• 천문학논총
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• 제27권3호
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• pp.95-103
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• 2012

We analyzed the current status of the telescope control system (TCS2) of the 1.8 m telescope in Bohyunsan Optical Astronomy Observatory (BOAO), and suggest a new TCS (TCS3) for the long term development of BOAO. The TCS2 was constructed in 1998 to replace the TCS1 which was installed with the telescope itself at the commencement of BOAO. One of the important parts of TCS is PMAC (Programmable Multi-Axis Controller), which is a general-purpose multi-axis motion controller. PMAC provides the direct interactive communication environment permitting users to command the controller directly with simple operations. This makes the setup, debugging, and diagnostics very easy. The TCS2 was operated stable for a long time, but the hardware and TCS computers have been deteriorated and are out of date now. The new TCS3 needs to be constructed based on a modern computer system. And functions such as pre-calculations of telescope limiting position, interworking with virtual observatory tools, and using GUI, etc should be added. Construction of the TCS3 will be a step creating a better observation environment for the Korean astronomical society.

• 천문학논총
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• 제37권3호
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• pp.35-47
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• 2022

This study investigated the stone Angbu-ilgu (scaphe sundial) of the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) and the Seoul Museum of History (SMH). Since the first Angbu-ilgu was produced in Korea in 1434 (the year of the reign of King Sejong), Angbu-ilgu has been reproduced with various materials. The upper surface of these two stone Angbu-ilgus symbolizes the horizon. On the hemisphere concave at the center of the horizon, the South Pole, the time line, and the season line are engraved. On the horizon of both the KMA and SMH Angbu-ilgus, the schematic, typeface, and composition of the inscription completely coincide with each other. In this study, it was estimated that the appearance of the KMA Angbu-ilgu, which was damaged at some point previously at least once, was similar to that of the SMH Angbu-ilgu, and this means that it is superficially similar with Treasure No 840, the stone horizontal sundial. In the concave hemisphere of both the stone Angbu-ilgus of the KMA and SMH, there are hour lines and 24 solar-term lines (13 line), and there is an intersection point where these lines meet the horizon, respectively. It can be verified that these intersections of these two Angbu-ilgus can be calculated as having a latitude of +37°39'15". The hour lines of the two stone Angbu-ilgus show that they were made after about 1900.

• 천문학회지
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• 제47권6호
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• pp.201-207
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• 2014

We report the development of solar flux receivers operating at 2.8 GHz to monitor solar radio activity. Radio waves from the sun are amplified, filtered, and then transmitted to a power meter sensor without frequency down-conversion. To measure solar flux, a calibration scheme is designed with a noise source, an ambient load, and a hot load at $100^{\circ}C$. The receiver is attached to a 1.8 m parabolic antenna in Icheon, owned by National Radio Research Agency, and observation is being conducted during day time on a daily basis. We compare the solar fluxes measured for last seven months with solar fluxes obtained by DRAO in Penticton, Canada, and by the Hiraiso solar observatory in Japan, and finally establish equations to convert observed flux to the so-called Penticton flux with an accuracy better than 3.2 sfu.

• 천문학논총
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• 제35권3호
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• pp.43-57
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• 2020

Hong, Dae-Yong manufactured the Tongcheon-ui (Pan-celestial Armillary Sphere) with cooperating clock researcher Na, Kyeong-Jeok, and its craftsman An, Cheo-In, in Naju of Jeolla Province in 1760 ~ 1762. Tongcheon-ui is a kind of astronomical clock with an armillary sphere which is rotated by the force generated by a lantern clock's weight. In our study, we examine the lantern clock model of Tongcheon-ui through its description of the articles written by Hong himself. As his description, however, did not explain the detail of the mechanical process of the lantern clock, we investigate the remains of lantern clocks in the possession of Korea University Museum and Seoul National University Museum. Comparing with the clocks of these museums, we designed the lantern clock model of Tongcheon-ui which measures 115 mm (L) × 115 mm (W) × 307 mm (H). This model has used the structure of the striking train imitated from the Korea University Museum artifact and is also regulated by a foliot escapement which is connected to a going train for timekeeping. The orientation of the rotation of the going train and the striking train of our model makes a difference with the remains of both university museums. That is, on the rotation axis of the first gear set of Tongcheon-ui's lantern clock, the going and the striking trains take on a counterclockwise and clockwise direction, respectively. The weight of 6.4 kg makes a force driving these two trains to stick to the pulley on the twine pulling across two spike gears corresponding to the going train and the striking train. This weight below the pulley may travel down about 560 mm per day. We conclude that the mechanical system of Tongcheon-ui's lantern clock is slightly different from the Japanese style.

• 천문학회지
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• 제38권4호
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• pp.437-443
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• 2005

The Solar Radio Burst Locator (SRBL) is a spectrometer that can observe solar microwave bursts over a wide band (0.1-18 GHz) as well as detect the burst locations without interferometry or mechanical scanning. Its prototype has been operated at Owens Valley Radio Observatory (OVRO) since 1998. In this study, we have evaluated the capability of the SRBL system in flux and radio burst location measurements. For this, we consider 130 microwave bursts from 2000 to 2002. The SRBL radio fluxes of 53 events were compared with the fluxes from USAF/RSTN and the burst locations of 25 events were compared with the optical flare locations. From this study, we found: (1) there is a relatively good correlation (r = 0.9) between SRBL flux and RSTN flux; (2) the mean location error is about 8.4 arcmin and the location error (4.7 arcmin) of single source events is much smaller than that (14.9 arcmin) of multiple source events; (3) the minimum location error usually occurred just after the starting time of burst, mostly within 10 seconds; (4) there is a possible anti-correlation (r = -0.4) between the pointing error of SRBL antenna and the location error. The anti-correlation becomes more evident (r=-0.9) for 6 strong single source events associated with X-class flares. Our results show that the flux measurement of SRBL is consistent with that of RSTN, and the mean location error of SRBL is estimated to be about 5 arcmin for single source events.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제48권1호
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• pp.37-45
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• 2010

Objective : Craniovertebral junction (CVJ) consists of the occipital bone that surrounds the foramen magnum, the atlas and the axis vertebrae. The mortality and morbidity is high for irreducible CVJ lesion with cervico-medullary compression. In a clinical retrospective study, the authors reviewed clinical and radiographic results of occipitocervical fusion using a various methods in 32 patients with CVJ instability. Methods : Thirty-two CVJ lesions (18 male and 14 female) were treated in our department for 12 years. Instability resulted from trauma (14 cases), rheumatoid arthritis (8 cases), assimilation of atlas (4 cases), tumor (2 cases), basilar invagination (2 cases) and miscellaneous (2 cases). Thirty-two patients were internally fixed with 7 anterior and posterior decompression with occipitocervical fusion, 15 posterior decompression and occipitocervical fusion with wire-rod, 5 C1-2 transarticular screw fixation, and 5 C1 lateral mass-C2 transpedicular screw. Outcome (mean follow-up period, 38 months) was based on clinical and radiographic review. The clinical outcome was assessed by Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score. Results : Nine neurologically intact patients remained same after surgery. Among 23 patients with cervical myelopathy, clinical improvement was noted in 18 cases (78.3%). One patient died 2 months after the surgery because of pneumonia and sepsis. Fusion was achieved in 27 patients (93%) at last follow-up. No patient developed evidence of new, recurrent, or progressive instability. Conclusion : The authors conclude that early occipitocervical fusion to be recommended in case of reducible CVJ lesion and the appropriate decompression and occipitocervical fusion are recommended in case of irreducible craniovertebral junction lesion.

• 천문학논총
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• 제36권3호
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• pp.79-95
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• 2021

This study aims to develop a restoration model of an armillary sphere of Tongcheon-ui (Pan-celestial Armillary Sphere) by referring to the records of Damheonseo (Hong Dae-Yong Anthology) and the artifact of an armillary sphere in the Korean Christian Museum of Soongsil University. Between 1760 and 1762, Hong, Dae-Yong (1731-1783) built Tongcheon-ui, with Na, Kyung-Jeok (1690-1762) designing the basic structure and Ann, Cheo-In (1710-1787) completing the assembly. The model in this study is a spherical body with a diameter of 510 mm. Tongcheon-ui operates the armillary sphere by transmitting the rotational power from the lantern clock. The armillary sphere is constructed in the fashion of a two-layer sphere: the outer one is Yukhab-ui that is fixed; and the inner one, Samsin-ui, is rotated around the polar axis. In the equatorial ring possessed by Samsin-ui, an ecliptic ring and a lunar-path ring are successively fixed and are tilted by 23.5° and 28.5° over the equatorial ring, respectively. A solar miniature attached to a 365-toothed inner gear on the ecliptic ring reproduces the annual motion of the Sun. A lunar miniature installed on a 114-toothed inner gear of the lunar-path ring can also replay the moon's orbital motion and phase change. By the set of 'a ratchet gear, a shaft and a spur gear' installed in the solstice-colure double-ring, the inner gears in the ecliptic ring and lunar-path ring can be rotated in the opposite direction to the rotation of Samsin-ui and then the solar and lunar miniatures can simulate their revolution over the period of a year and a month, respectively. In order to indicate the change of the moon phases, 27 pins were arranged in a uniform circle around the lunar-path ring, and the 29-toothed wheel is fixed under the solar miniature. At the center of the armillary sphere, an earth plate representing a world map is fixed horizontally. Tongcheon-ui is the armillary sphere clock developed by Confucian scholars in the late Joseon Dynasty, and the technical level at which astronomical clocks could be produced at the time is of a high standard.

• 천문학논총
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• 제36권3호
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• pp.65-78
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• 2021

Jagyeokru, an automatic striking water clock described in the Sejong Sillok (Veritable Records of King Sejong) is essentially composed of a water quantity control device and a time-signal device, with the former controlling the amount or the flow rate of water and the latter automatically informing the time based on the former. What connects these two parts is a signal generating device or a power transmission device called the 'Jujeon' system, which includes a copper rod on the float and ball-racked scheduled plates. The copper products excavated under Gongpyeong-dong in Seoul include a lot of broken plate pieces and cylinder-like devices. If some plate pieces are put together, a large square plate with circular holes located in a zigzag can be completed, and at the upper right of it is carved 'the first scheduled plate (一箭).' Cylinder-like devices generally 3.8 cm in diameter are able to release a ball, and have a ginkgo leaf-like screen fixed on the inner axis and a bird-shaped hook of which the leg fixes another axis and the beak attaches to the leaf side. The lateral view of this cylinder-like device appears like a trapezoid and mounts an iron ball. The function of releasing a ball agrees with the description of Borugak Pavilion, where Jagyeokru was installed, written by Kim Don (1385 ~ 1440). The other accounts of Borugak Pavilion's and Heumgyeonggak Pavilion's water clocks describe these copper plates and ball releasing devices as the 'Jujeon' system. According to the description of Borugak Pavilion, a square wooden column has copper plates on the left and right sides the same height as the column, and the left copper plate has 12 drilled holes to keep the time of a 12 double-hours. Meanwhile, the right plate has 25 holes which represent seasonal night 5-hours (Kyeong) and their 5-subhours (Jeom), not 12 hours. There are 11 scheduled plates for seasonal night 5-hours made with copper, which are made to be attached or detached as the season. In accordance with Nujutongui (manual for the operation of the yardstick for the clepsydra), the first scheduled plate for the night is used from the winter solstice (冬至) to 2 days after Daehan (大寒), and from 4 days before Soseol (小雪) to a day before the winter solstice. Besides the first scheduled plate, we confirm discovering a third scheduled plate and a sixth scheduled plate among the excavated copper materials based on the spacing between holes. On the other hand, the width of the scheduled plate is different for these artifacts, measured as 144 mm compared to the description of the Borugak Pavilion, which is recorded as 51 mm. From this perspective, they may be the scheduled plates for the Heumgyeonggak Ongru made in 1438 (or 1554) or for the new Fortress Pavilion installed in Changdeokgung palace completed in 1536 (the 31^st year of the reign of King Jungjong) in the early Joseon dynasty. This study presents the concept of the scheduled plates described in the literature, including their new operating mechanism. In addition, a detailed model of 11 scheduled plates is designed from the records and on the excavated relics. It is expected that this study will aid in efforts to restore and reconstruct the automatic water clocks of the early Joseon dynasty.