• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.59-67
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• 2020

We propose semi-analytic models for the electron momentum distribution in weak shocks that accounts for both in situ acceleration and re-acceleration through diffusive shock acceleration (DSA). In the former case, a small fraction of incoming electrons is assumed to be reflected at the shock ramp and pre-accelerated to the so-called injection momentum, p_inj, above which particles can diffuse across the shock transition and participate in the DSA process. This leads to the DSA power-law distribution extending from the smallest momentum of reflected electrons, p_ref, all the way to the cutoff momentum, p_eq, constrained by radiative cooling. In the latter case, fossil electrons, specified by a power-law spectrum with a cutoff, are assumed to be re-accelerated from p_ref up to p_eq via DSA. We show that, in the in situ acceleration model, the amplitude of radio synchrotron emission depends strongly on the shock Mach number, whereas it varies rather weakly in the re-acceleration model. Considering the rather turbulent nature of shocks in the intracluster medium, such extreme dependence for the in situ acceleration might not be compatible with the relatively smooth surface brightness of observed radio relics.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.68.3-69
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• 2020

We develop a series of N-body data challenges, functional to the final analysis of the extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (eBOSS) Data Release 16 (DR16) galaxy sample, primarily based on high-fidelity catalogs constructed from the Outer Rim simulation. We generate synthetic galaxy mocks by populating Outer Rim halos with a variety of halo occupation distribution (HOD) schemes of increasing complexity, spanning different redshift intervals. We then assess the performance of three complementary redshift space distortion (RSD) models in configuration and Fourier space, adopted for the analysis of the complete DR16 eBOSS sample of Luminous Red Galaxies (LRGs). We find that all the methods are mutually consistent, with comparable systematic errors on the Alcock-Paczynski parameters and the growth of structure, and robust to different HOD prescriptions - thus validating the robustness of the models and the pipelines used for the baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) and full shape clustering analysis. Our study is relevant for the final eBOSS DR16 'consensus cosmology', as the systematic error budget is informed by testing the results of analyses against these high-resolution mocks. In addition, it is also useful for future large-volume surveys, since similar mock-making techniques and systematic corrections can be readily extended to model for instance the DESI galaxy sample.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.60.3-61
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• 2020

We perform disk-halo decomposition of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) using a novel HI velocity field extraction method, aimed at better deriving its HI kinematics and thus the dark matter density profile. For this, we use two newly developed galaxy kinematic analysis tools, BAYGAUD and 2DBAT which have been used for the kinematic analysis of resolved galaxies from Australian Square Kilometre Array (ASKAP) observations like WALLABY which is an all-sky HI galaxy survey in southern sky. By applying BAYGAUD to the combined HI data cube of the LMC taken with the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) and Parkes radio telescopes, we decompose all the line-of-sight velocity profiles into an optimal number of Gaussian components based on Bayesian MCMC techniques. From this, we disentangle turbulent non-circular gas motions from the overall rotation of the galaxy. We then derive the rotation curve of the LMC by applying 2DBAT to the separated circular motions. The rotation curve reflecting the total kinematics of the LMC, dark and baryonic matters is then be combined with the mass models of baryons, mainly stellar and gaseous components in order to examine the dark matter distribution. Here, we present the analysis of the extracted HI gas maps, rotation curve, and J, H and K-band surface photometry of the LMC.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.31.3-32
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• 2020

The surface brightness fluctuation (SBF) is one of the most crucial distance indicators for unresolved stellar systems at large distances. Here, we present an evolutionary population synthesis model of the surface brightness fluctuation (SBF) for normal and He-enriched simple stellar populations (SSPs). Our SBF model for the normal-He population agrees well with other existing models, but the He-rich populations bring about a substantial change in the SBF of SSPs. Our normal-He SBF model well reproduces the observed SBFs of the Milky Way globular clusters, but the SBFs of early-type galaxies in the Virgo Cluster are placed between the normal-He and He-rich SBF models. We show that the SBF-based distance estimation would be affected by up to a 10-20% level in I- and near-IR bands at given colors. Finally, we propose that when combined with independent metallicity and age indicators such as Mg2 and H��, the UV and optical SBFs can readily detect underlying He-rich populations in unresolved stellar systems. Given the degree of the SBF variation resulting from the population difference, we suggest that the distance measurement before the proper in-depth analysis of stellar populations should be done with great caution.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.83-92
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• 2015

Recent large scale surveys such as Sloan Digital Sky Survey have produced homogeneous samples of multiple-image gravitationally lensed quasars with well-defined selection effects. Statistical analysis on these can yield independent constraints on cosmological parameters. Here we use the image separation statistics of lensed quasars from Sloan Digital Sky Survey Quasar Lens Search (SQLS) to derive constraints on cosmological parameters. Our analysis does not require knowledge of the magnification bias, which can only be estimated from the detailed knowledge on the quasar luminosity function at all redshifts, and includes the consideration for the bias against small image separation quasars due to selection against faint lens galaxy in the follow-up observations for confirmation. We first use the mean image separation of the lensed quasars as a function of redshift to find that cosmological models with extreme curvature are inconsistent with observed lensed quasars. We then apply the maximum likelihood test to the statistical sample of 16 lensed quasars that have both measured redshift and magnitude of lens galaxy. The likelihood incorporates the probability that the observed image separation is realized given the luminosity of the lens galaxy in the same manner as Im et al. (1997). We find that the 95% confidence range for the cosmological constant (i.e., the vacuum energy density) is $0.72{\leq}{\Omega}_{\Lambda}{\leq}1.0$ for a flat universe. We also find that the equation of state parameter can be consistent with -1 as long as the matter density ${\Omega}_m{\leq}0.4$ (95% confidence range). We conclude that the image separation statistics incorporating the brightness of lens galaxies can provide robust constraints on the cosmological parameters.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.35.4-36
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• 2018

$Ly{\alpha}$ blobs are mysterious, giant (~100 kpc), glowing gas clouds in the distant universe. They occupy the dark matter halos that will evolve into the richest groups and clusters today. The blob's gas may be the proto-intracluster medium and their embedded galaxies are considered as the progenitors of massive cluster galaxies. Yet we do not know why $Ly{\alpha}$ blobs glow. There are evidences of kinematic measurements to exclude shocks and winds from AGN or starbursts as a power source, suggesting that photoionizing radiation or scattering of $Ly{\alpha}$ photons might be responsible. Polarization mapping can discriminate between these photo-ionization and scattering. Previous results of imaging polarimetry for $Ly{\alpha}$ nebulae are roughly consistent with scattering models. However the polarization morphologies in those of previous results are all different, motivating our polarimetric survey of $Ly{\alpha}$ nebulae for the statisticallymeaningful sample. As initial results of our survey, we present the total polarization map of the LABd05 which has the spatial offset between the peak of $Ly{\alpha}$ surface brightness and an obscured AGN. We detect the significant polarization in this target with the radially increasing polarization gradient, suggesting that scattering plays major role within this nebula. The polarization pattern is more aligned with the $Ly{\alpha}$ peak rather than the AGN (the potential energy source), indicating that the $Ly{\alpha}$ photons are originated from the region near the peak of $Ly{\alpha}$ intensity.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.167-175
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• 2003

There is accumulating evidence for a strong link between nuclear starbursts and AGN. Molecular gas in the central regions of galaxies plays a critical role in fueling nuclear starburst activity and feeding central AGN. The dense molecular ISM is accreted to the nuclear regions by stellar bars and galactic interactions. Here we describe recent observational results for the OB star forming regions in M51 and the nuclear star burst in Arp 220 - both of which have approximately the same rate of star formation per unit mass of ISM. We suggest that the maximum efficiency for forming young stars is an Eddington-like limit imposed by the radiation pressure of newly formed stars acting on the interstellar dust. This limit corresponds to approximately 500 $L_{\bigodot} / M_{\bigodot}$ for optically thick regions in which the radiation has been degraded to the NIR. Interestingly, we note that some of the same considerations can be important in AGN where the source of fuel is provided by stellar evolution mass-loss or ISM accretion. Most of the stellar mass-loss occurs from evolving red giant stars and whether their mass-loss can be accreted to a central AGN or not depends on the radiative opacity of the mass-loss material. The latter depends on whether the dust survives or is sublimated (due to radiative heating). This, in turn, is determined by the AGN luminosity and the distance of the mass-loss stars from the AGN. Several AGN phenomena such as the broad emission and absorption lines may arise in this stellar mass-loss material. The same radiation pressure limit to the accretion may arise if the AGN fuel is from the ISM since the ISM dust-to-gas ratio is the same as that of stellar mass-loss.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.83-92
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• 2016

The Toothbrush radio relic associated with the merging cluster 1RXS J060303.3 is presumed to be produced by relativistic electrons accelerated at merger-driven shocks. Since the shock Mach number inferred from the observed radio spectral index, M_radio ≈ 2.8, is larger than that estimated from X-ray observations, M_X ≲ 1.5, we consider the re-acceleration model in which a weak shock of M_s ≈ 1.2 - 1.5 sweeps through the intracluster plasma with a preshock population of relativistic electrons. We find the models with a power-law momentum spectrum with the slope, s ≈ 4.6, and the cutoff Lorentz factor, γ_e,c ≈ 7-8×10⁴ can reproduce reasonably well the observed profiles of radio uxes and integrated radio spectrum of the head portion of the Toothbrush relic. This study confirms the strong connection between the ubiquitous presence of fossil relativistic plasma originated from AGNs and the shock-acceleration model of radio relics in the intracluster medium.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.315-322
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• 2004

Several arguments have been presented in the literature to support the connection between radio halos and cluster mergers. The spectral index distributions of the halos in A665 and A2163 provide a new strong confirmation of this connection, i.e. of the fact that the cluster merger plays an important role in the energy supply to the radio halos. Features of the spectral index (flattening and patches) are indication of a complex shape of the radiating electron spectrum, and are therefore in support of electron reacceleration models. Regions of flatter spectrum are found to be related to the recent merger. In the undisturbed cluster regions, instead, the spectrum steepens with the distance from the cluster center. The plot of the integrated spectral index of a sample of halos versus the cluster temperature indicates that clusters at higher temperature tend to host halos with flatter spectra. This correlation provides further evidence of the connection between radio emission and cluster mergers.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.493-500
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• 2004

The existence and extent of non-thermal phenomena in galaxy clusters is now well established. A key question in our understanding of these phenomena is the origin of the relativistic electrons which may be constrained by the modelling of the fine radio properties of radio halos and of their statistics. In this paper we argue that present data favour a scenario in which the emitting electrons in the intracluster medium (ICM) are reaccelerated in situ on their way out. An overview of turbulent-particle acceleration models is given focussing on recent time-dependent calculations which include a full coupling between particles and MHD waves.