNe Ibc) have been believed to be massive Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars, formed either through stellar wind mass loss or Roche-lobe outflow in a binary system. But observations indicate that ordinary SNe Ibc have relatively low ejecta masses (~2 Msun), which is not compatible with the WR star scenario for SN Ibc progenitors. On the other hand, helium stars in binary systems which can be produced via mass transfer are also suggested as a possible candidate for SN Ibc progenitors. Binary star evolution models predict that SN Ibc progenitors having final masses of 3-7 Msun can be produced, but their observational properties are not well understood. In this study, we present the parameter study on the observational constraints of helium stars of 3-5 Msun in binary systems using evolutionary models and the atmospheric radiative transfer code CMFGEN. We present the predicted magnitudes and spectra of helium stars in optical bands for different wind velocity profiles and mass loss rates. We also present those observables of the progenitor binary system considering O-type companion stars. Based on the results, we discuss the expected observational properties of SN Ibc progenitors in binary systems. In particular, we discuss the constraints on the progenitor of the SN Ib iPTF13bvn of which progenitor candidate has been identified for the first time in pre-explosion images among SNe Ibc.

• Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.21-30
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• 2018

Formation processes of high-mass stars have been long-standing issues in astronomy and astrophysics. This is mainly because of major difficulties in observational studies such as a smaller number of high-mass young stellar objects (YSOs), larger distances, and more complex structures in young high-mass clusters compared with nearby low-mass isolated star-forming regions (SFRs), and extremely large opacity of interstellar dust except for centimeter to submillimeter wavelengths. High resolution and high sensitivity observations with Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA) at millimeter/submillimeter wavelengths will overcome these observational difficulties even for statistical studies with increasing number of high-mass YSO samples. This review will summarize recent progresses in high-mass star-formation studies with ALMA such as clumps and filaments in giant molecular cloud complexes and infrared dark clouds (IRDCs), protostellar disks and outflows in dense cores, chemistry, masers, and accretion bursts in high-mass SFRs.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.58.2-58.2
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• 2014

The Arches cluster is a young (2-4 Myr), compact (~1 pc), and massive (${\sim}2{\times}10^4M_{\odot}$) star cluster located ~30 pc away from the Galactic center (GC) in projection. Being exposed to the extreme environment of the GC such as elevated temperature and turbulent velocities in the molecular clouds, strong magnetic fields, and larger tidal forces, the Arches cluster is an excellent target for understanding the effects of star-forming environment on the initial mass function (IMF) of the star cluster. However, resolving stars fainter than ~1 $M_{\odot}$ in the Arches cluster partially will have to wait until an extremely large telescope with adaptive optics in the infrared is available. Here we devise a new method to estimate the shape of the low-end mass function where the individual stars are not resolved, and apply it to the Arches cluster. This method involves histograms of pixel intensities in the observed images. We find that the initial mass function of the Arches cluster should not be too different from that for the Galactic disk such as the Kroupa IMF.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.50.3-50.3
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• 2019

We show that dynamical evolution in a strong (Galactic Centre-like) tidal field can create clusters that would appear to have very top-heavy IMFs. The tidal disruption of single star forming events can leave several bound 'clusters' spread along 20~pc of the orbit within 1-2 Myr. These surviving (sub)clusters tend to contain an over-abundance of massive stars, with low-mass stars tending to be spread along the whole 'tidal arm'. Therefore observing a cluster in a strong tidal field with a top-heavy IMF does not mean the stars formed with a top-heavy IMF.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.46.2-46.2
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• 2021

Presolar silicon carbide (SiC) grains form around in the envelopes of asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars by satisfying C/O>1 which is an optimal condition for SiC grains to condense in the stellar outflows. Ruthenium (Ru) isotopes are locked into the SiC grains during the condensation of SiC grains. We investigate the isotopic compositions of Ru in the stellar winds by using the NuGrid data, which are obtained by nucleosynthesis calculations during the stellar evolution. We compare the isotopic compositions of Ru obtained from the NuGrid data with measurements and the predictions obtained from different codes. Our results present a piece of evidence that SiC grains in the presolar system came from low-mass and low-metallicity AGB stars, also confirming that they were not from massive stars. We also suggest a new scenario in which the total stellar yields are also considered because SiC grains can condense during the collapse of molecular clouds.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.36.1-36.1
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• 2016

This is a presentation of the paper published as Kimm et al. 2016, ApJ, 823, 52. We investigate the formation of metal-poor globular clusters (GCs) at the center of two dark matter halos with $Mhalo{\sim}4{\times}107Msun$ at z>10 using cosmological radiation-hydrodynamics simulations. We find that very compact (${\leq}1$ pc) and massive (${\sim}6{\times}105Msun$) clusters form rapidly when pristine gas collapses isothermally with the aid of efficient $Ly{\alpha}$ emission during the transition from molecular-cooling halos to atomic-cooling halos. Because the local free-fall time of dense star-forming gas is very short (${\ll}1Myr$), a large fraction of the collapsed gas is turned into stars before stellar feedback processes blow out the gas and shut down star formation. Although the early stage of star formation is limited to a small region of the central star-forming disk, we find that the disk quickly fragments due to metal enrichment from supernovae. Sub-clusters formed in the fragmented clouds eventually merge with the main cluster at the center. The simulated clusters closely resemble the local GCs in mass and size but show a metallicity spread that is much wider than found in the local GCs. We discuss a role of pre-enrichment by Pop III and II stars as a potential solution to the latter issue. Although not without shortcomings, it is encouraging that a naive blind (not tuned) cosmological simulation presents a possible channel for the formation of at least some massive GCs.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.77.2-77.2
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• 2012

Infrared dark clouds(IRDCs) are believed to be the progenitors of massive stars and clusters. We obtained 350 and 850 ${\mu}m$ continuum maps of the IRDC G049.40-00.01 using SHARC-II on CSO. Twenty-one dense clumps were identified within G049.40-00.01 based on the 350 ${\mu}m$ continuum map with an angular resolution of about 9.6". We present submillimeter continuum maps and report physical properties of the clumps. The masses of clumps are from 50 to 600 solar mass. About 70% of the clumps are associated with bright 24 ${\mu}m$ emission sources indicating protostars. The most massive two clumps show enhanced, extended 4.5 ${\mu}m$ emission representing on-going star forming activity. The size-mass distribution of the clumps suggests that many of them are forming high-mass stars. G049.40-00.01 contains numerous objects in various evolutionary stages of star formation, from pre-stellar clumps to H II regions.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.77-85
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• 2020

In the molecular cloud G33.92+0.11A, massive stars are forming sequentially in dense cores, probably due to interaction with accreted gas. Cold dense gas, which is likely the pristine gas of the cloud, is traced by DCN line and dust continuum emission. Clear chemical differences were observed in different source locations and for different velocity components in the same line of sight. Several distinct gas components coexist in the cloud: the pristine cold gas, the accreted dense gas, and warm turbulent gas, in addition to the star-forming dense clumps. Filaments of accreted gas occur in the northern part of the A1 and A5 clumps, and the velocity gradient along these features suggests that the gas is falling toward the cloud and may have triggered the most recent star formation. The large concentration of turbulent gas in the A2 clump seems to have formed mainly through disturbances from the outside.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.38.1-38.1
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• 2017

We report the results of three-dimensional radiation hydrodynamic simulations of star cluster formation in turbulent molecular clouds, with primary attention to how stellar radiation feedback controls the lifetime and net star formation efficiency (SFE) of their natal clouds. We examine the combined effects of photoionization and radiation pressure for a wide range of cloud masses (10^4 - 10^6 Msun) and radii (2 - 80 pc). In all simulations, stars form in densest regions of filaments until feedback becomes strong enough to clear the remaining gas out of the system. We find that the SFE is primarily a function of the initial cloud surface density, Sigma, (SFE increasing from ~7% to ~50% as Sigma increases from ~30 Msun/pc^2 to ~10^3 Msun/pc^2), with weak dependence on the initial cloud mass. Control runs with the same initial conditions but without either radiation pressure or photoionization show that photoionization is the dominant feedback mechanism for clouds typical in normal disk galaxies, while they are equally important for more dense, compact clouds. For low-Sigma clouds, more than 80% of the initial cloud mass is lost by photoevaporation flows off the surface of dense clumps. The cloud becomes unbound within ~0.5-2.5 initial free-fall times after the first star-formation event, implying that cloud dispersal is rapid once massive star formation takes place. We briefly discuss implications and limitations of our work in relation to observations.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.140.2-140.2
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• 2011

We present high-resolution radial velocity (RV) measurements of K2 giant HD 66141 from December 2003 to January 2011 using the fiber-fed Bohyunsan Observatory Echelle Spectrograph (BOES) at Bohyunsan Optical Astronomy Observatory (BOAO). We find that the RV measurements for HD 66141 exhibit a periodic variation of 480 days with a semi-amplitude of 146 m/s. We do not find the correlation between RV variations and a chromospheric activity indicator (H line). The Hipparcos photometry as well as bisector velocity span (BVS) also do not show any obvious correlations with RV variations. Thus, Keplerian motion is the most likely explanation, which suggests that the RV variations arise from an orbital motion. Assuming a possible stellar mass of 1.5 $M{\odot}$, for HD 66141, we obtain a minimum mass for the planetary companion of 7.4 MJup with an orbital semi-major axis of 1.4 AU, and an eccentricity of 0.07. We support that planet occurrence rate around evolved stars is more than 10 % (Dollinger et al. 2009) as well as more massive stars do form significantly more massive planetary companions (Johnson et al. 2007; Lovis & Mayor 2007; Dollinger et al. 2009).