• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• 제20권2호
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• pp.95-100
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• 2003

This paper is for the investigation of the relationship between the geomagnetic disturbances and the relativistic electron events occurring at geosynchronous orbit. We have analyzed the electron fluxes of E > 2 MeV measured by GOES 10 satellite and the hourly Dst index for the period of April, 1999 to December, 2002. With the rigorous definition of the relativistic event, total 34 events were identified during the time period. Our statistical study showed that more than 50% of the total events occurred associated with weak (or sometimes virtually no) magnetic storms. And only ~ 20% of the events took place accompanied by a strong magnetic storm of $Dst_{min}$ < -100 nT. This result suggests that large geomagnetic storms may not be crucial for the occurrence of a relativistic event at geosynchronous orbit. We also found that there is no clear correlation between the maximum electron flux of an event and the associated minimum of Dst. Therefore any study on the physical mechanism (s) accounting for the relativistic events should take it into account that strong magnetic storms may not be necessarily required for the occurrence of a relativistic electron event at geosynchronous orbit.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• 제29권1호
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• pp.93-96
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• 2012

There are observational difficulties determining dynamical masses of binary star components in the upper HR diagram both due to the scarcity of massive binary systems and spectral and photometric contamination produced by the strong wind outflows in these systems. We discuss how variable X-ray emission in these systems produced by wind-wind collisions in massive binaries can be used to constrain the system parameters, with application to two important massive binaries, Eta Carinae and WR 140.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• 제36권1호
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• pp.35-43
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• 2019

The Optical Wide-field patroL-Network (OWL-Net) is a global optical network for Space Situational Awareness in Korea. The primary operational goal of the OWL-Net is to track Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites operated by Korea and to monitor the Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) region near the Korean peninsula. To obtain dense measurements on LEO tracking, the chopper system was adopted in the OWL-Net's back-end system. Dozens of angle-only measurements can be obtained for a single shot with the observation mode for LEO tracking. In previous work, the reduction process of the LEO tracking data was presented, along with the mechanical specification of the back-end system of the OWL-Net. In this research, we describe an integrity assessment method of time-position matching and verification of results from real observations of LEO satellites. The change rate of the angle of each streak in the shot was checked to assess the results of the matching process. The time error due to the chopper rotation motion was corrected after re-matching of time and position. The corrected measurements were compared with the simulated observation data, which were taken from the Consolidated Prediction File from the International Laser Ranging Service. The comparison results are presented in the In-track and Cross-track frame.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• 제26권4호
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• pp.421-424
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• 2009

The $JHK_S$ magnitudes of the red giant branch tip (TRGB) and the distance moduli of the nearby dwarf irregular galaxy IC 1613 have been determined from the near-infrared luminosity functions (LFs) of the resolved stars in the galaxy. Applying a Savitzky-Golay filtering, we derived the second derivatives of the LFs, and estimated the apparent magnitudes of the TRGB as $m_J\;=\;19.1$, $m_H\;=\;18.4$, and $m_{Ks}\;=\;18.0$. The mean values of the theoretical absolute magnitudes of the TRGB were measured by using the Yonsei-Yale isochrones with a metallicity range of -2.1 < [Fe/H] < -0.5 and age of 12 Gyr. The derived values of near-infrared TRGB distance moduli for IC 1613 are (m - M) = $24.12{\pm}0.25$, $24.20{\pm}0.44$, and $24.00{\pm}0.52$ for J, H, and $K_S$ bands, respectively.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• 제23권2호
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• pp.91-96
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• 2006

We use near-infrared observations of eight selected Galactic globular clusters to estimate their distances by comparing the observed and theoretically predicted K magnitudes of the red giant branch bumps and tips. The K magnitude levels of the RGB bump and tip have been measured from the luminosity function of the selected RGB stars in the clusters. Theoretical absolute $M_k$ magnitudes of the RGB bump and tip are taken from the Yonsei-Yale isochrones. Comparing the observed apparent K magnitude with the derived absolute $M_k$ magnitude, we calculate the distance moduli of the clusters. We discuss the dependency of the derived distance modulus on the cluster age and the uncertainty of the distance measurement from the near-infrared photometry of the RGB bump and tip.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• 제25권3호
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• pp.255-266
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• 2008

The current paper presents application of a new analytic solution in general relative motion to spacecraft formation flying in an elliptic orbit. The calculus of variations is used to analytically find optimal trajectories and controls for the given problem. The inverse of the fundamental matrix associated with the dynamic equations is not required for the solution in the current study. It is verified that the optimal thrust vector is a function of the fundamental matrix of the given state equations. The cost function and the state vector during the reconfiguration can be analytically obtained as well. The results predict the form of optimal solutions in advance without having to solve the problem. Numerical simulation shows the brevity and the accuracy of the general analytic solutions developed in the current paper.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• 제26권4호
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• pp.417-420
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• 2009

We have used the near-infrared $JHK_S$ photometric data of resolved stars in a nearby dwarf elliptical galaxy NGC 205 to determine the magnitudes of the red giant branch tip (TRGB). By applying Savitzky-Golay filter to the observed luminosity functions (LFs) in each band, we derived the second derivatives of the LFs so as to determine the magnitudes of the TRGB. Absolute magnitudes of the TRGB in $JHK_S$ bands were measured from the Yonsei-Yale isochrones. By comparing the determined apparent magnitudes and the theoretical absolute magnitudes of the TRGB, we estimated the distance moduli of NGC 205 to be (m - M) = $24.10{\pm}0.08$, $24.08{\pm}0.12$ and $24.14{\pm}0.14$ in J, H, and $K_S$ bands, respectively.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• 제33권1호
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• pp.45-54
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• 2016

This study developed an approach for improving Carrier-phase Differential Global Positioning System (CDGPS) based realtime satellite relative navigation by applying laser baseline measurement data. The robustness against the space operational environment was considered, and a Synthetic Wavelength Interferometer (SWI) algorithm based on a femtosecond laser measurement model was developed. The phase differences between two laser wavelengths were combined to measure precise distance. Generated laser data were used to improve estimation accuracy for the float ambiguity of CDGPS data. Relative navigation simulations in real-time were performed using the extended Kalman filter algorithm. The GPS and laser-combined relative navigation accuracy was compared with GPS-only relative navigation solutions to determine the impact of laser data on relative navigation. In numerical simulations, the success rate of integer ambiguity resolution increased when laser data was added to GPS data. The relative navigational errors also improved five-fold and two-fold, relative to the GPS-only error, for 250 m and 5 km initial relative distances, respectively. The methodology developed in this study is suitable for application to future satellite formation-flying missions.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• 제35권4호
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• pp.287-293
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• 2018

This paper presents a satellite relative navigation strategy for formation flying, which chooses an appropriate navigation algorithm according to the operating environment. Not only global positioning system (GPS) measurements, but laser measurements can also be utilized to determine the relative positions of satellites. Laser data is used solely or together with GPS measurements. Numerical simulations were conducted to compare the relative navigation algorithm using only laser data and laser data combined with GPS data. If an accurate direction of laser pointing is estimated, the relative position of satellites can be determined using only laser measurements. If not, the combined algorithm has better performance, and is irrelevant to the precision of the relative angle data between two satellites in spherical coordinates. Within 10 km relative distance between satellites, relative navigation using double difference GPS data makes more precise relative position estimation results. If the simulation results are applied to the relative navigation strategy, the proper algorithm can be chosen, and the relative position of satellites can be estimated precisely in changing mission environments.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• 제31권1호
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• pp.63-66
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• 2014

Since Rigollet first discovered a comet in 1939, many follow-up observations have been made, particularly in Europe. It is now known that the Rigollet comet is identical with the one observed by Herschel in 1788, and thus it is now called 35P/1939 O1 or the Herschel-Rigollet comet. Yumi, a Japanese astronomer, also observed the Rigollet comet in Korea using a 6-inch refractor telescope, and published his data in two Japanese journals (Bulletin of the Observatory of the Government-General of Korea and Publication of the Lecture on Meteorology). In his paper, Yumi also referred to observations by Hirose and Kanda in Japan. However, their works have not been given attention by international society. In this study, we analyze the observation data of Yumi and present preliminary orbital elements using it with a modified Gauss method. We expect that this study will be used to refine the orbital elements of the Rigollet comet by orbital-calculation experts. For that reason, we have also transcribed all the observational data presented by Yumi.