The Korean VLBI Network (KVN) is a unique millimeter VLBI system which is consisted of three 21 m telescopes with relatively short baselines. We present the preliminary results of simultaneous monitoring observations of the 22.2 GHz H2O and 43.1/42.8/86.2/129.3 GHz SiO masers based on the KVN Key Science Project (KSP). We obtained the astrometrically registered maps of the H2O and SiO masers toward nine evolved stars using the source frequency phase referencing method (SFPR). The SFPR maps of the H2O and SiO masers enabled us to investigate the spatial structure and kinematics from the SiO to H2O maser regions including the development of an outward motion from the ring-like or elliptical structures of SiO masers to the asymmetric structures of the 22.2 GHz H2O maser features. In particular, the 86.2/129.3 GHz SiO (v=1, J=2–1 and J=3–2) masers were clearly imaged toward several objects for the first time. The SiO v=1, J=3–2 maser shows different distributions compared to those of the SiO v=1, 2, J=1–0 and v=1, J=2–1 masers implying a different physical condition.

The observed convective flows on the photosphere (e.g., supergranulation, granulation) play a key role in the Babcock-Leighton (BL) process to generate large scale polar fields from sunspots fields. In most surface flux transport (SFT) and BL dynamo models, the dispersal and migration of surface fields is modeled as an effective turbulent diffusion. We present the first kinematic 3D FT/BL model to explicitly incorporate realistic convective flows based on solar observations. The results obtained are generally in good agreement with the observed surface flux evolution and with non-convective models that have a turbulent diffusivity on the order of 3 × 1012 cm2 s−1 (300 km2 s−1). However, we find that the use of a turbulent diffusivity underestimates the dynamo efficiency, producing weaker mean fields and shorter cycle.

The spatial structure of the Milky Way outer disk is characterized with ~ 70000 LAMOST DR3 K giants after carefully correction of their selection effects. By slicing the data into various Galactocentric radius bins, we are able to fit the vertical stellar density profile with a models composed of two isothermal-sheet disks and an oblate power-law halo. We find that although the thin disk is significantly flared, the radial surface density profile can extend to as far as 19 kpc. Beyond 12 kpc, only one thicker disk, rather than two disk components, are found in the samples. Moreover, the residual of the density profiles after subtracting the best fit models show different oscillation patterns in almost all range of detecting radius.

The challenges of detecting and localising Fast Radio Bursts in real time can be met with the use of Phased Array Feeds. One such system, capable of creating up to 36 simultaneous beams, is currently being commissioned at the Effelsberg radio telescope in Germany following testing at the 64 m Parkes radio telescope. The PAFINDER (Phased Array Feed FRB Finder) pipeline will be used with this receiver to enable real–time single–pulse detection and localisation.

Studies of Galactic LPVs based on astrometric VLBI are presented. We use a VLBI array, “VERA”, to measure parallaxes and calibrate the K-band period luminosity relation (PLR) of the Galactic Miras. Since the PLR offers a distance indicator, its calibration is crucial to reveal their spatial distribution. Parallaxes of dozens of LPVs are presented. For the longer period stars, the mass-loss is high and the stars are obscured and recognized as OH/IR stars. We estimated mid-infrared absolute magnitudes of dozens of OH/IR stars and found that they show a loose concentration around −14 mag at λ of 11.6 μm, indicating an existence of PLR for OH/IR stars. Astrometry of OH/IR stars will also help us to study non-steady spiral arms as proposed from the latest simulation study of the galactic dynamics. We will start astrometric VLBI observation of two OH/IR stars NSV25875 and OH127.8+0.0 at 43 GHz with VERA.

The morphological and chemical structure of the Milky Way today is an important constraint on models of the formation and evolution of the Galaxy. We use H ii regions, the sites of recent massive star formation, to probe both the Galactic spiral structure and the Galactic metallicity structure. H ii regions are the brightest objects in the Galaxy at radio wavelengths and are detected across the entire Galactic disk. We derive the distances to H ii regions using parallax measurements or by deriving kinematic distances. Here we summarize ongoing work to assess the accuracy of kinematic distances and to complete the census of Galactic H ii regions in the Southern sky.

Concentrated magnetic structures such as sunspots and starspots play a fundamental role in driving solar and stellar activity. However, as opposed to the sun, observations as well as numerical simulations have shown that stellar spots are usually formed as high-latitude patches extended over wide areas. Using a fully spectral magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) code, we simulate polar starspots produced by self-consistent dynamo action in rapidly rotating convective shells. We carry out high resolution simulations and investigate various properties related to stellar dynamics which lead to starspot formation.

We present the results of the first detection of submillimeter water maser emission toward water-fountain nebulae. Using APEX we found emission at 321.226 GHz toward two sources: IRAS 18043−2116, and IRAS 18286−0959. The submillimeter H2O masers exhibit expansion velocities larger than those of the OH masers, suggesting that these masers, similarly to the 22 GHz masers, originate in fast bipolar outflows. The 321 GHz masers in IRAS 18043−2116 and IRAS 18286−0959, which figure among the sources with the fastest H2O masers, span a velocity range similar to that of the 22 GHz masers, indicating that they probably coexist. The intensity of the submillimeter masers is comparable to the 22 GHz masers, implying that the kinetic temperature of the region where the masers originate is Tk>1000 K. We propose a simple model invoking the passage of two shocks through the same gas that creates the conditions for explaining the strong high-velocity 321 GHz masers coexisting with the 22 GHz masers in the same region.

The next generation of radio telescopes will have unprecedented sensitivity and time-resolution offering exciting new capabilities in time-domain science. However, this will result in very large numbers of pulsar and transient event candidates and the associated data rates will be technically challenging in terms of data storage and signal processing. Automated detection and classification techniques are therefore required and must be optimized to allow high-throughput data processing in real time. In this paper we provide a summary of the emerging machine learning techniques being applied to this problem.

New developments in surface flux transport modeling and theory of flux transport dynamos have given rise to the notion that certain large active regions with anomalous properties (location, tilt angle and/or Hale/non-Hale character) may have a major impact on the course of solar activity in subsequent years, impacting also on the amplitude of the following solar cycles. Here we discuss our current understanding of the role of such “rogue” active regions in cycle-to-cycle variations of solar activity.

We report on the astrometric registration of VLBI images of the SiO and H2O masers in OH 231.8+4.2, the iconic Proto-Planetary Nebula also known as the Calabash nebula, using the KVN and Source/Frequency Phase Referencing. This, for the first time, robustly confirms the alignment of the SiO masers, close to the AGB star, which drives the bi-lobe structure with the water masers in the out-flow.

Narrow-band photometric surveys, such as the Javalambre Photometric Local Universe Survey (J-PLUS), provide not only a means of pre-selection for high-resolution follow-up, but open a new era of precision photometric stellar parameter determination. Using a family of machine learning algorithms known as Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs), we have obtained photometric estimates of effective temperature (Teff) and metallicity ([Fe/H]) across a wide parameter range of temperature and metallicity (4000 < Teff <7000 K; −3.5 <[Fe/H]<0.0) for a number of stars in the J-PLUS Early Data Release. With this methodology, we expect to increase the number of known Carbon-enhanced Metal-poor (CEMP; [C/Fe]>+0.7) stars by several orders of magnitude, as well as constrain the metallicity distribution function of the Milky Way Halo system.

The Large European Array for Pulsars (LEAP) is a European Pulsar Timing Array project that combines the Lovell, Effelsberg, Nançay, Sardinia, and Westerbork radio telescopes into a single tied-array, and makes monthly observations of a set of millisecond pulsars (MSPs). The overview of our experiment is presented in Bassa et al. (2016). Baseband data are recorded at a central frequency of 1396 MHz and a bandwidth of 128 MHz at each telescope, and are correlated offline on a cluster at Jodrell Bank Observatory using a purpose-built correlator, detailed in Smits et al. (2017). LEAP offers a substantial increase in sensitivity over that of the individual telescopes, and can operate in timing and imaging modes (notably in observations of the galactic centre radio magnetar; Wucknitz 2015). To date, 4 years of observations have been reduced. Here, we report on the scientific projects which have made use of LEAP data.

The meridional circulation of the Sun is observationally found to vary with the solar cycle, becoming slower during the solar maxima. We explain this by constructing a theoretical model in which the equation of the meridional circulation (the φ component of the vorticity equation) is coupled with the equations of the flux transport dynamo model. We find that the Lorentz force of the dynamo-generated magnetic fields can slow down the meridional circulation during the solar maxima in broad conformity with the observations.

Only five planetary nebulae (PNe) have been confirmed to emit water masers. They seem to be very young PNe. The water emission in these objects preferentially traces circumstellar toroids, although in K 3-35 and IRAS 15103-5754, it may also trace collimated jets. We present water maser observations of these two sources at different epochs. The water maser distribution changes on timescales of months to a few years. We speculate that these changes may be due to the variation of the underlying radio continuum emission, which is amplified by the maser process in the foreground material.

We observed single pulses from PSR J0034-0721 (B0031-07) simultaneously at the MWA (185 MHz) and the GMRT (610 MHz). Correlation analyses reveal that the phase difference of the average profiles at the two frequencies differs from the phase difference observed between individual subpulses, indicating that the individual emission columns above the pulsar’s rotating carousel of sparks do not evolve in frequency in the same way that the global magnetosphere does. This hints at a possible departure from the dipolar field geometry in this pulsar’s emission region. Moreover, the discrepancy depends on the drift mode, suggestive of a way to constrain the emission heights associated with each drift mode.

Using RAVE DR5, we explore the age, kinematic, and chemical correlations of a sample of  30,000 FGK stars. We separate a sample of turnoff stars into two age groups: young and old. For each of the two age groups, we calculate kinematic trends as a function of Galactocentric radius (R), for different metallicity ([Fe/H]) bins. For both young and old stars, we measure a negative gradient in ∂〈VR〉/∂R. In addition, for young stars we find a correlation between the magnitude of the slope and metallicity, with the most metal-rich bins having the steepest gradient and the most metal-poor bins having a flatter trend.

The density distribution of the Milky Way halo is detected with 5351 LAMOST DR3 metal poor K giants using a nonparametric method. The nonparametric fitting method is a model independent way to estimate the halo density distribution while to a large extent avoiding the influence of the halo substucture. We show that the K giants density profile can be fitted well by single power law. We found no indication of a break in the power law index. The powerlaw index n = 5.0−0.64+0.64. The data show that the stellar halo is flattened at smaller radii, and becomes more spherical farther from the Galactic center. The flattening q(r=15Kpc)is about0.64, q(20Kpc) is about 0.8, q(30Kpc) is about 0.96.

Variable OH/IR stars are Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars with an optically thick circumstellar envelope that emit strong OH 1612 MHz emission. They are commonly observed throughout the Galaxy but also in the LMC and SMC. Hence, the precise inference of the distances of these stars will ultimately result in better constraints on their mass range in different metallicity environments. Through a multi-year long-term monitoring program at the Nancay Radio telescope (NRT) and a complementary high-sensitivity mapping campaign at the eMERLIN and JVLA to measure precisely the angular diameter of the envelopes, we have been re-exploring distance determination through the phase-lag method for a sample of stars, in order to refine the poorly-constrained distances of some and infer the currently unknown distances of others. We present here an update of this project.

The frequency dependence of normal pulsar radio emission is typically observed to be a power law, with some indications of a flattening or turnover at low frequencies (≲ 100 MHz). The spectrum of the Crab pulsar’s giant pulse emission has not been examined as closely. We conducted simultaneous wideband observations of the Crab pulsar, with the Parkes radio telescope and the Murchison Widefield Array, to study the spectral behaviour of its giant pulses. Our analysis shows that the mean spectral index of Crab giant pulses flattens at low frequencies, from −2.6 ± 0.5 between the Parkes bands, to −0.7 ± 1.4 between the lowest MWA subbands.