• 천문학회지
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• 제47권5호
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• pp.187-193
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• 2014

Recent cosmological observations indicate that the reionized universe may have started at around z = 6, where a significant suppression around $Ly{\alpha}$ has been observed from the neutral intergalactic medium. The associated neutral hydrogen column density is expected to exceed $10^{21}cm^{-2}$, where it is very important to use the accurate scattering cross section known as the Kramers-Heisenberg formula that is obtained from the fully quantum mechanical time-dependent second order perturbation theory. We present the Kramers-Heisenberg formula and compare it with the formula introduced in a heuristic way by Peebles (1993) considering the hydrogen atom as a two-level atom, from which we find a deviation by a factor of two in the red wing region far from the line center. Adopting a representative set of cosmological parameters, we compute the Gunn-Peterson optical depths and absorption profiles. Our results are quantitatively compared with previous work by Madau & Rees (2000), who adopted the Peebles approximation in their radiative transfer problems. We find deviations up to 5 per cent in the Gunn-Peterson transmission coefficient for an accelerated expanding universe in the red off-resonance wing part with the rest wavelength ${\Delta}{\lambda}{\sim}10{\AA}$.

• 천문학회보
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• 제45권1호
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• pp.29.5-30
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• 2020

We present an improved weak-lensing (WL) study of the high-z (z=0.87) merging galaxy cluster ACT-CL J0102-4915 ("El Gordo"), the most massive system known to date at z > 0.6. El Gordo has been known to be an exceptionally massive and rare cluster for its redshift in the current ΛCDM cosmology. Previous multi-wavelength studies have also found that the cluster might be undergoing a merging event showing two distinctive mass clumps and radio relics. The previous WL study revealed a clear bimodal mass structure and found that the entire system is indeed massive (M200a = (3.13 ± 0.56) × 1015 Msun). This mass estimate, however, was obtained by extrapolation because the previous HST observation did not extend out to the virial radius of the cluster. In this work, we determine a more accurate mass estimate of the cluster using WL analysis utilizing a new set of WFC3/IR and wide-field ACS observations. While confirming the previous bimodal mass structure, we find that the new data yield a ~20% lower mass for the entire system (M200a = (2.37 ± 0.28) × 1015 Msun). We also discuss the rarity of the cluster in the ΛCDM paradigm and suggest an updated merging scenario based on our new measurement.

• 천문학회지
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• 제48권4호
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• pp.213-228
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• 2015

The Horizon Run 4 is a cosmological N-body simulation designed for the study of coupled evolution between galaxies and large-scale structures of the Universe, and for the test of galaxy formation models. Using 6300³ gravitating particles in a cubic box of L_box = 3150 h⁻¹Mpc, we build a dense forest of halo merger trees to trace the halo merger history with a halo mass resolution scale down to M_s = 2.7 × 10¹¹h⁻¹M_⊙. We build a set of particle and halo data, which can serve as testbeds for comparison of cosmological models and gravitational theories with observations. We find that the FoF halo mass function shows a substantial deviation from the universal form with tangible redshift evolution of amplitude and shape. At higher redshifts, the amplitude of the mass function is lower, and the functional form is shifted toward larger values of ln(1/σ). We also find that the baryonic acoustic oscillation feature in the two-point correlation function of mock galaxies becomes broader with a peak position moving to smaller scales and the peak amplitude decreasing for increasing directional cosine μ compared to the linear predictions. From the halo merger trees built from halo data at 75 redshifts, we measure the half-mass epoch of halos and find that less massive halos tend to reach half of their current mass at higher redshifts. Simulation outputs including snapshot data, past lightcone space data, and halo merger data are available at http://sdss.kias.re.kr/astro/Horizon-Run4.

• 천문학회보
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• 제40권2호
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• pp.28.3-29
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• 2015

$Ly{\alpha}$ nebulae, or "$Ly{\alpha}$ blobs", are extended (~100 kpc), bright (L[$Ly{\alpha}$] ~ 1044 erg/s) clouds of $Ly{\alpha}$-emitting gas. The origin of the $Ly{\alpha}$ emission remains unknown, but recent theoretical work suggests that measuring the polarization could discriminate among powering mechanisms. we will discuss current status of $Ly{\alpha}$ polarization observations at high-redshift and our on-going survey program. We will present the first narrow-band, imaging polarimetry of a $Ly{\alpha}$ blob, B3 J2330+3927 at z=3.09, with an embedded, radio-loud AGN (C. You et al. in prep.). The AGN lies near the blob's $Ly{\alpha}$ emission peak and its radio lobes align roughly with the blob's semi-major axis. With the SPOL polarimeter on the MMT telescope, we map the polarization in a grid of circular apertures of radius 0.6" (4.4 kpc), detecting a significant (>$2{\sigma}$) polarization fraction P% in 10 apertures and achieving strong upper-limits (as low as 2%) elsewhere. The degree of the polarization map increases from P% ~ 5% at ~5 kpc from the blob center to ~20% at the outer part (~30 kpc). The detections are distributed asymmetrically, roughly along the blob's major axis. The polarization angles (${\Theta}$) are mostly perpendicular to this axis. These results are consistent with the picture that $Ly{\alpha}$ photons produced at the AGN (or the host galaxy) are resonantly scattered away from the center. Higher polarization fraction on the radio jet suggests that the gas is more optically thin along the jet than the off-axis region.

• 천문학회보
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• 제38권2호
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• pp.56.1-56.1
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• 2013

Supernovae type Ia (SNe Ia) cosmology is providing the only direct evidence for the presence of dark energy. This result is based on the assumption that the look-back time evolution of SNe Ia luminosity, after light-curve shape correction, would be negligible. However, the most recent compilation of SNe Ia data shows systematic difference in the Hubble residual (HR) between the E and Sd/Irr galaxies, indicating that the light-curve fitters used by the SNe Ia community cannot quite correct for a large portion of the population age effect. In order to investigate this possibility more directly, we have obtained low-resolution spectra for 30 nearby early-type host galaxies. This data set is used to estimate the luminosity-weighted mean ages and metallicities of host galaxies by employing the population synthesis models. We found an interesting trend between the host galaxy age and HR, in the sense that younger galaxies have positive residuals (i.e., light-curve corrected SNe Ia luminosity is fainter). This result is rather independent of the choice of the population synthesis models employed. Taken at face value, this age (evolution) effect can mimic a large fraction of the HR used in the discovery of the dark energy. This result is significant at 1.4 - 3 sigma levels, depending on the light curve fitters adopted, and further observations and analyses are certainly required to confirm the trend reported here.

• 천문학회보
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• 제38권2호
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• pp.82.1-82.1
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• 2013

The SPICA (SPace Infrared Telescope for Cosmology & Astrophysics) project is a next-generation infrared space telescope optimized for mid- and far-infrared observation with a cryogenically cooled 3m-class telescope. Owing to unprecedented sensitivity and high spatial resolution, the focal plane instruments are expected to perform the confusion-limited observation. The SPICA will challenge to reveal many astronomical key issues from the star-formation history of the universe to the planetary formation. The Korean 5contribution to SPICA as an international collaboration is the development of the near-infrared instrument, FPC (Focal Plane Camera). The Korean consortium for FPC proposed a key system instrument for the purpose of a fine guiding (FPC-G) complementing the AOCS (Attitude and Orbit Control System). The back-up instrument of FPC-G, FPC-S will be responsible for the scientific observations as well. Through the international review process, we have revised the scientific programs and made the feasibility study for the fine guiding system. Here, we report the current status of SPICA/FPC project.

• 천문학회보
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• 제38권2호
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• pp.45.1-45.1
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• 2013

Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) are a powerful tool to investigate the expansion history of the universe, because their peak luminosity is as bright as a galaxy and is known as an excellent standard candle. Since the discovery of the acceleration of the universe based on the observations of SNe Ia, higher than ever accuracy of their peak luminosity is needed to investigate various problems in cosmology. We started a project to improve the accuracy of the calibration of the peak luminosity of SNe Ia by measuring accurate distances to nearby resolved galaxies that host SNe Ia. We derive accurate distances to the SN Ia host galaxies using the method to measure the luminosity of the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB). In this study we present the results for M66 and M96 in the Leo I Group which are nearby spiral galaxies hosting SN 1989B and SN 1998bu, respectively. We obtain VI photometry of resolved stars in these galaxies from F555W and F814W images in the Hubble Space Telescope archive. We derive the distances to these galaxies from the luminosity of the TRGB. With these results we derive absolute maximum magnitudes of two SNe (SN 1989B in M66 and SN 1998bu in M96). We derive a value of the Hubble constant from the optical magnitudes of these SNe Ia and SN 2011fe in M101 based on our TRGB analysis. This value is similar to the values derived from recent estimates from WMAP9 and Planck results, but smaller than other recent determinations based on Cepheid calibration for SNe Ia luminosity.

• 천문학회지
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• 제48권1호
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• pp.83-92
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• 2015

Recent large scale surveys such as Sloan Digital Sky Survey have produced homogeneous samples of multiple-image gravitationally lensed quasars with well-defined selection effects. Statistical analysis on these can yield independent constraints on cosmological parameters. Here we use the image separation statistics of lensed quasars from Sloan Digital Sky Survey Quasar Lens Search (SQLS) to derive constraints on cosmological parameters. Our analysis does not require knowledge of the magnification bias, which can only be estimated from the detailed knowledge on the quasar luminosity function at all redshifts, and includes the consideration for the bias against small image separation quasars due to selection against faint lens galaxy in the follow-up observations for confirmation. We first use the mean image separation of the lensed quasars as a function of redshift to find that cosmological models with extreme curvature are inconsistent with observed lensed quasars. We then apply the maximum likelihood test to the statistical sample of 16 lensed quasars that have both measured redshift and magnitude of lens galaxy. The likelihood incorporates the probability that the observed image separation is realized given the luminosity of the lens galaxy in the same manner as Im et al. (1997). We find that the 95% confidence range for the cosmological constant (i.e., the vacuum energy density) is $0.72{\leq}{\Omega}_{\Lambda}{\leq}1.0$ for a flat universe. We also find that the equation of state parameter can be consistent with -1 as long as the matter density ${\Omega}_m{\leq}0.4$ (95% confidence range). We conclude that the image separation statistics incorporating the brightness of lens galaxies can provide robust constraints on the cosmological parameters.

• 천문학회지
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• 제48권1호
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• pp.75-82
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• 2015

We use a volume-limited sample of quasars in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) DR7 quasar catalog to identify quasar groups and address their statistical significance. This quasar sample has a uniform selection function on the sky and nearly a maximum possible contiguous volume that can be drawn from the DR7 catalog. Quasar groups are identified by using the Friend-of-Friend algorithm with a set of fixed comoving linking lengths. We find that the richness distribution of the richest 100 quasar groups or the size distribution of the largest 100 groups are statistically equivalent with those of randomly-distributed points with the same number density and sky coverage when groups are identified with the linking length of $70h^{-1}Mpc$. It is shown that the large-scale structures like the huge Large Quasar Group (U1.27) reported by Clowes et al. (2013) can be found with high probability even if quasars have no physical clustering, and does not challenge the initially homogeneous cosmological models. Our results are statistically more reliable than those of Nadathur (2013), where the test was made only for the largest quasar group. It is shown that the linking length should be smaller than $50h^{-1}Mpc$ in order for the quasar groups identified in the DR7 catalog not to be dominated by associations of quasars grouped by chance. We present 20 richest quasar groups identified with the linking length of $70h^{-1}Mpc$ for further analyses.

• 천문학회보
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• 제43권1호
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• pp.64.4-65
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• 2018

We present a study of citizen science performed at Korean Minjok Leadership Academy (KMLA). The importance of citizen involvements in scientific studies has been increasing, with remarkable results and performances. For instance, the discovery of an impact scar near Jupiter's south polar region (A. Wesley, 2009) led to an international campaign of professional observations to understand the asteroidal collision responsible for the scar. Citizen science at KMLA has been and will be mainly conducted by members of the astronomical observation club 'Apple-Pie' through amateur telescopes. Members of 'Apple-Pie' are specialized in various fields related to astronomy, from planetary science to cosmology. The spectrum not only includes fields that are directly related to astronomy but also fields such as computer science and astrophotography. The scheduled construction of a new observatory will further enable students to participate in higher level projects such as planetary monitoring over long timescales and the observation and detection of solar system bodies and exoplanets. In addition, a new supervisor with expertise and research experience in galactic astronomy, planetary science, and meteorology has joined the school faculty. He will supplement students with fundamental theoretical backgrounds and essential research techniques to enhance astronomical research at KMLA. KMLA's ultimate goal is to deploy a remote-controlled observatory available to aspiring scientists around the world to create a network of citizen science system. The prime observational conditions of KMLA and the willingness of the students and faculty members will provide a competitive edge for KMLA over other similar institutes in Korea.