• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.451-466
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• 2009

While substorms are known to generally occur under southward IMF conditions, they can sometimes occur even under northward IMF conditions. In this paper, we studied the substorms that occurred in May, 2000 to 2002 to examine some statistical characteristics of the IMF and solar wind associated with northward IMF substorms. We focused on the cases where two or more substorms occurred successively under northward IMF conditions. Also, by checking Sym-H index associated with each of the substorms we determined whether or not there is any association of such northward IMF substorm occurrence with storm times. We also examined statistical properties at geosynchronous altitude in terms of magnetic field dipolarization and energetic particle injection. The following results were obtained. (i) Most of the northward IMF substorms occurred under average solar wind conditions. The majority of them occurred within 2 hrs duration of northward IMF Bz state, but there are also a nonnegligible number of substorms that occurred after a longer duraiton of northward IMF Bz state. (ii) While most of the substorms occurred as isolated from a magnetic storm time, those that occurred in a magnetic storm time show a higher average value of IMF and solar wind than that for the isolated substorms. (iii) About 55% of the substorms were associated with the IMF clock angle that can possibly allow dayside reconnection, and the other 45% were associated with more or less pure northward IMF conditions. Therefore, for the latter cases, the energy input from the solar wind into the magnetosphere should be made by other way than the dayside reconnection. (iv) For most of the substorms, the magnetic field dipolarizations and energetic particle injections at geosynchronous altitude were identified to be generally weak. But, several events indicated strong magnetic field dipolarizations and energetic particle injections.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2005

The Korean VLBI Network (KVN) will open a new field of research in astronomy, geodesy and earth science using the newest three Elm radio telescopes. This will expand our ability to look at the Universe in the millimeter regime. Imaging capability of radio interferometry is highly dependent upon the antenna configuration, source size, declination and the shape of target. In this paper, imaging simulations are carried out with the KVN system configuration. Five test images were used which were a point source, multi-point sources, a uniform sphere with two different sizes compared to the synthesis beam of the KVN and a Very Large Array (VLA) image of Cygnus A. The declination for the full time simulation was set as +60 degrees and the observation time range was -6 to +6 hours around transit. Simulations have been done at 22GHz, one of the KVN observation frequency. All these simulations and data reductions have been run with the Astronomical Image Processing System (AIPS) software package. As the KVN array has a resolution of about 6 mas (milli arcsecond) at 220Hz, in case of model source being approximately the beam size or smaller, the ratio of peak intensity over RMS shows about 10000:1 and 5000:1. The other case in which model source is larger than the beam size, this ratio shows very low range of about 115:1 and 34:1. This is due to the lack of short baselines and the small number of antenna. We compare the coordinates of the model images with those of the cleaned images. The result shows mostly perfect correspondence except in the case of the 12mas uniform sphere. Therefore, the main astronomical targets for the KVN will be the compact sources and the KVN will have an excellent performance in the astrometry for these sources.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.345-354
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• 2006

Korean Peninsula has been postulated to be on the Eurasian plate(EU). On the other hand, recent seismological works and GPS researches suggest that it is on a separate plate called the Amurian plate (AM). However, the GPS results we inconsistent with each other beyond the estimated statistical errors. Moreover, the estimated plate motion parameter, which we obtained from the velocity data of six Korean GPS stations, was not well agreeing with any existing results. Therefore, independent measurements are required to distinguish those results. In near future, we will have 4 VLBI stations in Korea. This compact Korean VLBI array is capable of achieving good determination of the plate motion parameters if it is located on stable sites. We estimated the precision of the AM motion parameters with the Korean VLBT array. The results showed that the Korean VLBI array would verify the existence of the AM, as far as the observation precision of 0.2-0.5mm/yr for station velocities is achieved. Therefore, new Korean geodetic VLBI array can contribute to crustal deformation studies in East Asia.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.677-692
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• 2009

In recent years, lots of studies on the planetary rover systems have been performed around space advanced agencies such as NASA, ESA, JAXA, etc. Among the various technologies for the planetary rover system, the mobility system, navigation algorithm, and scientific payload have been focused particularly. In this paper, the conceptual design for a ground-based model of planetary rover's mobility system to evaluate mobility and moving stability on ground is presented. The status of overseas research and development of the planetary rover systems is also addressed in terms of technical issues. And then, the requirements of the planetary rover's mobility system are derived by means of considering mobility and stability. The designed rover's mobility system has an active suspension with 6 legs that controls 6 joints on the each leg in order to achieve high stability and mobility. This kind of mobility system has already applied to the ATHELE of NASA for various purposes such as transportation and habitation for human lunar exploration activities in the near future (i.e., Constellation program). However, the proposed system has been designed by focusing on the small-sized unmanned explorations, which may be applied for the future Korea Lunar exploration missions. Therefore, we expect that this study will be an useful reference and experience in order to develop the planetary exploration rover system in Korea.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.27-36
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• 2011

The present study examines the morning-afternoon asymmetry of the geosynchronous magnetic field strength on the dayside (magnetic local time [MLT] = 06:00~18:00) using observations by the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) over a period of 9 years from February 1998 to January 2007. During geomagnetically quiet time (Kp < 3), we observed that a peak of the magnetic field strength is skewed toward the earlier local times (11:07~11:37 MLT) with respect to local noon and that the geosynchronous field strength is larger in the morning sector than in the afternoon sector. That is, there is the morning-afternoon asymmetry of the geosynchronous magnetic field strength. Using solar wind data, it is confirmed that the morning-afternoon asymmetry is not associated with the aberration effect due to the orbital motion of the Earth about the Sun. We found that the peak location of the magnetic field strength is shifted toward the earlier local times as the ratio of the magnetic field strength at MLT = 18 (B-dusk) to the magnetic field strength at MLT = 06 (B-dawn) is decreasing. It is also found that the dawn-dusk magnetic field median ratio, B-dusk/B-dawn, is decreasing as the solar wind dynamic pressure is increasing. The morning-afternoon asymmetry of the magnetic field strength appears in Tsyganenko geomagnetic field model (TS-04 model) when the partial ring current is included in TS-04 model. Unlike our observations, however, TS-04 model shows that the peak location of the magnetic field strength is shifted toward local noon as the solar wind dynamic pressure grows in magnitude. This may be due to that the symmetric magnetic field associated with the magnetopause current, strongly affected by the solar wind dynamic pressure, increases. However, the partial ring current is not affected as much as the magnetopause current by the solar wind dynamic pressure in TS-04 model. Thus, our observations suggest that the contribution of the partial ring current at geosynchronous orbit is much larger than that expected from TS-04 model as the solar wind dynamic pressure increases.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.55-68
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• 2007

We carried out a validation study on AURIC FUV/EUV dayglow calculation with $OII\;834{\AA},\;OI\;989{\AA},\;OI\;1027{\AA},\;NII\;1085{\AA},\;NI\;1134{\AA},\;NI\;1200{\AA},\;OI\;1304{\AA},\;OI\;1356{\AA}$ dayglows observed by STP78-1 satellite. Comparison between calculated and observed values indicates that they are in agreement within about 20% for dayglows of $OII\;834{\AA},\;OI\;1027{\AA},\;NI\;1200{\AA},\;OI\;1304{\AA}$. However, the calculated intensities of $OI\;989{\AA},\;NII\;1085{\AA},\;NI\;1134{\AA}$ are only 42, 74 and 45% of the observed values, respectively, showing serious differences from the observation. It was surmised that the differences in $OI\;989{\AA}\;and\;NI\;1134{\AA}$ are due to incomplete calculation of radiative transfer and uncertain photochemical processes in AURIC model, respectively. The difference in $NII\;1085{\AA}$ is conjectured to be due to variation of the input solar EUV flux rather than due to AURIC model itself. For up-looking dayglows from the satellite, the calculated values from AURIC are all less than those of STP78-1, which may imply that AURIC model does not include dayglow contribution from regions below the satellite altitude when it computes dayglows in up-looking direction. The differences are particularly serious for $OI\;989{\AA},\;NI\;1134{\AA},\;NI\;1200{\AA}$ dayglows. The calculated latitudinal variation of $OII\;834{\AA}$ dayglow is also significantly different from the observed one, especially at mid-latitude regions. This may be due to inability of MSISE-90 (in input of AURIC) to simulate oxygen atom densities at mid-latitudes during auroral storms at those days of STP78-1 observations. Our findings of the validation study should be resolved when AURIC model is revised in future.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.157-166
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• 2008

We have investigated a statistical relationship between sawtooth oscillations and geomagnetic storms during 2000-2004. First of all we selected a total of 154 geomagnetic storms based on the Dst index, and distinguished between different drivers such as Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) and Co-rotating Interaction Region (CIR). Also, we identified a total of 48 sawtooth oscillation events based on geosynchronous energetic particle data for the same 2000-2004 period. We found that out of the 154 storms identified, 47 storms indicated the presence of sawtooth oscillations. Also, all but one sawtooth event identified occurred during a geomagnetic storm interval. It was also found that sawtooth oscillation events occur more frequently for storms driven by CME $({\sim}62%)$ than for storms driven by CIR $({\sim}30%)$. In addition, sawtooth oscillations occurred mainly $({\sim}82%)$ in the main phase of storms for CME-driven storms while they occurred mostly $({\sim}78%)$ during the storm recovery phase for CIR-driven storms. Next we have examined the average characteristics of the Bz component of IMF, and solar wind speed, which were the main components for driving geomagnetic storm. We found that for most of the sawtooth events, the IMF Bz corresponds to -15 to 0 nT and the solar wind speed was in the range of $400{\sim}700km/s$. We found that there was a weak tendency that the number of teeth for a given sawtooth event interval was proportional to the southward IMF Bz magnitude.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.233-242
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• 2004

The $HCO^+$ 1-0 transition line was observed toward the Sgr B2 region in our Galactic center. We found that there exist two large-scale velocity structures of $v_{lsr}\;{\sim}50\;and\;{\sim}100kms^{-1}$, which are thought to interact with each other. A new gas clump 'OF28 Cloud'('Odenwald & Fazio FIR 38' Cloud), showing different chemical and kinematical properties with the Sgr B2(M) cloud, was found in the $50kms^{-1}$ gas component. Toward the core of this component, we derive the $HCO^+$ total column density, $N(HCO^+)=(2-5){\times}10^{14}cm^{-2}$ and the mass $M=1{\times}10^6M_{\odot}$, by estimating its size, ${\sim}15pc$, from the half-power width of this component. We also found that there is a highly turbulent component in this region in the velocity range of about $100kms^{-1}$. The column density of this component is $N(HCO^+)=1{\times}10^{13}cm^{-2}$. The $HCO^+$ in this region may form effectively by the reaction between $C^+$ and OH, which are the elements whose abundances increase rapidly in shocked region.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.113-124
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• 2005

All times of minimum light for two eclipsing binaries V343 Aql and CX Aqr were collected and analyzed to study their orbital period variations. It was found that the orbital periods for both stars have varied in a cyclical way superposed on a parabola. A secular period decrease of $-261{\times}10^{-7}$ d/y for V343 Aql was calculated while CX Aqr showed a secular period increase of $+2.55{\times}10^{-8}$8 d/y. Possible causes of secular period variations for two systems were discussed. The cyclical period variation was interpreted as light-time effect due to a third body. The resultant period, semiamplitude and eccentricity of the light time orbit were calculated to be 30.3y, 0.0092d and 0.85, respectively, for V343 Aql and 33.0y, 0.0037d and 0.64, respectively, for CX Aqr. The properties of the third bodies suggested in V343 Aql and CX Aqr systems were discussed.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.141-152
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• 2004

Optics fabrication process for precision space optical parts includes bound abrasive grinding, loose abrasive lapping and polishing. The traditional bound abrasive grinding with bronze bond cupped diamond wheel leaves the machine marks of about $20{mu}m$ rms in height and the subsurface damage of about 1 ${mu}m$ rms in height to be removed by subsequent loose abrasive lapping. We explored an efficient quantitative control of precision CNC grinding. The machining parameters such as grain size, work-piece rotation speed and feed rate were altered while grinding the work-piece surfaces of 20-100 mm in diameter. The input grinding variables and the resulting surface quality data were used to build grinding prediction models using empirical and multi-variable regression analysis. The effectiveness of such grinding prediction models was then examined by running a series of precision CNC grinding operation with a set of controlled input variables and predicted output surface quality indicators. The experiment achieved the predictability down to ${pm}20$ nm in height and the surface roughness down to 36 nm in height. This study contributed to improvement of the process efficiency reaching directly the polishing and figuring process without the need for the loose abrasive lapping stage.