• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.36 no.2
• /
• pp.53.1-53.1
• /
• 2011

We analyze the halo and galaxy catalogs from the Millennium simulations at redshifts z=0, 0.5, 1 to determine the alignment profiles of cluster galaxies in terms of the matter density correlation coefficient and discuss a cosmological implication our result has for breaking parameter degeneracies. For each selected cluster, we measure the alignment between the major axes of the pseudo inertia tensors from all satellites within cluster's virial radius and from only those satellites within some smaller radius. Then we average the measured values over the similar-mass sample to determine the cluster galaxy alignment profile as a function of top-hat scale difference at each redshift. It is shown that the alignment profile of cluster galaxies is well approximated by a power-law of the nonlinear density correlation coefficient that is independent of the power spectrum normalization and bias factor. The alignment profile of cluster galaxies is found to have higher amplitude and lower power-law index when averaged over the larger-mass sample and to have rather weak redshift-dependence. This result is consistent with the picture that the satellite galaxies retain the memory of the external tidal fields right after merging and infalling into the clusters but they gradually lose the initial alignment tendency as the cluster's relaxation proceeds. Demonstrating that the nonlinear density correlation coefficient varies sensitively with the density parameter and neutrino mass fraction, we discuss a potential power of the cluster galaxy alignment profile as an independent probe of cosmology.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.38 no.1
• /
• pp.29.2-29.2
• /
• 2013

The presence of dark energy, suggested from Type Ia supernovae (SNe) cosmology, is the most pronounced astronomical discovery made during the past decade. The basic assumption of this discovery is that the look-back time evolution of SNe luminosity would be negligible after light-curve correction. Several recent works, however, show that there are some differences in Hubble residual among host galaxies having different morphology and mass, indicating that SNe luminosity might be affected by population age. In order to investigate this more directly, we are continuing the YONSEI (YOnsei Nearby Supernovae Evolution Investigation) project, where we are obtaining low-resolution spectra of some 60 nearby early-type host galaxies. The early-type galaxies are preferred because the mean population ages and metallicities can be estimated from the absorption lines, and they are less affected by dust extinction. In this talk, we will report our progress in determining the ages and metallicities of host galaxies to investigate their correlation with the Hubble residual.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.38 no.1
• /
• pp.76.2-76.2
• /
• 2013

SPICA(SPace Infrared Telescope for Cosmology and Astrophysics) is an infrared space observatory with cooled telescope of 3 m aperture. Because of its large aperture, near- and mid-infrared instruments onboard SPICA require fine guidance with attitude accuracy less than 0.1 arcsecond. The FPC-G is a focal plane camera to achieve this high attitude accuracy and KASI is leading its development. The SPICA project is now under the Risk Mitigation Phase 2 (RMP2) and one of major risks is to satisfy the requirement of pointing and attitude control. To assess the impacts of disturbance sources on the attitude control and devise methods to mitigate possible risks, a software simulator of the FPC-G is under the development. In this presentation, we report the status of development of the simulator and the development plan during the RMP2.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.34 no.1
• /
• pp.193-193
• /
• 2009

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.36 no.3
• /
• pp.123-144
• /
• 2003

The 8m class telescopes in the ground-based optical astronomy together with help from the ultra-sharp eye of the Hubble Space Telescope have enabled us to observe forming galaxies beyond red shift z = 5. In particular, more than twenty Ly$\alpha$-emitting galaxies have already been found at z > 5. These findings provide us with useful hints to investigate how galaxies formed and then evolved in the early universe. Further, detailed analysis of Ly$\alpha$ emission line profiles are useful in exploring the nature of the intergalactic medium because the trailing edge of cosmic reionization could be close to z $\~$ 6 -7, at which forming galaxies have been found recently. We also discuss the importance of superwinds from forming galaxies at high redshift, which has an intimate relationship between galaxies and the intergalactic medium. We then give a review of early cosmic star formation history based on recent progress in searching for Ly$\alpha$-emitting young galaxies beyond red shift 5.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.36 no.3
• /
• pp.105-110
• /
• 2003

Recent observations of galaxy clusters in radio and X-ray indicate that cosmic rays and magnetic fields may be energetically important in the intracluster medium. According to the estimates based on theses observational studies, the combined pressure of these two components of the intracluster medium may range between $10\%{\~}100\%$ of gas pressure, although their total energy is probably time dependent. Hence, these non-thermal components may have influenced the formation and evolution of cosmic structures, and may provide unique and vital diagnostic information through various radiations emitted via their interactions with surrounding matter and cosmic background photons. We suggest that shock waves associated with cosmic structures, along with individual sources such as active galactic nuclei and radio galaxies, supply the cosmic rays and magnetic fields to the intracluster medium and to surrounding large scale structures. In order to study 1) the properties of cosmic shock waves emerging during the large scale structure formation of the universe, and 2) the dynamical influence of cosmic rays, which were ejected by AGN-like sources into the intracluster medium, on structure formation, we have performed two sets of N-body /hydrodynamic simulations of cosmic structure formation. In this contribution, we report the preliminary results of these simulations.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.36 no.3
• /
• pp.111-121
• /
• 2003

In order to explore the cosmic ray acceleration at the cosmological shocks, we have performed numerical simulations of one-dimensional, plane-parallel, cosmic ray (CR) modified shocks with the newly developed CRASH (Cosmic Ray Amr SHock) numerical code. Based on the hypothesis that strong Alfven waves are self-generated by streaming CRs, the Bohm diffusion model for CRs is adopted. The code includes a plasma-physics-based 'injection' model that transfers a small proportion of the thermal proton flux through the shock into low energy CRs for acceleration there. We found that, for strong accretion shocks with Mach numbers greater than 10, CRs can absorb most of shock kinetic energy and the accretion shock speed is reduced up to $20\%$, compared to pure gas dynamic shocks. Although the amount of kinetic energy passed through accretion shocks is small, since they propagate into the low density intergalactic medium, they might possibly provide acceleration sites for ultra-high energy cosmic rays of $E\ll10^{18}eV$. For internal/merger shocks with Mach numbers less than 3, however, the energy transfer to CRs is only about $10-20\%$ and so nonlinear feedback due to the CR pressure is insignificant. Considering that intracluster medium (ICM) can be shocked repeatedly, however, the CRs generated by these weak shocks could be sufficient to explain the observed non-thermal signatures from clusters of galaxies.

• Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.30 no.2
• /
• pp.621-624
• /
• 2015

We present the current status (as of August 2014) of SPICA (Space Infrared Telescope for Cosmology and Astrophysics), which is a mission optimized for mid- and far-infrared astronomy with a cryogenically cooled 3m-class telescope. SPICA is expected to achieve high spatial resolution and unprecedented sensitivity in the mid- and far-infrared, which will enable us to address a number of key problems in present-day astronomy, ranging from the star-formation history of the universe to the formation of planets. We have carried out the "Risk Mitigation Phase" activity, in which key technologies essential to the realization of the mission have been extensively developed. Consequently, technical risks for the success of the mission have been significantly mitigated. Along with these technical activities, the international collaboration framework of SPICA has been revisited, which resulted in la arger contribution from ESA than that in the original plan. To enable the ESA participation under the new framework, a SPICA proposal to ESA is under consideration as a medium-class mission under the framework of the ESA Cosmic Vision. The target launch year of SPICA under the new framework is the mid-2020s.

• Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.30 no.2
• /
• pp.237-240
• /
• 2015

Classical novae (CNe) are interacting binary systems whose outbursts are powered by a thermonuclear runaway in accreted material onto the surface of a white dwarf (WD). The secondary star in such systems fills its Roche lobe and material is transferred onto the WD primary star via an accretion disk. Recurrent novae (RNe) show many similarities to CNe, but have had more than one recorded outburst. RNe play an important role as one of the suspected progenitor systems of Type Ia supernovae, which are used as primary distance indicators in cosmology. Thus, it is important to investigate the nature of their central binary systems to determine the relation between the parameters of the central system and the outburst type, and finally ascertain the population of novae that might be available to give rise to the progenitors of Type Ia SNe. A low outburst amplitude is adopted as a criterion that may help distinguish RNe from CNe and was therefore used to select targets for observations from ground-based observatories including the Liverpool Telescope and the Southern African Large Telescope as well as the full-sky space-based archive of the Solar Mass Ejection Imager (SMEI). We found that at least four objects currently classified as CNe are possibly RNe candidates based on their quiescent spectra. We also searched the SMEI archive for additional outbursts of bright CNe that might otherwise have been missed but did not find a conclusive example.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.37 no.2
• /
• pp.204.2-204.2
• /
• 2012

FPC (Fine-guiding and astroPhysics Camera)는 일본 ISAS/JAXA, 유럽 ESA에서 공동 개발하는 대형적외선우주망원경 SPICA (Space Infrared Telescope for Cosmology and Astrophysics)에 탑재하기 위하여 천문연이 주도하는 한국의 컨소시움에서 개발을 추진하고 있는 정밀 근적외선 카메라이다. FPC는 과학적 목적을 위한 FPC-S와 정밀 자세결정을 위한 FPC-G로 이루어져 있으며 관측 파장 대역은 0.7-5 um이다. FPC-G는 0.05 각초의 초정밀 자세 결정을 위한 기능을 갖추고 있으며, FPC-S는 선형변화필터 LVF (Linear Variable Filter) 등을 사용하여 Pop III stars, High-redshift 영역에서의 별탄생 및 은하 진화 과정에 대한 연구를 수행할 수 있다. FPC는 상대적으로 시스템 자원을 덜 소모하기 때문에, 다른 중 적외선 원적외선 기기와 동시 관측이 가능하다. 다른 기기들과의 잘 짜여진 협력 관측을 통하여, FPC의 활용도를 높일 계획이다.