• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.30.2-30.2
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• 2021

The extended Lyα nebulae (also known as Lyα blobs or LABs) observed at z=2-6 can provide clues to galaxy formation in the early universe. The connection of LABs with the overdensities of compact Lyα emitters suggests that they are associated with matter density peaks in the universe and thus likely to evolve into the present-day groups and clusters of galaxies. However, the mechanism powering the extended Lyα emission in LABs is remained controversial. The detection of polarization signals that follow the theoretically predicted trend is interpreted as strong evidence supporting that the LABs are caused primarily by the resonance scattering of Lyα originating from star-forming galaxies and AGNs. However, Trebitsch et al. (2016) claimed that the radial profile of polarization could be better explained by the scenario in which Lyα photons are produced in the cooling gas surrounding galaxies and then self-scattered by the gas, rather than by the scattering scenario of photons originating from the central galaxies. In this presentation, using LaRT, a state-of-art Lyα radiative transfer code, it is demonstrated that the observed polarization pattern can be reproduced even with the scattering scenario.

• Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.237-242
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• 2012

We have performed a systematic study of interstellar dust grains in various environments of galaxies. AKARI has revealed the detailed properties of dust grains not only in star-forming regions but also in regions not relevant to star formation, some of which are found not to follow our old empirical knowledge. Because of its unique capabilities, AKARI has provided new knowledge on the processing of large grains and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). For example, we detect PAHs from elliptical galaxies, which show unusual spectral features and spatial distributions, demonstrating importance of material processing in the interstellar space. We find that copious amounts of large grains and PAHs are flowing out of starburst galaxies by galactic superwinds, which are being shattered and destroyed in galactic haloes. We discover evidence for graphitization of carbonaceous grains near the center of our Galaxy, providing a clue to understanding the activity of the Galactic center. We review the results obtained from our AKARI program, focusing on the processing of carbonaceous grains in various environments of galaxies.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.35.3-36
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• 2018

One of the most prevalent knowledge about disk galaxies, which dominate the population of the local Universe, is that they consist of stellar structures with different kinematics, such as thin disk, bulge, and halo. Therefore, investigating when and how these components develop in a galaxy is the key to understanding the evolution of galaxies. Using the NewHorizon simulation, we can resolve the detailed structures of galaxies, in the field environment, from the early Universe where star formation and mergers were most active. We first decompose stellar particles in a galaxy into a disk and a dispersion-dominated, spheroidal, component based on their orbits and then see how these components evolve in terms of mass and structure. At high redshift z~3, galaxies are mostly dispersion-dominated as stars are formed misaligned with the galactic rotational axis. At z=1~2, massive galaxies start to dominantly form disk stars, while less massive galaxies do much later. Furthermore, massive galaxies are forming thinner and larger disks with time, and the preexistent disks are heated or even disrupted to become a part of dispersion-dominated component. Thus, the mass growth of spheroidal components at later epochs is dominated by disrupted stars with disk origins and accreted stars at large radii.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.76.3-76.3
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• 2019

We present the results from our comparisons of HCN and HCO+ (J=4-3) with HI and $H_2$ gas in NGC 6946, a sample from a mapping study of the dense molecular gas in the strongest star-forming galaxies (MALATANG). The MALATANG is one of the JCMT legacy surveys on the nearest 23 IR-brightest galaxies beyond the Local Group, which aims to study the relations of dense molecular gas with more general cool gas such as atomic and molecular hydrogen gas, and star formation properties in active galaxies. In this work, we particularly focus on the comparisons between the JCMT HCN/HCO+ (J=4-3) data and the THINGS HI/the NRO CO (J=1-0) data. We probe the dense molecular gas mass as a function of HI and $H_2$ mass in different locations in the central ${\sim}1.5kpc^2$ region. We discuss how the excess/deficit of $HI/H_2$ or total cool gas ($HI+H_2$) mass controls the presence and/or the fraction of dense molecular gas.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.75.1-75.1
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• 2017

Ram pressure due to the intracluster medium (ICM) is known to play a crucial role in removing the cool gas content of a galaxy on a short timescale, potentially driving a star forming galaxy to evolve into a red passive population. Although many HI imaging studies find clear evidence of diffuse atomic gas stripping from cluster galaxies, it is still debatable whether the ram pressure can also strip dense molecular gas. NGC 4522, a Virgo spiral, undergoing strong ram pressure stripping, is one of the few cases where extraplanar CO emission together with stripped HI gas and $H{\alpha}$ knots has been identified, providing an ideal laboratory to study the molecular gas stripping event and the extraplanar star formation activity. The aim of this work is to investigate the origin of extraplanar molecular clouds near NGC 4522 (e.g. stripped or forming in situ), and to probe a relation between the molecular gas surface density and the star formation rate (i.e. the Kennicutt-Schmidt law) at sub-kpc scale, especially in the extraplanar space, using ALMA Cycle 3 CO data and $H{\alpha}$ data of NGC 4522. We present the results from our ALMA observations, and discuss possible scenarios for the origin of extraplanar molecular clouds and to characterize the star formation activity associated with stripped gas outside the galactic disk.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.48.2-48.2
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• 2012

We present preliminary results of a statistical study on the nuclear activity of compact group galaxies. What triggers Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) is still a puzzling problem. One of the suggested AGN triggering mechanisms is galaxy-galaxy interaction. Many simulations have shown that gas can be supplied to the center of galaxies during galaxy encounters. In this regard, compact groups of galaxies are an ideal laboratory for studying the connection between galaxy interaction and nuclear activity because of their high densities and low velocity dispersions. We study the environmental dependence of the activity in galactic nuclei using 59 compact groups in the SDSS DR6. Using the emission line data, we classify galaxies in the compact groups. We find that 19% of the compact group galaxies are pure star-forming nuclei, 10% as transition objects, and only 7% of the galaxies in compact groups show the nuclear activity. The AGN fraction of compact group is higher than galaxy clusters, but lower than field environment. Implications of this result will be discussed.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.31.3-32
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• 2016

We present the radial variations of the scale heights and the vertical velocity dispersions in a sample of nearby edge-on galaxies using BIMA/CARMA $^{12}CO$ ($J=1{\rightarrow}0$), VLA/EVLA HI, and Spitzer $3.6{\mu}m$ data. Both the disk thicknesses and the velocity dispersions of gas and stars vary with radius, contrary to assumptions of previous studies. We investigate how the interstellar gas pressure and the gravitational instability parameter differ from values derived assuming constant velocity dispersions and scale heights. Using the measurement of the disk thicknesses and the derived radial profiles of gas and stars, we estimate the corresponding volume densities. The gravitational instability parameter Q follows a fairly uniform profile with radius and is ${\geq}1$ across the star-forming disk. The star formation law has a slope that is significantly different from those found in more face-on galaxy studies. The midplane gas pressure appears to roughly hold a power-law correlation with the midplane volume density ratio (${\rho}_{H2}/{\rho}_{HI}$).

• Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.263-265
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• 2017

We present the mid-infrared (MIR) luminosity function (LF) of local (z < 0.3) star-forming (SF) galaxies in the North Ecliptic Pole (NEP) field. This work is based on the NEP-Wide point source catalogue and the spectroscopic redshift (z) data for ~ 1700 galaxies obtained by the optical follow-up survey with MMT/Hectospec and WIYN/Hydra. The AKARI's continuous $2-24{\mu}m$ coverage and the spectroscopic redshifts enable us to determine the spectral energy distribution (SED) in the mid-infrared and derive the luminosity functions of galaxies. Our $8{\mu}m$ LF finds good agreements with the results from SWIRE field over the wide luminosity range, while showing significant difference from the NOAO deep data in the faint end. The comparison with higher-z sample shows significant luminosity evolution from z > 0.3 to local universe. $12{\mu}m$ LF also shows a clear indication of luminosity evolution.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.167-175
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• 2003

There is accumulating evidence for a strong link between nuclear starbursts and AGN. Molecular gas in the central regions of galaxies plays a critical role in fueling nuclear starburst activity and feeding central AGN. The dense molecular ISM is accreted to the nuclear regions by stellar bars and galactic interactions. Here we describe recent observational results for the OB star forming regions in M51 and the nuclear star burst in Arp 220 - both of which have approximately the same rate of star formation per unit mass of ISM. We suggest that the maximum efficiency for forming young stars is an Eddington-like limit imposed by the radiation pressure of newly formed stars acting on the interstellar dust. This limit corresponds to approximately 500 $L_{\bigodot} / M_{\bigodot}$ for optically thick regions in which the radiation has been degraded to the NIR. Interestingly, we note that some of the same considerations can be important in AGN where the source of fuel is provided by stellar evolution mass-loss or ISM accretion. Most of the stellar mass-loss occurs from evolving red giant stars and whether their mass-loss can be accreted to a central AGN or not depends on the radiative opacity of the mass-loss material. The latter depends on whether the dust survives or is sublimated (due to radiative heating). This, in turn, is determined by the AGN luminosity and the distance of the mass-loss stars from the AGN. Several AGN phenomena such as the broad emission and absorption lines may arise in this stellar mass-loss material. The same radiation pressure limit to the accretion may arise if the AGN fuel is from the ISM since the ISM dust-to-gas ratio is the same as that of stellar mass-loss.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.52 no.5
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• pp.181-205
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• 2019

There is evidence that the luminosities of Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) depend on their environments. While the impact of this trend on estimating cosmological parameters is widely acknowledged, the origin of this correlation is still under debate. In order to explore this problem, we first construct the YONSEI (YOnsei Nearby Supernova Evolution Investigation) SN catalog. The catalog consists of 1231 spectroscopically confirmed SNe Ia over a wide redshift range (0.01 < z < 1.37) from various SN surveys and includes light-curve fit data from two independent light-curve fitters, SALT2 and MLCS2k2. For a sample of 674 host galaxies, we use the stellar mass and the star formation rate data in Kim et al. (2018). We find that SNe Ia in low-mass and star-forming host galaxies are $0.062{\pm}0.009mag$ and $0.057{\pm}0.010mag$ fainter than those in high-mass and passive hosts, after light-curve corrections with SALT2 and MLCS2k2, respectively. When only local environments of SNe Ia (e.g., locally star-forming and locally passive) are considered, this luminosity difference increases to $0.081{\pm}0.018mag$ for SALT2 and $0.072{\pm}0.018mag$ for MLCS2k2. Considering the significant difference in the mean stellar population age between the two environments, this result suggests that the luminosity evolution of SNe Ia with redshift is most likely the origin of the environmental dependence.