• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.31.1-31.1
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• 2012

I will report recent progress in understanding properties of stellar and interstellar components of the Milky Way Galaxy on the two extremes - ongoing star formation activities in the Galactic center and stellar relics in the halo. Properties of the interstellar medium in the Galactic center and their relationship with star formation activities will be discussed based on by far the largest mid-IR spectroscopic data set in this region. Correlations between stellar kinematics and metallicities in the halo will be presented, along with a discussion on the estimation of fundamental stellar parameters from a set of empirically calibrated isochrones.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.343-350
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• 2004

The charge exchange (or transfer) due to collision with hydrogen has important effects on the physical characteristics of astrophysical plasma. In this paper, collisional ionization equilibrium in the temperature range of ${\sim}1,000--80,000K$ are investigated for C, N, and O ions including the effects of charge exchange. The calculated ionic abundance fractions are compared with those of previous works. The ionic abundance fractions calculated in the paper can be used in understanding the spectroscopic properties of warm interstellar medium. It is also found that the ratio between the degree of ionization of oxygen and that of hydrogen shows big difference with the previously well-known result for the environment where the collisional ionization is not important. This implies that investigations on the collisional ionization in the warm interstellar medium are required.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.57.3-58
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• 2021

We performed three-dimensional Monte Carlo dust scattering radiative transfer simulations for FUV light to obtain dust scattered FUV images and compared them with the observed FUV image obtained by FIMS/SPEAR and GALEX. From this, we find the scattering properties of interstellar dust in our Galaxy and suggest the intensity of extragalactic background light (EBL) at FUV wavelength. The best-fit values of the scattering properties of interstellar dust are albedo = 0.38^-0.04_+0.04, g-factor = 0.55^-0.15_+0.10, and EBL = 138^-23₊₂₁ CU for the allsky which are consistent well with the Milky Way dust model of Draine and direct measurements of Gardner et al., respectively. At the high Galactic latitude of |b|>10°, the observation is well fitted with the model of lower albedo = 0.35^-0.04_+0.06 and g-factor = 0.50^-0.20_+0.15. On the contrary, the scattering properties of interstellar dust show higher albedo = 0.43^-0.02_+0.02 and g-factor = 0.65^-0.15_+0.05 near the Galactic plane of |b|<10°. In the present simulation, recent three-dimensional distribution maps of interstellar dust in our Galaxy, stellar distances in the catalog of GAIA DR2, and FUV fluxes and/or spectral types in the TD-1 and Hipparcos star catalogs were used.

• Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.249-252
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• 2012

The absorption features due to interstellar ices, especially $H_2O$ and $CO_2$ ices, provide us with crucial information on present and past interstellar environments, and thus the evolutionary histories of galaxies. Before AKARI, however, few detections of ices were reported for nearby galaxies. The AKARI's unique capability of near-infrared spectroscopy with high sensitivity enables us to systematically study ices in nearby galaxies. Thus we have explored many near-infrared spectra ($2.5-5{\mu}m$) of the 211 pointed observations, searching for the absorption features of ices. As a result, out of 122 nearby galaxies, we have significantly detected $H_2O$ ice from 36 galaxies and $CO_2$ ice from 9 galaxies. It is notable that the ices are detected not only in late-type galaxies but also in early-type galaxies. We find that $CO_2$ ice is more compactly distributed near the galactic center than $H_2O$ ice. Finally, we suggest that the gas density of a molecular cloud and UV radiation may be important factors to determine the abundance of ices.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.145-153
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• 2009

We present measurements of diffuse interstellar $H_2$ absorption lines in the continuum spectra of 10 early-type stars. The data were observed with the Berkeley Extreme and Far-Ultraviolet Spectrometer (BEFS) of the ORFEUS telescope on board the ORFEUS-SPAS I and II space-shuttle missions in 1993 and 1996, respectively. The spectra extend from the interstellar cutoff at 912 $\AA$ to about 1200 $\AA$ with a resolution of ~ 3000 and statistical signal-to-noise ratios between 10 and 65. Adopting Doppler broadening velocities from high-resolution optical observations, we obtain the $H_2$ column densities of rotational levels J" = 0 through 5 for each line of sight. The kinetic temperatures derived from J" = 0 and 1 states show a small variation around the mean value of 80 K, except for the component toward HD 219188, which has a temperature of 211 K. Based on a synthetic interstellar cloud model described in our previous work, we derive the incident UV intensity IUV and the hydrogen density $n_H$ of the observed components to be -0.4 $\leq$ log $I_{UV}\leq2.2$ and $6.3{\leq}n_H2500cm^{-3}$, respectively.

• Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.20 no.1 s.24
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• pp.11-20
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• 2005

We present measurements of interstellar $H_2$ absorption lines in the continuum spectra of 54 early-type stars in the Galactic disk and halo and 3 stars in the Magellanic Clouds. The data were obtained with the Berkeley Extreme and Far-Ultraviolet Spectrometer (BEFS), part of the ORFEUS telescope, which flew on the ORFEUS-SPAS I and II space-shuttle missions in 1993 and 1996, respectively. The spectra extend from the interstellar cutoff at $912{\AA}$ to about $1200{\AA}$ with a spectral resolution of ${\sim}3000$ and statistical signal-to-noise ratios between 10 and 65. Assuming a velocity profile derived from optical observations (when available), we model the column densities N(J) of the rotational levels J = 0 through 5 for each line of sight. Our data reproduce the relationships among molecular and total hydrogen column density, fractional molecular abundance, and reddening first seen in Copernicusobservations of nearby stars (Savage et al. 1977). The results show that most of these molecular clouds have $H_2$ total column densities between $10^{15}cm^{-2}$ and $10^{21}cm^{-2}$, and kinetic temperatures from 21 K to 232 K, with average of 89 K, consistent with the result of Copernicus (Savage et al. 1977).

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.333-335
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• 2001

We study the properties of supernova (SN) driven interstellar turbulence with a numerical magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model. Calculations were done using the RIEMANN framework for MHD, which is highly suited for astrophysical flows because it tracks shocks using a Riemann solver and ensures pressure positivity and a divergence-free magnetic field. We start our simulations with a uniform density threaded by a uniform magnetic field. A simplified radiative cooling curve and a constant heating rate are also included. In this radiatively-cooling magnetized medium, we explode SNe one at a time at randomly chosen positions with SN explosion rates equal to and 12 times higher than the Galactic value. The evolution of the system is basically determined by the input energy of SN explosions and the output energy of radiative cooling. We follow the simulations to the point where the total energy of the system, as well as thermal, kinetic, and magnetic energy individually, has reached a quasi-stationary value. From the numerical experiments, we find that: i) both thermal and dynamical processes are important in determining the phases of the interstellar medium, and ii) the power index n of the $B-p^n$ relation is consistent with observed values.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.23 no.12
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• pp.1737-1743
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• 2002

We have studied the dynamics of energy-rich hydrogen molecules produced on a graphite surface through H(g) + H(ad)/C(gr) → $H_2$ + C(gr) at thermal conditions mimicking the interstellar medium using a classical trajectory procedure. The recombination reaction of gaseous H atom at 100 K and the adsorbed H atom on the interstellar graphite grains at 10 K efficiently takes place on a subpicosecond time scale with most of the reaction exothermicity depositing in the product vibration, which leads to a strong vibrational population inversion. The molecules produced in nearly end-on geometry where H(g) is positioned below H(ad) rotate clockwise and are more highly rotationally excited. but in low-lying vibrational levels. The rotational axis of most of the molecule rotating clockwise is tilted from the surface normal by more than 30°, the intensity peaking at 35°. The molecules produced when H(ad) is close to the surface rotate counter-clockwise and are weakly rotationally excited, but highly vibrationally excited. These molecules tend to align their rotational axes parallel to the surface. The number of molecules rotating clockwise is eight times larger than that rotating counter-clockwise.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2010.02a
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• pp.394-394
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• 2010

Ammonium ion (${NH_4}^+$) was suggested as the origin of interstellar $6.85\;{\mu}m$ band. Early study, in which organic molecule and water ice film mixtures were photolyzed so that organic acids could be produced, explained the generation of ${NH_4}^+$ from the reaction of photogenerated organic acid and ammonia ($NH_3$). However, the observed abundance of organic acids or their counter-anions are not so high in interstellar ice and not enough to protonate $NH_3$ into ${NH_4}^+$ in the observed level. Because of the shortage in photogenerated organic acids, the candidate of acid which protonates $NH_3$ should be modified. Here, we prepare $NH_3/H_2O$ binary mixtures and photolyze them with vacuum ultraviolet (VUV, peak at 10.6 and 10.0 eV). We find the ammonium ion (${NH_4}^+$) from photolyzed mixture by using low energy sputtering (LES) and reflection absorption IR spectroscopy (RAIRS). As a hydronium ($H_3O^+$) can be produced by UV irradiation and protonate bases, ${NH_4}^+$ may be formed from the reaction of photogenerated $H_3O^+$ and $NH_3$. We show the generation of ${NH_4}^+$ without any kind of organic molecules or acids, and it may explain the relatively high abundance of ${NH_4}^+$ compared to the counter-anions or organic acids in interstellar ice.

• Bulletin of the Korean Space Science Society
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• 2008.04a
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• pp.17.2-17.2
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• 2008