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Woo Jin Kwon

Seoul National University · Physics and Astronomy

About the Lab

Professor Woo Jin Kwon's research lab specializes in observational astrophysics, focusing on the role of magnetic fields and dust evolution in star and planet formation. The lab conducts high-resolution submillimeter and millimeter-wave observations using advanced instruments such as POL-2 on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope and ALMA, targeting star-forming regions like ρ Oph, Serpens Main, and Perseus. Key research directions include magnetic field morphology in dense cores and filaments, disk substructures, grain growth in protostellar environments, and the physical properties of protoplanetary disks through radiative transfer modeling and Bayesian inference. The lab integrates polarimetry, continuum, and spectral line data to understand the interplay between magnetic fields, turbulence, and gravitational collapse in early stellar and planetary system formation.

magnetic fieldsstar formationprotoplanetary disksdust evolutionsubmillimeter polarimetry

Research Overview

Papers
225
Total Citations
4,667
Papers (5y)
137
Primary Field
Physics and Astronomy

Research Output Trend

Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.

Publications per year (5y)
137total
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
Citations per year (5y)
1,324total
20212022202320242025

Selected Papers

15
1
Article|138 citations·2017
First Results from BISTRO: A SCUBA-2 Polarimeter Survey of the Gould Belt
D. Ward–Thompson, Kate Pattle, Pierre Bastien, Ray S. Furuya, Woojin Kwon, S. Lai, Keping Qiu, David Berry, Minho Choi, Simon Coudé, James Di Francesco, Thiem Hoang
SJR Q1The Astrophysical JournalOA

Abstract We present the first results from the B-fields In STar-forming Region Observations (BISTRO) survey, using the Sub-millimetre Common-User Bolometer Array 2 camera, with its associated polarimeter (POL-2), on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope in Hawaii. We discuss the survey’s aims and objectives. We describe the rationale behind the survey, and the questions that the survey will aim to answer. The most important of these is the role of magnetic fields in the star formation process on the

Astronomy and AstrophysicsPhysics and Astronomy
2
Article|74 citations·2018
A First Look at BISTRO Observations of the ρ Oph-A core
Jungmi Kwon, Yasuo Doi, Motohide Tamura, M. Matsumura, Kate Pattle, David Berry, Sarah Sadavoy, Brenda C. Matthews, D. Ward–Thompson, Tetsuo Hasegawa, Ray S. Furuya, Andy Pon
SJR Q1The Astrophysical JournalOA

Abstract We present 850 μ m imaging polarimetry data of the ρ Oph-A core taken with the Submillimeter Common-User Bolometer Array-2 (SCUBA-2) and its polarimeter (POL-2) as part of our ongoing survey project, -fields In STar forming RegiOns (BISTRO). The polarization vectors are used to identify the orientation of the magnetic field projected on the plane of the sky at a resolution of 0.01 pc. We identify 10 subregions with distinct polarization fractions and angles in the 0.2 pc ρ Oph-A core; s

Astronomy and AstrophysicsPhysics and Astronomy
3
Article|63 citations·2015
RESOLVING PROTOPLANETARY DISKS AT MILLIMETER WAVELENGTHS WITH CARMA
Woojin Kwon, Leslie W. Looney, Lee G. Mundy, William J. Welch
SJR Q1The Astrophysical JournalOA

We present continuum observations at 1.3 and 2.7 mm using the Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-wave Astronomy (CARMA) toward six protoplanetary disks in the Taurus molecular cloud: CI Tau, DL Tau, DO Tau, FT Tau, Haro 6-13, and HL Tau. We constrain physical properties of the disks with Bayesian inference using two disk models; flared power-law disk model and flared accretion disk model. Comparing the physical properties, we find that the more extended disks are less flared and that the

Astronomy and AstrophysicsPhysics and Astronomy
4
Article|47 citations·2006
Two Bipolar Outflows and Magnetic Fields in the Multiple Protostar System L1448 IRS 3
Woojin Kwon, Leslie W. Looney, R. M. Crutcher, J. M. Kirk
SJR Q1The Astrophysical JournalOA

We performed spectral line observations of CO J=2-1, 13CO J=1-0, and C18O J=1-0 and polarimetric observations in the 1.3 mm continuum and CO J=2-1 toward a multiple protostar system, L1448 IRS 3, in the Perseus molecular complex at a distance of ~250 pc, using the BIMA array. In the 1.3 mm continuum, two sources (IRS 3A and 3B) were clearly detected with estimated envelope masses of 0.21 and 1.15 solar masses, and one source (IRS 3C) was marginally detected with an upper mass limit of 0.03 solar

Astronomy and AstrophysicsPhysics and Astronomy
5
Article|39 citations·2022
B-fields in Star-forming Region Observations (BISTRO): Magnetic Fields in the Filamentary Structures of Serpens Main
Woojin Kwon, Kate Pattle, Sarah Sadavoy, Charles L. H. Hull, Doug Johnstone, D. Ward–Thompson, James Di Francesco, Patrick M. Koch, Ray S. Furuya, Yasuo Doi, Valentin J. M. Le Gouellec, Jihye Hwang
SJR Q1The Astrophysical JournalOA

Abstract We present 850 μ m polarimetric observations toward the Serpens Main molecular cloud obtained using the POL-2 polarimeter on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope as part of the B-fields In STar-forming Region Observations survey. These observations probe the magnetic field morphology of the Serpens Main molecular cloud on about 6000 au scales, which consists of cores and six filaments with different physical properties such as density and star formation activity. Using the histogram of rel

Astronomy and AstrophysicsPhysics and Astronomy
6
Article|14 citations·2023
Grain Growth and Dust Segregation Revealed by Multiwavelength Analysis of the Class I Protostellar Disk WL 17
Ilseung Han, Woojin Kwon, Yusuke Aso, Jaehan Bae, Patrick Sheehan
SJR Q1The Astrophysical JournalOA

Abstract The first step toward planet formation is grain growth from (sub)micrometer to millimeter/centimeter sizes. Grain growth has been reported not only in Class II protoplanetary disks but also in Class 0/I protostellar envelopes. However, early-stage grain growth occurring in Class 0/I stages has rarely been observed on the protostellar disk scale. Here we present the results from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array Band 3 ( λ = 3.1 mm) and 7 ( λ = 0.87 mm) archival data of th

Astronomy and AstrophysicsPhysics and Astronomy
7
Article|5 citations·2025
ALMASOP. A Rotating Feature Rich in Complex Organic Molecules in a Protostellar Core
Shih‐Ying Hsu, Chin‐Fei Lee, Doug Johnstone, Sheng‐Yuan Liu, Tie Liu, L. Bronfman, Huei-Ru Vivien Chen, Somnath Dutta, David Eden, Naomi Hirano, Mika Juvela, Gwanjeong Kim
SJR Q1The Astrophysical JournalOA

Abstract Interstellar complex organic molecules (COMs) in solar-like young stellar objects (YSOs), particularly within protostellar disks, are of significant interest owing to their potential connection to prebiotic chemistry in emerging planetary systems. We report the discovery of a rotating feature enriched in COMs, including CH 3 OH, CH 3 CHO, and NH 2 CHO, in the protostellar core G192.12-11.10. By constructing a YSO model, we find that the COM-rich feature is likely located within or near

Astronomy and AstrophysicsPhysics and Astronomy
8
Article|4 citations·2012
Calibration of Saturation Absorption Imaging of Ultracold Atom Clouds
권우진, 최재윤, 신용일

We describe an experimental method to calibrate an absorption imaging system for ultracold atom clouds. Optical density profiles of an atom cloud are obtained for various probe beam intensities and are analyzed to determine the correction factor for the effective probe beam intensity directly from saturation effects. We find that the temporal shape of the probe-beam pulse needs to be taken into account for a quantitative analysis of the optical density measured in saturation absorption imaging.

9
Article|3 citations·2025
The JCMT BISTRO-3 Survey: Variation of Magnetic Field Orientations on Parsec and Subparsec Scales in the Massive Star-forming Region G28.34+0.06
Jihye Hwang, Kate Pattle, Chang Won Lee, Janik Karoly, Kee‐Tae Kim, Jongsoo Kim, Junhao Liu, Keping Qiu, A-Ran Lyo, David Eden, Patrick M. Koch, D. Arzoumanian
SJR Q1The Astrophysical JournalOA

Abstract Magnetic fields play a significant role in star-forming processes on core to clump scales. We investigate magnetic field orientations and strengths in the massive star-forming clump P2 within the filamentary infrared dark cloud G28.34+0.06 using dust polarization observations made using SCUBA-2/POL-2 on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) as part of the B-field In STar-forming Region Observations (or BISTRO) survey. We compare the magnetic field orientations at the clump scale of ∼

Astronomy and AstrophysicsPhysics and Astronomy
10
Article|0 citations·2009
Dust Grain Growth of the Earliest Young Stellar Objects
Woojin Kwon, L. W. Looney, Lee G. Mundy, Hsin‐Fang Chiang, A. J. Kemball
American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts #213
InstrumentationPhysics and Astronomy
11
Article|0 citations·2020
BISTROs and Varying Magnetic Fields with Density in Serpens Main
Woojin Kwon
The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
Electronic, Optical and Magnetic MaterialsMaterials Science
12
Preprint|0 citations·2013
High Mass Star Formation Revealed by Herschel PACS Spectroscopy
Woojin Kwon, F. van der Tak, A. Karska, Gregory J. Herczeg, J. Braine, F. Herpin, Friedrich Wyrowski, E. F. van Dishoeck
HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe)

In the past few decades a big picture of low mass star formation has successfully been drawn. However, high mass star formation is little known yet, mainly due to its complexity, distance, and rarity. The Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer (PACS) on-board the Herschel Space Observatory (Herschel) has newly provided imaging spectroscopy with unprecedented angular resolution and sensitivity at far-infrared wavelengths. We present Herschel PACS data toward 10 high mass young stellar object

Astronomy and AstrophysicsPhysics and Astronomy
13
Article|0 citations·2009
Circumstellar Structure Properties of Young Stellar Objects: Envelopes, Bipolar Outflows, and Disks
Woojin Kwon
Illinois Digital Environment for Access to Learning and Scholarship (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)

Physical properties of the three main structures in young stellar objects (YSOs), envelopes,
\nbipolar outflows, and circumstellar disks, have been studied using radio interferometers: the
\nBerkeley-Illinois-Maryland Association (BIMA) array and the Combined Array for Research
\nin Millimeter-wave Astronomy (CARMA).
\n(1) Envelopes: Three Class 0 YSOs (L1448 IRS 2, L1448 IRS 3, and L1157) have
\nbeen observed by CARMA at 1.3 mm and 2.7 mm continuum. Through visibility modeli

Statistical and Nonlinear PhysicsPhysics and Astronomy
14
Article|0 citations·2010
Circumstellar Disk Properties of Young Stellar Objects Revealed by CARMA
Woojin Kwon
American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts #216
Astronomy and AstrophysicsPhysics and Astronomy
15
Article|0 citations·2011
Circumstellar Disk of HL Tau Revealed by CARMA
Woojin Kwon, Leslie W. Looney, Lee G. Mundy
Astronomy and AstrophysicsPhysics and Astronomy

Research Areas

Astronomy and AstrophysicsBiomedical EngineeringComputational MechanicsInstrumentationAtmospheric ScienceMolecular Biology

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