• Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.287-291
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• 2017

We present the results of our mid-infrared (MIR) observations of distant clusters of galaxies with AKARI. The wide-field of view of IRC/AKARI ($10^{\prime}{\times}10^{\prime}$) is ideally suited for studying dust-obscured star-formation (SF) activity of galaxies along the cosmic web in the distant universe. We performed a deep and wide-field $15{\mu}m$ (rest-frame ${\approx}8{\mu}m$) imaging observation of the RXJ1716+6708 cluster (z = 0.81) with IRC. We find that $15{\mu}m$-detected cluster member galaxies (with total infrared luminosities of $L_{IR}{\geq}10^{11}L_{\odot}$) are most preferentially located in the cluster outskirt regions, whilst such IR-luminous galaxies avoid the cluster centre. Our $H{\alpha}$ follow-up study of this field confirmed that a significant fraction of $15{\mu}m$-detected cluster galaxies are heavily obscured by dust (with $AH{\alpha}$>3 mag in extreme cases). The environment of such dusty star-burst galaxies coincides with the place where we see a sharp "break" of the colour-density relation, suggesting an important link between dust-obscured SF activity and environmental quenching. We also report the discovery of a new cluster candidate around a radio galaxy at z = 1.52 (4C 65.22), where we obtained one of the deepest IRC imaging datasets with all the nine filters at $2-24{\mu}m$. This field will provide us with the final, excellent laboratory for studying the dust-enshrouded SF activity in galaxies along the cosmic web at the critical epoch of cluster galaxy evolution with AKARI.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.57.2-57.2
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• 2014

Red active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are supposed to be transitional objects becoming normal AGNs in the galaxy evolution scenario. So far, ~200 red AGNs have been found by very red color in optical through NIR wavelength (e.g., r'-K >5 and J-K>1.3; Urrutia et al. 2009). Here, we compare nuclear activities of the red AGNs to those of normal AGNs to verify the evolutionary phase of the red AGNs. In order to study the nuclear activities of the red AGNs, we use broad emission lines of $P{\beta}$ ($1.28{\mu}m$) of which flux is less suppressed by a factor of 100 than the $H{\beta}$ line in the case of the red AGNs with a color excess of E(B-V)=2 mag. We use 16 red AGNs discovered in previous red AGN surveys by using SDSS, 2MASS, and FIRST (Glikman et al. 2007; Urrutia et al. 2009) at z ~0.7 for which $P{\beta}$ lines are redshifted to the sky window at ${\sim}2.2{\mu}m$. The mean Eddington ratio of the 16 red AGNs is 0.562, and that of the normal AGNs is 0.320, which indicates the red AGNs include more active black hole (BH) than the normal AGNs. To test how significantly the nuclear activities of the red AGNs and the normal AGNs are different, we perform a two-dimensional Kolmogorov-Smirnov test (K-S test) on their Eddington ratio distributions. The K-S test shows the maximum deviation between the cumulative distributions, D, is 0.48, and the probability of null hypothesis, p, is even less than 0.001. This result is consistent with a picture of that the red AGNs are in intermediate phase between the stage of merger-driven starburst galaxy and the normal AGN.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.54.1-54.1
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• 2017

The UKIRT Wide-field Infrared survey for Fe+(UWIFE) is an unbiased survey of the first Galactic quadrant, with narrow-band filter centered on $1.644{\mu}m$. This survey covers $7^{\circ}$ < l < $62^{\circ}$ and |b| < $1.5^{\circ}$, where active interaction of stars and interstellar medium is expected. With median seeing of 0.8 arcsec, 5 - sigma detection limit of 18.7 mag and surface brightness limit of $8.1{\times}10^{-20}W\;m^{-2}arcsec^{-2}$, this survey gives an opportunity to statistically study Galactic [Fe II] - emitting sources for the first time. In order to identify Ionized Fe Objects (IFOs) in survey area systematically, we conducted visual inspection and automatic detection simultaneously. Total of ~300 extended IFOs are identified, most of them are found out to be part of supernova remnants (SNRs), young stellar objects, HII regions and planetary nebulae. The majority of IFOs are new discoveries which reveal shocked structures in high-extinction region. Spatial distribution of IFOs suggest that they trace Galactic structure. As a part of spectroscopic follow-up, we observed SNR candidate IFO J183740.829-061452.41 with IGRINS (Immersion Grating Infrared Spectrograph, Yuk+2010), mounted on 2.7m Harlan Smith telescope. This unknown arc-like, 6'-long IFO is coincident with inner part of radio continuum loop G25.8+0.2, which has been known as HII region. However, interior of this radio shell is filled with diffuse soft X-ray emission, and possible association of hard X-ray pulsar / pulsar wind nebula makes the nature of the IFO unclear. The H and K-band 2D spectrum shows shock-ionized [Fe II] filaments, which is apart from photoionized HII filaments. In this presentation we present basic statistics of newly identified IFOs, as well as the follow-up study of IFO J183740.829-061452.41.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.113.2-113.2
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• 2011

We observed a low-mass pre-main sequence star, HBC722 (also known as $LkH{\alpha}$ 188 G4), with Camera for QUasars in EArly uNiverse (CQUEAN) attached to 2.1 Otto Struve telescope at McDonald Observatory, USA. HBC722 is a new FU orionis-type object in the direction of NGC7000/IC5070, which produced large amplitude optical outbursts (${\delta}V$=4.7 mag over one year) for a few months and reached the peak in 2010 September. We carried out the photometric observation in SDSS r,i, and z band in 2011 April, July and August to monitor the long term decrease of its brightness. We also made continuous observation in r-band for half night in July, and whole two nights in August to investigate short term variability which could be related to the rotation of the central star or the inner circumstellar disk. In this poster, we present a preliminary result of the photometric observation for HBC722.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.43.2-43.2
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• 2013

The local environmental effects on the triggering of active galactic nucleus(AGN) activity has been studied with many authors, but there still be controversy. We perform statistical analysis for nearby(0.01 < z < 0.05) volume limited(Mr < -19) samples with visual inspection based on Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release7. We inspect ~60,000 galaxy images visually to find peculiar objects which show not only ongoing merging features and tidal features, but also post merging features like ring or shell structures. We found that these peculiar features were shown at least 2 times more frequently among AGN host galaxies than non AGN galaxies, and this trend was still visible when galaxy properties such as color or stellar mass are fixed. Furthermore, L[OIII] and L(Ha) of peculiar galaxies are found to be more increased than those of normal galaxies. In order to ensure this results, we also checked it for a smaller subsample with ~2mag deeper monochromatic images provided from SDSS Stripe82 database, and found consistent results. At last, we perform the same work for pair(r_p<80kpc/h, delta_v<200km/s) systems. Because of some pair systems which do not interact gravitationally in actuality but fulfill the criteria for identification of pair system, the trends are found to be slightly weaker. We also found that line luminosities are increased consistently as projected distance between central and companion galaxy decreased, and as companion color gets bluer. Overall, the results of this study tell us that the local environment of galaxies affect the frequency as well as the strength of AGN activity. Local environmental effects, however, may not be the dominant triggering mechanism for AGN activity since the majority of peculiar galaxies are non AGN galaxies.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.343-355
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• 2015

There is much observational evidence that active star formation is taking place in the Hii regions Sh 2-255 – 257. We present a photometric study of this star forming region (SFR) using imaging data obtained in passbands from the optical to the mid-infrared, in order to study the star formation process. A total of 218 members were identified using various selection criteria based on their observational properties. The SFR is reddened by at least E(B −V ) = 0.8 mag, and the reddening law toward the region is normal (R_V = 3.1). From the zero-age main sequence fitting method it is confirmed that the SFR is 2.1 ± 0.3 kpc from the Sun. The median age of the identified members is estimated to be about 1.3 Myr from a comparison of the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram (HRD) with stellar evolutionary models. The initial mass function (IMF) is derived from the HRD and the near-infrared (J, J −H) color-magnitude diagram. The slope of the IMF is about Γ = −1.6 ± 0.1, which is slightly steeper than that of the Salpeter/Kroupa IMF. It implies that low-mass star formation is dominant in the SFR. The sum of the masses of all the identified members provides the lower limit of the cluster mass (169M_⊙). We also analyzed the spectral energy distribution (SED) of pre-main sequence stars using the SED fitting tool of Robitaille et al., and confirm that there is a significant discrepancy between stellar mass and age obtained from two different methods based on the SED fitting tool and the HRD.

• Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.205-209
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• 2015

The Eclipsing Binaries Minima (BIMA) Monitoring Project is a CCD-based photometric observational program initiated by Bosscha Observatory - Lembang, Indonesia in June 2012. Since December 2012 the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT) has joined the BIMA Project as the main partner. This project aims to build an open-database of eclipsing binary minima and to establish the orbital period of each system and its variations. The project is conducted on the basis of multisite monitoring observations of eclipsing binaries with magnitudes less than 19 mag. Differential photometry methods have been applied throughout the observations. Data reduction was performed using IRAF. The observations were carried out in BVRI bands using three different small telescopes situated in Indonesia, Thailand, and Chile. Computer programs have been developed for calculating the time of minima. To date, more than 140 eclipsing binaries have been observed. From them 71 minima have been determined. We present and discuss the O-C diagrams for some eclipsing binary systems.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.50.3-51
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• 2021

The progenitor of Type Ia supernovae is largely expected as a close binary system of a carbon/oxygen white dwarf (WD) primary and its secondary non-degenerate (single degenerate; SD) or degenerate companion (double degenerate; DD). Here we present a high-cadence monitoring observation of SN 2021hpr in a spiral galaxy, NGC 3147. SN 2021hpr shows typical characteristics as a normal type Ia supernova from its photometric (Δm₁₅(B)=1.01±0.03, dust free M_B,max=-19.45±0.02) and spectroscopic data. To investigate its progenitor system, we fit the early part of BVRI-band light curve simultaneously with a combined version of ejecta-companion and simple power-law model. As a result, we found a significant feature of an early excess possibly from a 7.63±0.52R_⊙-sized companion at the optimal viewing angle while the fit is not successful at the common viewing angle. No possible red sources brighter than F555W=-7.01 AB mag is detected at the SN location in Hubble Space Telescope (HST) pre-explosion images, excluding massive stars with initial mass of >16M_⊙ as companions. We suggest the progenitor system of SN 2021hpr can be a fairly large companion such as a main sequence, a low mass subgiant, and a helium giant star. In addition, a possibility of the ejecta-Disk Originated Matter (DOM) interaction for the DD scenario considering linearly-rising early flux still remains.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.53.3-54
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• 2021

We present optical follow-up observation results of three binary black hole merger (BBH) events, GW190408 181802, GW190412, and GW190503 185404, which were detected by the Advanced Ligo and Virgo gravitational wave (GW) detectors. Electromagnetic (EM) counterparts are generally not expected for BBH merger events, however, some theoretical models suggest that EM counterparts of BBH can possibly arise in special environments. To identify EM counterparts of the three BBH merger events, we observed high-credibility regions of the sky with telescopes of the Gravitational-wave EM Counterpart Korean Observatory (GECKO), including the Korea Microlensing Telescope Network (KMTNet). Our observation started as soon as 100 minutes after the GW event alert and covered roughly 29 - 63 deg2 for each event with a depth of 22.5 mag in R-band within hours of observation. No plausible EM counterparts were found for these events. Our result gives a great promise for the GECKO facilities to find EM counterparts within few hours from GW detection in future GW observation runs.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.11-21
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• 2019

Intensive Monitoring Survey of Nearby Galaxies (IMSNG) is a high cadence observation program monitoring nearby galaxies with high probabilities of hosting supernovae (SNe). IMSNG aims to constrain the SN explosion mechanism by inferring sizes of SN progenitor systems through the detection of the shock-heated emission that lasts less than a few days after the SN explosion. To catch the signal, IMSNG utilizes a network of 0.5-m to 1-m class telescopes around the world and monitors the images of 60 nearby galaxies at distances D < 50 Mpc to a cadence as short as a few hours. The target galaxies are bright in near-ultraviolet (NUV) with $M_{NUV}$ < -18.4 AB mag and have high probabilities of hosting SNe ($0.06SN\;yr^{-1}$ per galaxy). With this strategy, we expect to detect the early light curves of 3.4 SNe per year to a depth of R ~ 19.5 mag, enabling us to detect the shock-heated emission from a progenitor star with a radius as small as $0.1R_{\odot}$. The accumulated data will be also useful for studying faint features around the target galaxies and other science projects. So far, 18 SNe have occurred in our target fields (16 in IMSNG galaxies) over 5 years, confirming our SN rate estimate of $0.06SN\;yr^{-1}$ per galaxy.