• Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.349-353
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• 2015

We use multi-wavelength observations of galaxy groups to probe the formation models for galaxy formation in cosmological simulations, statistically. The observations include Chandra and XMM-Newton X-ray observations, optical photometry and radio observations at 1.4 GHz and 610 MHz. Using a large sample of galaxy groups observed by the XMM-Newton X-ray telescope as part of the XMM-Large Scale Survey, we carried out a statistical study of the redshift evolution of the luminosity gap for a well defined mass-selected group sample and show the relative success of some of the semi-analytic models in reproducing the observed properties of galaxy groups up to redshift z ~ 1.2. The observed trend argues in favour of a stronger evolution of the feedback from active galactic nuclei at z < 1 compared to the models. The slope of the relation between the magnitude of the brightest cluster galaxy and the value of the luminosity gap does not evolve with redshift and is well reproduced by the models. We find that the radio power of giant elliptic galaxies residing in galaxy groups with a large luminosity gap are lower compared to giant ellipticals of the same stellar masses but in typical galaxy groups.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.241-241
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• 2012

MOGABA is a project monitoring of gamma-ray bright AGN(Active Galactic Nuclei). Since May 2011, we have observed total flux, degree of linear polarization, and polarization angle of about twenty AGN once a week at 22, 43 and 86GHz using KVN(Korean VLBI Network) 21m radio telescopes. We have observed variation of total flux of BLLAC and OJ287 from May 2011 to March 2012. We have observed flares of total flux at 22GHz for those sources from October 2011 to November 2011. In this paper we report the variation of total flux, degree of linear polarization and polarization angle at 22, 43, 86GHz for BLLAC and OJ287.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.85.1-85.1
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• 2012

Energetic outflow from active galactic nuclei (AGNs) may play a critical role in galaxy evolution. We present a velocity diagnostics for detecting gas outflow in the narrow-line region of Type-2 AGNs using line-of-sight velocity offset of the [O III]${\lambda}5007$ and $H{\alpha}$ emission lines with respect to the systemic velocity of stars in host galaxies. We apply the diagnostics to nearby galaxies at 0.02 < z < 0.05: 3775 AGN-host and 907 star-forming galaxies as a comparison sample, which are selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey DR7. After obtaining a best-fit stellar population model for the continuum and a systemic velocity based on stellar lines, we subtract stellar component to measure velocity offsets of each emission line. We find a sample of 169 AGN-host galaxies with outflow signatures, displaying a larger velocity shift of [O III] than that of $H{\alpha}$, as expected in a decelerating outflow model. We find that the offset velocity of [O III] increases with Eddington ratio, suggesting that gas outflow depends on the energetics of AGN.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.52.1-52.1
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• 2011

Black hole masses of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) are one of the most important parameters in AGN physics. Based on the virial assumption, black hole masses can be determined from the product of the width of the broad emission lines and the continuum/line luminosities. Using the Low Resolution Imaging Spectrometer(LRIS) at the Keck telescope, we obtained high quality spectra (S/N~100), covering 2300-5500A in the rest-frame, for a sample of 37 intermediate-luminosity AGN at z~0.4, in order to calibrate various black hole mass estimators based on the Mg II (2798A) and the Hbeta (4861A) emission lines. After subtracting continuum and complex FeII emission under Mg II and Hbeta, we fit the broad emission lines using high order Guass-Hermite models to best constrain the profile and the width of the emission lines. Combining the SDSS spectra covering Halpha emission line with the Keck spectra, we determine a set of 6 black hole masses for each object, based on the line width (MgII, Hbeta, and Halpha) and the luminosity (LMgII, LHbeta, LHalpha, L3000, L5100), and calibrate each black hole mass estimator. We will present uncertainties and limitations of each mass estimator.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.76.1-76.1
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• 2019

CTA 102, one of gamma-ray bright active galactic nuclei (AGN) has been observed with Korean very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) network (KVN) during the period of 2012 December-2018 May as part of interferometric Monitoring Of Gamma-ray Bright AGN (iMOGABA). Multi-frequency VLBI observations enable us to compare the milliarcsecond(mas)-scale iMOGABA images of relativistic jets with those from the Monitoring Of Jets in AGN with Very long baseline array (VLBA) Experiments (MOJAVE) and the VLBA-Boston University(BU)-BLAZAR programs which use VLBA with its angular resolutions of 0.2-1.3 mas. In spite of the relative larger beam sizes of KVN (1-10 mas), we are able to identify jet components of CTA 102 using the KVN multi-frequency VLBI observations with those resolved with VLBA. Considering an instrumental beam blending effect on the jet component identification, we were able to obtain a blending shift of the core position based on a convolution analysis using the VLBA data. When we apply the core position shift to the KVN images of CTA 102, we find that the identified jet components of CTA 102 from the KVN observations are well matched with those from the VLBA observations. Based on the results of the analysis, we may be able to study the jet kinematics and its correlation with gamma-ray flare activity.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.36.1-36.1
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• 2019

We present the observed relationship between Eddington ratio (${\lambda}Edd$) and optical narrow-emission-line ratio ([NII] ${\lambda}6583/H{\alpha}$) of X-ray-selected unobscured active galactic nuclei (AGN) at 0.6 < z < 1.7 using 27 near-infrared spectra from the Fiber Multi-Object Spectrograph mounted on the Subaru telescope along with 26 additional sources from the literature. We show that the ${\lambda}Edd$ and [NII] ${\lambda}6583/H{\alpha}$ ratio at 0.6 < z < 1.7 exhibits a similar distribution of ${\lambda}Edd$-[NII] ${\lambda}6583/H{\alpha}$ anti-correlation that has been found for local ( = 0.036), hard X-ray selected AGN. The observed anti-correlation suggests that [N II] ${\lambda}6583/H{\alpha}$ optical narrow-line ratio in the AGN host galaxy may carry important information about the accretion state of the central supermassive black hole, suggesting the observational hint of consistent relationship from local to z ~ 1.7. Further study is necessary to determine whether the ${\lambda}Edd$-[N II] ${\lambda}6583/H{\alpha}$ correlation in high-redshift still holds at ${\log}{\lambda}Edd$ < -2 compared to local AGN.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.35.3-35.3
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• 2019

Blazars are a subclass of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) with relativistic jets aligned with our line of sight. The jet physics is yet to be understood, but can be studied with blazar variability (e.g., flares). The highly variable blazar 3C 279 has shown a general decline of its radio flux density since 2013, but the flux density has been increasing since 2017. To better understand physical properties of 3C 279 related with the flux variations, we analyze multi-frequency new radio data obtained with Korean VLBI Network (KVN), as well as archival data from Owens Valley Radio Observatory (OVRO) and Submillimeter Array (SMA). We measure the radio spectral variability and infer the relativistic jet properties of 3C 279. The high-cadence OVRO and SMA observations are used to construct detailed light curves of the source, and KVN data supplement the spectral coverage and allow us to locate the spectral break frequencies precisely. In this talk, we present our analysis results and interpret them using a blazar jet model.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.53 no.6
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• pp.169-179
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• 2020

Emission features formed through Raman scattering with atomic hydrogen provide unique and crucial information to probe the distribution and kinematics of a thick neutral region illuminated by a strong far-ultraviolet radiation source. We introduce a new 3-dimensional Monte-Carlo code in order to describe the radiative transfer of line photons that are subject to Raman and Rayleigh scattering with atomic hydrogen. In our Sejong Radiative Transfer through Raman and Rayleigh Scattering (STaRS) code, the position, direction, wavelength, and polarization of each photon is traced until escape. The thick neutral scattering region is divided into multiple cells with each cell being characterized by its velocity and density, which ensures flexibility of the code in analyzing Raman-scattered features formed in a neutral region with complicated kinematics and density distribution. To test the code, we revisit the formation of Balmer wings through Raman scattering of the far-UV continuum near Lyβ and Lyγ in a static neutral region. An additional check is made to investigate Raman scattering of O vi in an expanding neutral medium. We find a good agreement of our results with previous works, demonstrating the capability of dealing with radiative transfer modeling that can be applied to spectropolarimetric imaging observations of various objects including symbiotic stars, young planetary nebulae, and active galactic nuclei.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.51.1-51.1
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• 2021

Merger shocks with M_s < ~ 3 - 4 have been detected in galaxy clusters through radio observations of synchrotron radiations emitted from cosmic-ray (CR) electrons. The CR electrons are believed to be produced by the so-called diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) at the merger shocks. To describe the acceleration of electrons, the injection into DSA has to be understood. Recent studies have showed that electrons could be energized through stochastic shock drift acceleration (SSDA), a mechanism mediated by multi-scale plasma waves at shock transition zone. However, such preacceleration process seems to be effective only at the supercritical shocks with M_s > ~ 2.3, implying that further studies should be done to explain radio relics with weaker shocks. In this talk, we present the results obtained by fully kinetic 2D particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations, which include pre-existing suprathermal electrons possibly ejected from active galactic nuclei (AGNs) or produced by previous episodes of turbulence/shocks. The simulations indicate that the pre-existing electrons enhance the upstream plasma waves in shocks with M_s < ~ 2.3. However, the wavelength of such waves is not long enough to scatter off suprathermal electrons and energize them to the injection momentum for DSA. Hence, we conclude that preexciting suprathermal electrons alone would not solve the problem of electron acceleration at radio relic shocks.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.36.4-36.4
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• 2019

Ricci et al. (2017, Nature, 549, 488) discovered a lack of high accretion rate, obscured Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) in the hard X-ray selected Swift/BAT local AGN survey. This was interpreted as radiative pressure driven AGN feedback clearing its immediate vicinity composed of dusty gas (having an effectively low Eddington limit in the order of 0.01-0.1), and governing the level of nuclear obscuration. As we find Eddington-limited accretion and high extinction values among obscured, luminous AGN (quasars) however, it may be that the local X-ray AGN and the distant quasars undergo different feedback mechanisms in clearing their surroundings. In this study, we simply compare the obscuring column density and Eddington ratio values for quasars selected by various methods, including X-ray obscured, optically blue, infrared red/luminous, and submillimeter bright AGN. We find obscured quasars lying on the column density-Eddington ratio diagram previously unoccupied by Ricci et al., suggesting that radiative pressure is insufficient to clear its dusty structure at high luminosity, or that the dust in obscured quasars are more extended than the low luminosity counterparts to become fully transparent. We discuss alternative feedback scenarios that may be more relevant for obscured quasars.