Tracing the merger history of MACS clusters using the GMRT

S. Paul1,2*, A. Datta3 and H. T. Intema4
1IUCAA, Pune, Pune 411007
2Department of Physics, University of Pune, Pune 411007
3CASA, Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Science, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309
4National Radio Astronomy Observatory, 1003 Lopezville Road, Socorro, NM 87801-0387, USA

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Abstract

Galaxy-cluster merger shocks efficiently accelerate the ambient electrons through di usive shock acceleration and amplify magnetic field by compressing the Inter Cluster Medium. As a result, such objects produce a significant amount of synchrotron radio emission. Radio halo and Mpc scale peripheral radio relics thus help us to trace back the cluster formation history. To study the dynamical state of the galaxy clusters and their relation to the merging scenario, as a pilot project, we thus observed four suitable candidates from the MACS (Massive Cluster Survey) cluster sample. Observations were carried out simultaneously at 610 and 235 MHz with the GMRT. We observed a rare phenomena in the cluster MACSJ0014.3-3022, which hosts both a peripheral spectacular radio relic and an unusually flat spectrum central giant radio halo of more than 1.5 Mpc dimension. We also report that another cluster MACSJ0152.5-2852 is possibly showing the sign of one of the earliest and young merging system where, we saw a faint 0.5 Mpc radio relic at the cluster periphery.



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Keywords : Galaxy cluster mergers – Shocks – Radio halo – Radio relics