• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.47.3-47.3
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• 2019

We discovered 722 open clusters within 1 kpc using Gaia DR2 data. These clusters are detected in the proper motion space and confirmed on the spatial distribution with parallax information. We divided the 3628 regions and visually searched using python program. Among 722 open clusters, 430 clusters are previously unknown clusters. Catalogue of discovered clusters is unloaded on the online catalogue at https://radio.kasi.re.kr/project/shlee/. Owing to the good membership criteria, we could see the halo structure of the clusters. In that reason, the average size of the discovered cluster is about 9 times than that of previously known clusters.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.51.1-51.1
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• 2019

The Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) has been developing a coronagraph in collaboration with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), to install it on the International Space Station (ISS). The coronagraph will utilize spectral information to simultaneously measure electron density, temperature, and velocity. For this, we develop the coronagraph as a two-step process. First, we will perform a stratospheric balloon-borne experiment, so called BITSE, in 2019 with a new type of coronagraph. Second, the coronagraph will be installed and operate on the ISS (CODEX) in 2021 to address a number of questions (e.g., source and acceleration of solar wind, and coronal heating) that are both fundamental and practically important in the physics of the solar corona and of the heliosphere. In this presentation, we will introduce recent progresses.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.58.3-58.3
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• 2019

Optical intensity interferometry, developed in the 1950s, is a simple and inexpensive method for achieving angular resolutions on microarcsecond scales. Its low sensitivity has limited intensity interferometric observations to bright stars so far. Substantial improvements are possible by using avalanche photodiodes (APDs) as light detectors. We present here the results of laboratory measurements with a prototype astronomical intensity interferometer using APDs in continuous ("linear") detection mode - arguably, the first of its kind. We used two interferometer configurations, one with zero baseline and one with variable baseline. Using a superluminous diode as light source, we unambiguously detected Hanbury Brown-Twiss photon-photon correlations at very high significance. From measuring the correlation as function of baseline, we measured the angular diameter of the light source, in analogy to the measurement of the angular diameter of a star. Our results demonstrate the possibility to construct large astronomical intensity interferometers that can address a multitude of astrophysical science cases.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.55.4-55.4
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• 2021

한국천문연구원에서는 낮은 표면밝기(Low Surface Brightness; LSB)의 천체를 효율적으로 관측할 수 있는 소형(〉30cm) 광시야(〉1°×1°) 광학망원경 및 관측기술 개발을 통한 은하형성 규명 연구를 수행 중에 있다. 이번에 개발한 K-DRIFT pathfinder는 비축 자유곡면 3반사 망원경 시스템(Linear Astigmatism Free-Three Mirror System; LAF-TMS)으로 넓은 시야에서 고품질의 이미지를 효율적으로 얻을 수 있는 광학 설계를 적용하고, 배경 값 변동 요인을 분석하여 가까운 우주의 LSB 천체 관측에 최적화될 수 있도록 하였다. 이번 특별세션에서는 '왜 LSB 우주 탐사를 하고, K-DRIFT를 개발하는지?'에 대해서 소개하고, K-DRIFT pathfinder의 개발 과정, 보현산 천문대에서의 시험관측 결과 소개와 함께, LSB 천체 연구를 위한 맞춤형 시뮬레이션 개발 및 수행 내용을 소개한다.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.56.4-56.4
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• 2019

The Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) has been collaborating with the NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, to install a coronagraph on the International Space Station (ISS). The coronagraph will utilize spectral information to simultaneously measure electron density, temperature, and velocity. As a first step, we developed a new coronagraph and launched it on a stratospheric balloon in 2019 (BITSE) from Fort Sumner, New Mexico in USA. As the next step, the coronagraph will be be further developed, installed and operate on the ISS (CODEX) in 2022 to address a number of important questions (e.g., source and acceleration of solar wind, and coronal heating) in the physics of the solar corona and the heliosphere. Recently, BITSE has been launched at Fort Sumner, New Mexico. In this presentation, we will introduce the BITSE mission and discuss recent progress.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.57.1-57.1
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• 2019

NASA and Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) have been collaborated to develop the Space solar coronagraph instrument to detect the solar wind speed and corona temperature. As an intermediate stage, BITSE is the Balloon-Borne instrument to prove our proposed technical method which uses a polarized light in 4 different bandwidth wavelengths. In the presentation, the optical design based on the requirements, tests and alignment process for integrating the system are discussed.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.51.4-51.4
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• 2019

We started a systematic observational study of the 22 GHz water and 44 GHz class I methanol masers in 87 high-mass young stellar objects (HM-YSOs) as a KaVA large program (LP). The primary goal is to understand dynamical evolution of HM-YSOs and their circumstellar structures by measuring spatial distributions and 3-dimensional velocity fields of multiple maser species. In the first-year observations (2016-2017), we made snap-shot imaging surveys of 25 water and 19 methanol maser sources. In the second-year observations (2018-2019), we have carried out monitoring observations of 19 water and 3 methanol maser sources that were selected on the basis of the first-year survey results. By combining follow-up observations with VERA (distances), JVN/EAVN (6.7 GHz methanol masers), and ALMA cycles 3 and 6 (thermal lines/continuum), we will provide novel information on physical properties (density, temperature, size, mass), 3D dynamical structures of disk/jet/outflow/infalling envelope, and relationship between evolutionary of HM-YSOs. In this presentation, we will report the current status and future plans of our KaVA large program.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.72.1-72.1
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• 2019

Symbiotic stars are wide binary systems of a white dwarf and a mass losing giant, exhibiting various activities mainly attributed to accretion of a fraction of slow stellar wind emanating from the giant. We perform 3 dimensional hydrodynamical simulations using the FLASH code to investigate the formation and physical structures of an accretion disk in symbiotic stars with binary separation in the range of 2-4 au. Radiative cooling is introduced in the flow in order to avoid acute pressure increase in the vicinity of the accretor that may prevent stable disk formation. By setting the same density condition in front of the bow shock generated in two different velocity fields, the role of ram pressure balancing between the disk and the wind is examined. We find that three main streams (direct stream from the giant, stream following the accretion wake, and stream passing through the bow shock front) all feed the disk, and their individual contributions on the mass accretion onto the white dwarf are explored.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.44.2-44.2
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• 2020

The Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) has been collaborating with the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), to install a diagnostic coronagraph on the International Space Station (ISS). The coronagraph is designed to obtain simultaneous measurements of electron density, temperature, and velocity using multiple filters in the 3-10 Rs range. In 2019, we developed a new coronagraph and launched it on a stratospheric balloon (BITSE) from Fort Sumner, New Mexico in USA. As the next step, the coronagraph will be further developed, installed and operated on the ISS (CODEX) in 2023 to understand the physical conditions in the solar wind acceleration region, and enable and validate the next generation space weather models. In this presentation, we will report recent progress and introduce future plan.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.39.2-39.2
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• 2020

Based upon the previous heritage in the complete development of the infrared imaging spectrometer, NISS (Near-infrared Imaging Spectrometer for Star formation history) onboard NEXTSat-1, we are participating in the NASA MIDEX mission (PI Institute: Caltech), the all-sky infrared spectro-photometric surveyor SPHEREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and Ices Explorer). The SPHEREx will provide us the first all-sky infrared spectro-photometric data set to probe the origin of our Universe, to explore the origin and evolution of galaxies, and to explore whether planets around other stars could harbor life. After the SPEHREx have passed the PDR (Preliminary Design Review) on this September, the fabrication of flight hardware will be started soon. As an international partner, KASI takes part in the hardware development, the operation and the science for the SPHEREx. Here, we report the status of the SPHEREx project and the progress in the Korean participation.