arXiv subjects

Bong Won Sohn

Publications and source records attributed to Bong Won Sohn.

48 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2015

The Nuclear Structure of 3C84 with Space VLBI (RadioAstron) Observations

The radio galaxy 3C84 is a representative of gamma-ray-bright misaligned active galactic nuclei (AGN) and one of the best laboratories to study the radio properties of subparsec scale jets. We discuss here the past and present activity of the nuclear region within the central 1pc and the properties of subparsec-sized components C1, C2 and C3. We compare these results with the high resolution space-VLBI image at 5GHz obtained with the RadioAstron satellite and we shortly discuss the possible correlation of radio emission with the gamma-ray emission.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2015

Warping and tearing of misaligned circumbinary disks around eccentric SMBH binaries

We study the warping and tearing of a geometrically thin, non-self-gravitating disk surrounding binary supermassive black holes on an eccentric orbit. The circumbinary disk is significantly misaligned with the binary orbital plane, and is subject to the time-dependent tidal torques. In principle, such a disk is warped and precesses, and is torn into mutually misaligned rings in the region, where the tidal precession torques are stronger than the local viscous torques. We derive the tidal-warp and tearing radii of the misaligned circumbinary disks around eccentric SMBH binaries. We find that in disks with the viscosity parameter, alpha, larger than a critical value depending on the disk aspect ratio, the disk warping appears outside the tearing radius. This condition is expressed as alpha > sqrt{H/3r} for H/r ~<0.1, where H is the disk scale height. If alpha < sqrt{H/3r}, only the disk tearing occurs because the tidal warp radius is inside the tearing radius, where most of disk material is likely to rapidly accrete onto SMBHs. In warped and torn disks, both the tidal-warp and the tearing radii most strongly depend on the binary semi-major axis, although they also mildly depend on the other orbital and disk parameters. This strong dependence enables us to estimate the semi-major axis, once the tidal warp or tearing radius is determined observationally: For the tidal warp radius of 0.1 pc, the semi-major axis is estimated to be ~10^{-2} pc for 10^7 Msun black hole with typical orbital and disk parameters. We also briefly discuss the possibility that central objects of observed warped maser disks in active galactic nuclei are supermassive black hole binaries.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2014

Very Long Baseline Interferometry with the SKA

Adding VLBI capability to the SKA arrays will greatly broaden the science of the SKA, and is feasible within the current specifications. SKA-VLBI can be initially implemented by providing phased-array outputs for SKA1-MID and SKA1-SUR and using these extremely sensitive stations with other radio telescopes, and in SKA2 by realising a distributed configuration providing baselines up to thousands of km, merging it with existing VLBI networks. The motivation for and the possible realization of SKA-VLBI is described in this paper.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2014

Radiation-Driven Warping of Circumbinary Disks Around Eccentric Young Star Binaries

We study a warping instability of a geometrically thin, non-self-gravitating, circumbinary disk around young binary stars on an eccentric orbit. Such a disk is subject to both the tidal torques due to a time-dependent binary potential and the radiative torques due to radiation emitted from each star. The tilt angle between the circumbinary disk plane and the binary orbital plane is assumed to be very small. We find that there is a radius within/beyond which the circumbinary disk is unstable to radiation-driven warping, depending on the disk density and temperature gradient indices. This marginally stable warping radius is very sensitive to viscosity parameters, a fiducial disk radius and the temperature measured there, the stellar luminosity, and the disk surface density at a radius where the disk changes from the optically thick to thin for the irradiation from the central stars. On the other hand, it is insensitive to the orbital eccentricity and binary irradiation parameter, which is a function of the binary mass ratio and luminosity of each star. Since the tidal torques can suppress the warping in the inner part of the circumbinary disk, the disk starts to be warped in the outer part. While the circumbinary disks are most likely to be subject to the radiation-driven warping on a AU to kilo-AU scale for binaries with young massive stars more luminous than 10^4Lsun, the radiation driven warping does not work for those around young binaries with the luminosity comparable to the solar luminosity.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2014

Verification of the Astrometric Performance of the Korean VLBI Network, using comparative SFPR studies with the VLBA at 14/7 mm

The Korean VLBI Network (KVN) is a new mm-VLBI dedicated array with capability for simultaneous observations at multiple frequencies, up to 129 GHz. The innovative multi-channel receivers present significant benefits for astrometric measurements in the frequency domain. The aim of this work is to verify the astrometric performance of the KVN using a comparative study with the VLBA, a well established instrument. For that purpose, we carried out nearly contemporaneous observations with the KVN and the VLBA, at 14/7 mm, in April 2013. The KVN observations consisted of simultaneous dual frequency observations, while the VLBA used fast frequency switching observations. We used the Source Frequency Phase Referencing technique for the observational and analysis strategy. We find that having simultaneous observations results in a superior performance for compensation of all atmospheric terms in the observables, in addition to offering other significant benefits for astrometric analysis. We have compared the KVN astrometry measurements to those from the VLBA. We find that the structure blending effects introduce dominant systematic astrometric shifts and these need to be taken into account. We have tested multiple analytical routes to characterize the impact of the low resolution effects for extended sources in the astrometric measurements. The results from the analysis of KVN and full VLBA datasets agree within 2-$σ$ of the thermal error estimate. We interpret the discrepancy as arising from the different resolutions. We find that the KVN provides astrometric results with excellent agreement, within 1-$σ$, when compared to a VLBA configuration which has a similar resolution. Therefore this comparative study verifies the astrometric performance of KVN using SFPR at 14/7 mm, and validates the KVN as an astrometric instrument.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2014

VLBI observations of bright AGN jets with KVN and VERA Array (KaVA): Evaluation of Imaging Capability

The Korean very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI) network (KVN) and VLBI Exploration of Radio Astrometry (VERA) Array (KaVA) is the first international VLBI array dedicated to high-frequency (23 and 43 GHz bands) observations in East Asia. Here, we report the first imaging observations of three bright active galactic nuclei (AGNs) known for their complex morphologies: 4C 39.25, 3C 273, and M 87. This is one of the initial result of KaVA early science. Our KaVA images reveal extended outflows with complex substructure such as knots and limb brightening, in agreement with previous Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) observations. Angular resolutions are better than 1.4 and 0.8 milliarcsecond at 23 GHz and 43 GHz, respectively. KaVA achieves a high dynamic range of ~1000, more than three times the value achieved by VERA. We conclude that KaVA is a powerful array with a great potential for the study of AGN outflows, at least comparable to the best existing radio interferometric arrays.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2014

The First Very Long Baseline Interferometry Image of 44 GHz Methanol Maser with the KVN and VERA Array (KaVA)

We have carried out the first very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) imaging of 44 GHz class I methanol maser (7_{0}-6_{1}A^{+}) associated with a millimeter core MM2 in a massive star-forming region IRAS 18151-1208 with KaVA (KVN and VERA Array), which is a newly combined array of KVN (Korean VLBI Network) and VERA (VLBI Exploration of Radio Astrometry). We have succeeded in imaging compact maser features with a synthesized beam size of 2.7 milliarcseconds x 1.5 milliarcseconds (mas). These features are detected at a limited number of baselines within the length of shorter than approximately 650 km corresponding to 100 Mlambda in the uv-coverage. The central velocity and the velocity width of the 44 GHz methanol maser are consistent with those of the quiescent gas rather than the outflow traced by the SiO thermal line. The minimum component size among the maser features is ~ 5 mas x 2 mas, which corresponds to the linear size of ~ 15 AU x 6 AU assuming a distance of 3 kpc. The brightness temperatures of these features range from ~ 3.5 x 10^{8} to 1.0 x 10^{10} K, which are higher than estimated lower limit from a previous Very Large Array observation with the highest spatial resolution of ~ 50 mas. The 44 GHz class I methanol maser in IRAS 18151-1208 is found to be associated with the MM2 core, which is thought to be less evolved than another millimeter core MM1 associated with the 6.7 GHz class II methanol maser.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2014

Warped Circumbinary Disks in Active Galactic Nuclei

We study a warping instability of a geometrically thin, non-self-gravitating disk surrounding binary supermassive black holes on a circular orbit. Such a circumbinary disk is subject to not only tidal torques due to the binary gravitational potential but also radiative torques due to radiation emitted from an accretion disk around each black hole. We find that a circumbinary disk initially aligned with the binary orbital plane is unstable to radiation-driven warping beyond the marginally stable warping radius, which is sensitive to both the ratio of vertical to horizontal shear viscosities and the mass-to-energy conversion efficiency. As expected, the tidal torques give no contribution to the growth of warping modes but tend to align the circumbinary disk with the orbital plane. Since the tidal torques can suppress the warping modes in the inner part of circumbinary disk, the circumbinary disk starts to be warped at radii larger than the marginally stable warping radius. If the warping radius is of the order of 0.1 pc, a resultant semi-major axis is estimated to be of the order of 10^-2 pc to 10^-4 pc for 10^7 Msun black hole. We also discuss the possibility that the central objects of observed warped maser disks in active galactic nuclei are binary supermassive black holes with a triple disk: two accretion disks around the individual black holes and one circumbinary disk surrounding them.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2013

Long-term monitoring of Sgr A* at 7 mm with VERA and KaVA

We present the results of radio monitoring observations of Sgr A* at 7 mm (i.e. 43 GHz) with VLBI Exploration of Radio Astrometry (VERA), which is a VLBI array in Japan. VERA provides angular resolutions on millisecond scales, resolving structure within ~100 Schwarzschild radii of Sgr A* similar to Very Large Baseline Array (VLBA). We performed multi-epoch observations of Sgr A* in 2005 - 2008, and started monitoring it again with VERA from January 2013 for tracing the current G2 encounter event. Our preliminary results in 2013 show that Sgr A* on mas scales has been in ordinary state as of August 2013, although some fraction of the G2 cloud already passed pericenter of Sgr A* in April 2013. We will continue on monitoring Sgr A* with VERA and newly developed KaVA (KVN and VERA Array).

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2013

The relationship between radio power at 22 and 43 GHz and black hole properties of AGN in elliptical galaxies

We investigate the relationship between radio power and properties related to active galactic nuclei (AGNs). Radio power at 1.4 or 5 GHz, which has been used in many studies, can be affected by synchrotron self-absorption and free-free absorption in a dense region. On the other hand, these absorption effects get smaller at higher frequencies. Thus, we performed simultaneous observations at 22 and 43 GHz using the Korean VLBI Network (KVN) radio telescope based on a sample of 305 AGN candidates residing in elliptical galaxies from the overlap between the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Data Release 7 and Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters (FIRST). About 37% and 22% of the galaxies are detected at 22 and 43 GHz, respectively. Assuming no flux variability between the FIRST and KVN observation, spectral indices were derived from FIRST and KVN data and we found that over 70% of the detected galaxies have flat or inverted spectra, implying the presence of optically thick compact regions near the centres of the galaxies. Core radio power does not show a clear dependence on black hole mass at either low (1.4 GHz) or high (22 and 43 GHz) frequencies. However, we found that the luminosity of the [OIII] $λ$5007 emission line and the Eddington ratio correlate with radio power more closely at high frequencies than at low frequencies. This suggests that radio observation at high frequencies can be an appropriate tool for unveiling the innermost region. In addition, the luminosity of the [OIII] $λ$5007 emission line and the Eddington ratio can be used as a tracer of AGN activity. Our study suggests a causal connection between high frequency radio power and optical properties of AGNs.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2012

Early science with Korean VLBI network: the QCAL-1 43GHz calibrator survey

This paper presents the catalog of correlated flux densities in three ranges of baseline projection lengths of 637 sources from a 43 GHz (Q-band) survey observed with the Korean VLBI Network. Of them, 623 sources have not been observed before at Q-band with VLBI. The goal of this work in the early science phase of the new VLBI array is twofold: to evaluate the performance of the new instrument that operates in a frequency range of 22-129 GHz and to build a list of objects that can be used as targets and as calibrators. We have observed the list of 799 target sources with declinations down to -40 degrees. Among them, 724 were observed before with VLBI at 22 GHz and had correlated flux densities greater than 200 mJy. The overall detection rate is 78%. The detection limit, defined as the minimum flux density for a source to be detected with 90% probability in a single observation, was in a range of 115-180 mJy depending on declination. However, some sources as weak as 70 mJy have been detected. Of 623 detected sources, 33 objects are detected for the first time in VLBI mode. We determined their coordinates with the median formal uncertainty 20 mas. The results of this work set the basis for future efforts to build the complete flux-limited sample of extragalactic sources at frequencies 22 GHz and higher at 3/4 of the celestial sphere.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2011

Single dish performance of KVN 21-m radio telescopes:Simultaneous observations at 22 and 43 GHz

We report simultaneous multi-frequency observing performance at 22 and 43 GHz of the 21-m shaped-Cassegrain radio telescopes of the Korean VLBI Network (KVN). KVN is the first millimeter-dedicated VLBI network in Korea having a maximum baseline length of 480 km. It currently operates at 22 and 43 GHz and planed to operate in four frequency bands, 22, 43, 86, and 129 GHz. The unique quasioptics of KVN enable simultaneous multi-frequency observations based on efficient beam filtering and accuarate antenna-beam alignment at 22 and 43 GHz. We found that the offset of the beams is within <5 arcseconds over all pointing directions of antenna. The dual polarization, cooled HEMT receivers at 22 and 43 GHz result in receiver noise temperatures less than 40 K at 21.25-23.25 GHz and 80 K at 42.11-44.11 GHz. The pointing accuracies have been measured to be 3 arcseconds in azimuth and elevation for all antennas. The measured aperture efficiencies are 65%(K)/67%(Q), 62%(K)/59%(Q), and 66%(K)/60%(Q) for the three KVN antennas, KVNYS, KVNUS, and KVNTN, respectively. The main-beam efficiencies are measured to be 50%(K)/52%(Q), 48%(K)/50%(Q), and 50%(K)/47%(Q) for KVNYS, KVNUS, and KVNTN, respectively. The estimated Moon efficiencies are 77%(K)/90%(Q), 74%(K)/79%(Q), and 80%(K)/86%(Q) for KVNYS, KVNUS, KVNTN, respectively. The elevation dependence of the aperture efficiencies is quite flat for elevations > 20 degrees.

astro-ph.IM↗