• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.177-193
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• 2011

We present a photometric study of five open clusters (Czernik 5, Alessi 53, Berkeley 49, Berkeley 84, and Pfleiderer 3) in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. The position and size of these clusters are determined using the radial number density profiles of the stars, and the member stars of the clusters are selected using the proper motion data in the literature. We estimate the reddening, distance and age of the clusters based on the isochrone fitting in the color-magnitude diagram. The foreground reddenings for these clusters are estimated to be E(B - V ) = 0.71 - 1.55 mag. The distances to these clusters are derived to be 2.0 - 4.4 kpc, and their distances from the Galactic center range from 7.57 kpc to 12.35 kpc. Their ages are in the range from 250 Myr to 1 Gyr. Berkeley 49 and Berkeley 84 are located in the Orion spur, Czernik 5 is in the Perseus arm, and Pfleiderer 3 and Alessi 53 are located beyond the Perseus arm.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.53.3-54
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• 2016

We present a preliminary result of the Fornax cluster survey as a part of the KMTNet Intensive Nearby Southern Galaxy Group Survey (KINGS). We discovered about 200 new dwarf galaxy candidates from the survey of the $8^{\circ}{\times}6^{\circ}$ area around the Fornax cluster. They have magnitudes ranging from V=17.5 to 22 mag (Mv = -13.8 to -9.3), and they are almost complete to V = 20 mag. Surface brightness profiles of most of these galaxies are fit well by a Sersic law with n ~ 1.0. Structural parameters of these galaxies follow well the scaling relations of dwarf galaxies in the fundamental plane. The color-magnitude diagram of these galaxies shows that they are mostly located at the faint end of the red sequence, indicating that they are the probable member of the Fornax cluster. We also derive a luminosity function of the Fornax cluster by combining the new galaxies with the known galaxies in the previous catalogs. We will discuss the future of the KINGS-Fornax.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.60.2-60.2
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• 2018

We present the near infrared JHK photometric properties and the spatial distribution of red supergiants(RSGs) of NGC 3623, NGC 3627 and NGC 3628 in the Leo Triplet system using the data obtained with 3.8m UKIRT(United Kingdom Infra-Red Telescope) at Hawaii. We checked interaction between the three galaxies by making a spatial density map of RSGs. From (J-K,K)0 Color-Magnitude Diagram which include resolved stars in three galaxy and control field with PARSEC isochrone, we figured out the RSG candidates of the Leo triplet are at 0.9<(J-K)0<1.2, mK<17.5 and separated them from background and foreground sources. Using gaussian kernel density estimation, we drew spatial density map of RSGs in the Leo triplet with an assumption that all RSGs are an identical population. The density map shows extended features of NGC 3628 to NGC 3627 along the declination direction. The asymmetries between NGC 3627 and NGC 3628 might be evidence for that the distribution of actual star components(RSGs) follows the neutral hydrogen distribution and also for interaction between two galaxies. And the extended features along the right ascension direction might be a supporting evidence for the existence of a TDG(Tidal Dwarf Galaxy). In case of NGC 3623, we could not see any sign of interaction in density map.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.70.1-70.1
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• 2011

We have investigated properties of merging galaxies in the nearby universe, using Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) DR7. We first constructed two galaxy samples according to redshift range: Sample 1 for 0 ${\leq}$ z ${\leq}$ 0.025 and Sample 2 for 0.09 ${\leq}$ z ${\leq}$ 0.1. We then identified 118 and 184 merging galaxies among the galaxies in the Sample 1 and 2, respectively, and classified them into different merging types and stages by visual inspection of galaxy images. In the Sample 1, there are more wet mergers than dry mergers, while most merging galaxies in the Sample 2 are dry mergers. The color-magnitude diagram of the merging galaxies in our samples is comparable to that of normal galaxies. Dry mergers tend to locate in the red sequence, while wet and mixed mergers reside mostly in the blue cloud. Unlike some previous studies, we did not find a clear trend that the merger rate increases at higher redshift. However, it is difficult to make a direct comparison of the merger rate found in different studies, because it depends on the number of observed galaxies and criteria for merger classification. From the ratios of emission lines, we infer that the faction of merging galaxies with AGNs is higher in wet mergers than in other types.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.27.2-27.2
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• 2010

We report the HST pixel analysis results of the interacting face-on spiral galaxy, NGC 5194 (M51), which is the first step of a new observational research project, PANCluG (Pixel Analysis of Nearby Cluster Galaxies). We derive several quantities describing the pixel color-magnitude diagram (pCMD) of NGC 5194, suitable for future comparisons with the pCMDs of other galaxies. We investigate the spatial distribution of pixel stellar populations, finding that the spiral arm pattern and the tidal interaction with NGC 5195 significantly affect the stellar populations in NGC 5194. We find that the pixels corresponding to the central active galactic nucleus (AGN) of NGC 5194 show a very tight sequence in the bright-end of the pCMD, of which spatial distribution seems to agree with the AGN torus region.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.62.2-62.2
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• 2014

We compiled near-infrared photometric and polarimetric catalog of sources in ~3 $9^{\prime}{\times}69^{\prime}$ size field in the eastern side of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). This catalog lists all 1969 sources which are brighter than 14 mag and which signal to noise ratio of degree of polarization is greater than 3 in the J, H, and Ks bands. The photometric and polarimetric data were simultaneously obtained in J, H, and Ks bands using SIRPOL, an imaging polarimeter of the InfraRed Survey Facility (IRSF), in 2008 December and 2011 December. We classified the objects into several groups based on their locations on the color-magnitude diagram and compared their general properties of polarization. We measured wavelength dependence of this field to verify interstellar polarization of the LMC which occurred from the dichroic extinction. We also discuss the polarization structure in this field with the results from molecular cloud studies.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.135-142
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• 2011

A $200'{\times}200'$ region around 30 Doradus in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) is observed and analyzed in the near-infrared. We obtain polarimetry data in the J, H, and Ks bands using the SIRIUS polarimeter SIRPOL at the Infrared Survey Facility 1.4 m telescope. We measure the Stokes parameters of 2562 point-like sources to derive the degree of polarization and the polarization position angles. We discuss the statistics of the groups classified by color-magnitude diagram and proper motions of the sources, in order to separate the Galactic foreground sources from those present in the LMC. We notice that groups classified by the proper motion data show a tendency towards different polarimetric properties.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.109-117
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• 1999

UBVI CCD photometry has been obtained for a region around the Wolf-Rayet star WR 12. We found two young stellar associations in the observed field: the nearer one comprises the field members of Vela OBI association at d = 1.8kpc, while the farther one is the young open cluster Bochum 7 (Bo 7) at d = 4.8kpc. The stars associated with Bo 7 showed no central concentration which suggests that Bo 7 is not a young open cluster but simply a local concentration in the density of young stars belonging to the OB association (Vel OB3). These two associations have similar ages but remarkably different mass function slopes ($\Gamma$ = -2.1 $\pm$ 0.3 for Vel OBI and -1.0 $\pm$ 0.3 for Bo 7). The stars in Vel OBI shows an evident age spread (${\Delta}T\~ 9Myr$). We also found two strong H$\alpha$ emission stars - WR 12 and $\sharp$1066 - from narrow band H$\alpha$ photometry.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.75-75
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• 2013

Recent observations have shown that some massive globular clusters (GCs) host multiple stellar populations having different heavy element abundances enriched by supernovae. They usually accompany multiple red giant branches (RGBs) in the color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs), and are distinguished from most of the other GCs which display variations only in light element abundances. In order to investigate the star formation histories of these peculiar GCs, we have constructed synthetic CMDs based on the updated versions of Yonsei.Yale ($Y^2$) isochrones and horizontal branch evolutionary tracks which include the cases of enhancements in both helium and the total CNO abundances. To estimate ages and helium abundances of subpopulations in each GC, we have compared our models with the observations on the Hess diagram by employing a ${\chi}^2$ minimization technique. In this talk, we will present our progress in the population modeling for these GCs with multiple RGBs.

• 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.