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Cited by 94Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, PhenomenaAstrophysics and Cosmic PhenomenaAstrophysical Phenomena and Observations

THE RADIO RELICS AND HALO OF EL GORDO, A MASSIVE z= 0.870 CLUSTER MERGER

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Lindner, Robert R., Baker, Andrew J., Hughes, John P., Battaglia, Nick, Gupta, Neeraj, Knowles, Kenda, Marriage, Tobias A., Menanteau, Felipe +3 more·2014·The Astrophysical Journal
DOI 10.1088/0004-637x/786/1/49
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Abstract

We present 610 MHz and 2.1 GHz imaging of the massive Sunyaev–Zel'dovich Effect selected z = 0.870 cluster merger ACT-CL J0102−4915 ("El Gordo"), obtained with the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope and the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA), respectively. We detect two complexes of radio relics separated by 3 4 (1.6 Mpc) along the system's northwest-to-southeast collision axis that have high integrated polarization fractions (33%) and steep spectral indices (α between 1 and 2; S ν ∝ν −α ), consistent with creation via Fermi acceleration by shocks in the intracluster medium triggered by the cluster collision. From the spectral index of the relics, we compute a Mach number and shock speed of . With our wide-bandwidth, full-polarization ATCA data, we compute the Faraday depth ϕ across the northwest relic and find a range of values spanning Δϕ = 30 rad m −2 , with a mean value of 〈ϕ〉 = 11 rad m −2 and standard deviation σ ϕ = 6 rad m −2 . With the integrated line-of-sight gas density derived from new Chandra X-ray observations, our Faraday depth measurement implies B ∥ ∼ 0.01 μG in the cluster outskirts. The extremely narrow shock widths in the relics ( d shock ⩽ 23 kpc), caused by the short synchrotron cooling timescale of relativistic electrons at z = 0.870, prevent us from placing a meaningful constraint on the magnetic field strength B using cooling time arguments. In addition to the relics, we detect a large ( r H ≃ 1.1 Mpc radius), powerful (log ( L 1.4 /W Hz −1 ) = 25.66 ± 0.12) radio halo with a shape similar to El Gordo's "bullet"-like X-ray morphology. The spatially resolved spectral-index map of the halo shows the synchrotron spectrum is flattest near the relics, along the system's collision axis, and in regions of high T gas , all locations associated with recent energy injection. The spatial and spectral correlation between the halo emission and cluster X-ray properties supports primary-electron processes like turbulent reacceleration as the halo production mechanism. The halo's integrated 610 MHz to 2.1 GHz spectral index is a relatively flat α = 1.2 ± 0.1, consistent with the cluster's high T gas in view of previously established global scaling relations. El Gordo is the highest-redshift cluster known to host a radio halo and/or radio relics, and provides new constraints on the non-thermal physics in clusters at z > 0.6.

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  • The H15 triangle suggests a southwest-northeast merger axis, but other evidence supports a southeast-northwest merger axis, and there is no evidence in the literature for a southwest-northeast merger axis.

    “Furthermore, the H15 triangle suggests a southwest-northeast merger axis, but an overwhelming variety of other evidence (all of the above-cited papers plus the radio relics presented in Lindner et al. 2014) supports a southeastnorthwest merger axis; nowhere in the extensive literature on El Gordo is there any evidence for a southwest-northeast merger axis.”

    From The Mismeasure of Mergers: Revised Limits on Self-interacting Dark Matter in Merging Galaxy Clusters (2018) · cites this paper as Lindner et al. 2014

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Authors
Lindner, R. R., Baker, A. J., Hughes, J. P., Battaglia, N., Gupta, N., Knowles, K., Marriage, T. A., Menanteau, F., Moodley, K., Reese, E. D., & Srianand, R.
Affiliations
  • Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (US)
  • Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IN)
  • University of KwaZulu-Natal (ZA)
  • Johns Hopkins University (US)
  • University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (US)
  • Moorpark College (US)
Corresponding author
Lindner, Robert R.
ORCID
Venue
The Astrophysical Journal
Publisher
American Astronomical Society
Published
2014-04-16
Volume
786
Issue
1
Pages
49
ISSN
  • 0004-637X (ISSN-L)
  • 1538-4357
DOI
10.1088/0004-637x/786/1/49
OpenAlex
W2146061783
Cited by
94
References
1
Citations by year
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FWCI
5.36
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • The Astrophysical Journal (publishedVersion)
  • arXiv (Cornell University) (submittedVersion)
  • Rutgers University Community Repository (Rutgers University) (submittedVersion)
  • arXiv (Cornell University)
Funders
  • National Science Foundation (0955810, NAS8-03060)
  • Smithsonian Institution (NAS8-03060)
  • National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NAS803060)
  • Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
  • Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (03060, NAS8-03060)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena
  • Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Nuclear and High Energy Physics › Astrophysics and Cosmic Phenomena
  • Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations
Keywords
El Gordo, cluster mergers, radio relics, radio halos, Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect, Faraday depth, synchrotron polarization, Fermi acceleration, shock Mach number, intracluster medium, relativistic electrons, synchrotron cooling, magnetic field strength, spectral index, energy injection, X-ray emission, galaxy clusters, Chandra X-ray observations

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