Ruta Kale

The Extended GMRT Radio Halo Survey - I. New upper limits on radio halos and mini-halos

Context. A fraction of galaxy clusters host diffuse radio sources called radio halos, radio relics and mini- halos. These are associated with the relativistic electrons and magnetic fields present over∼ Mpc scales in the intra-cluster medium. Aims. We aim to carry out a systematic radio survey of all luminous galaxy clusters selected from the REFLEX and eBCS X-ray catalogs with the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope, to understand the statistical properties of the diffuse radio emission in galaxy clusters. Methods. We present the sample and first results from the Extended GMRT Radio Halo Survey (EGRHS), which is an extension of the GMRT Radio Halo Survey (GRHS, Venturi et al. 2007, 2008). Results. Analysis of radio data at 610/ 235/ 325 MHz on 12 galaxy clusters are presented. We report the detection of a newly discovered mini-halo in the cluster RXJ1532.9+3021 at 610 MHz. The presence of a small scale relic (∼ 200 kpc) is suspected in the cluster Z348. We do not detect cluster-scale diffuse emission in 11 clusters. Robust upper limits on the detection of radio halo of size of 1 Mpc are determined. We also present upper limits on the detections of mini-halos in a sub-sample of cool-core clusters. The upper limits for radio halos and mini-halos are plotted in th e radio power- X-ray luminosity plane and the correlations are discussed. Diffuse extended emission, not related to the target clusters, b ut detected as by-products in the sensitive images of two of the cluster fields (A689 and RXJ0439.0+0715) are reported. Conclusions. Based on the information about the presence of radio halos (or upper limits), available on 48 clusters out of the total sample of 67 clusters (EGRHS+GRHS), we find that 23±7% of the clusters host radio halos. The radio halo fraction rises to 31±11%, when only the clusters with X-ray luminosities > 8× 10 44 erg s −1 are considered. Mini-halos are found in∼ 50% of cool-core clusters. A qualitative examination of the X-ray images of the clusters with no diffuse radio emission indicates that a majority of these cluste rs do not show extreme dynamical disturbances and supports the idea that mergers play an important role in the generation of radio halos/relics. The analysis of the full sample will be presented in a future work.

Occurrence of radio halos in galaxy clusters - Insight from a mass-selected sample

Giant radio halos (RH) are diffuse Mpc-scale synchrotron sources detected in a fraction of massive and merging galaxy clusters. An unbiased study of the statistical properties of RHs is crucial to constrain their origin and evolution. We aim at investigating the occurrence of RHs and its dependence on the cluster mass in a SZ-selected sample of galaxy clusters, which is as close as possible to be a mass-selected sample. Moreover, we analyse the connection between RHs and merging clusters. We select from the Planck SZ catalogue (Planck Collaboration XXIX 2014) clusters with

Spectral and polarization study of the double relics in Abell 3376 using the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope and the Very Large Array

M\geq 6\times10^{14} M_\odot

Spectral and polarization study of the double relics in Abell 3376 using the GMRT and the VLA

at z=0.08-0.33 and we search for the presence of RHs using the NVSS for z<0.2 and the GMRT RH survey (GRHS, Venturi et al. 2007, 2008) and its extension (EGRHS, Kale et al. 2013, 2015) for 0.2<z<0.33. We use archival Chandra X-ray data to derive information on the clusters dynamical status. We confirm that RH clusters are merging systems while the majority of clusters without RH are relaxed, thus supporting the idea that mergers play a fundamental role in the generation of RHs. We find evidence for an increase of the fraction of clusters with RHs with the cluster mass and this is in line with expectations derived on the basis of the turbulence re-acceleration scenario. Finally, we discuss the effect of the incompleteness of our sample on this result.

The Extended GMRT Radio Halo Survey - II. Further results and analysis of the full sample

Double radio relics in galaxy clusters are rare phenomena that trace shocks in the outskirts of merging galaxy clusters. We have carried out a spectral and polarization study of the spectacular double relics in the galaxy cluster A3376 using the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope at 150 and 325 MHz and the Very Large Array at 1400 MHz. The polarization study at 1400 MHz reveals a high degree of polarization (~30%) and aligned magnetic field vectors (not corrected for Faraday rotation) in the eastern relic. A highly polarized (>60%) filamentary radio source of size ~300 kpc near the eastern relic and north of the bent-jet radio galaxy is detected for the first time. The western relic is less polarized and does not show aligned magnetic field vectors. The distribution of spectral indices between 325 and 1400 MHz over the radio relics show steepening from the outer to the inner edges of the relics. The spectral indices of the eastern and the western relics imply Mach numbers in the range 2.2 to 3.3. Remarkable features such as the inward filament extending from the eastern relic, the highly polarized filament, the complex polarization properties of the western relic and the separation of the BCG from the ICM by a distance >900 kpc are noticed in the cluster. A comparison with simulated cluster mergers is required to understand the complex properties of the double relics in the context of the merger in A3376. An upper limit (log(P(1.4GHz) W/Hz < 23.0) on the strength of a Mpc size radio halo in A3376 is estimated.

SPECTRAL INDEX STUDIES OF THE DIFFUSE RADIO EMISSION IN ABELL 2256: IMPLICATIONS FOR MERGER ACTIVITY

Double radio relics in galaxy clusters are rare phenomena that trace shocks in the outskirts of merging galaxy clusters. We have carried out a spectral and polarization study of the spectacular double relics in the galaxy cluster A3376 using the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope at 150 and 325 MHz and the Very Large Array at 1400 MHz. The polarization study at 1400 MHz reveals a high degree of polarization (~30%) and aligned magnetic field vectors (not corrected for Faraday rotation) in the eastern relic. A highly polarized (>60%) filamentary radio source of size ~300 kpc near the eastern relic and north of the bent-jet radio galaxy is detected for the first time. The western relic is less polarized and does not show aligned magnetic field vectors. The distribution of spectral indices between 325 and 1400 MHz over the radio relics show steepening from the outer to the inner edges of the relics. The spectral indices of the eastern and the western relics imply Mach numbers in the range 2.2 to 3.3. Remarkable features such as the inward filament extending from the eastern relic, the highly polarized filament, the complex polarization properties of the western relic and the separation of the BCG from the ICM by a distance >900 kpc are noticed in the cluster. A comparison with simulated cluster mergers is required to understand the complex properties of the double relics in the context of the merger in A3376. An upper limit (log(P(1.4GHz) W/Hz < 23.0) on the strength of a Mpc size radio halo in A3376 is estimated.

DISCOVERY OF A GIANT RADIO HALO IN A NEW PLANCK GALAXY CLUSTER PLCKG171.9–40.7

The intra-cluster medium contains cosmic rays and magnetic fields that are manifested through the large scale synchrotron sources, termed as radio halos, relics and mini-halos. The Extended Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) Radio Halo Survey (EGRHS) is an extension of the GMRT Radio Halo Survey (GRHS) designed to search for radio halos using GMRT 610/235 MHz observations. The GRHS+EGRHS consists of 64 clusters in the redshift range 0.2 -- 0.4 that have an X-ray luminosity larger than 5x10^44 erg/s in the 0.1 -- 2.4 keV band and with declinations > -31 deg in the REFLEX and eBCS X-ray cluster catalogues. In this second paper in the series, GMRT 610/235 MHz data on the last batch of 11 galaxy clusters and the statistical analysis of the full sample are presented. A new mini-halo in RXJ2129.6+0005 and candidate diffuse sources in Z5247, A2552 and Z1953 are discovered. A unique feature of this survey are the upper limits on the detections of 1 Mpc sized radio halos; 4 new are presented here making a total of 31 in the survey. Of the sample, 58 clusters that have adequately sensitive radio information were used to obtain the most accurate occurrence fractions so far. The occurrence of radio halos in our X-ray selected sample is ~22%, that of mini-halos is 13% and that of relics is ~5%. The radio power - X-ray luminosity diagrams for the radio halos and mini-halos with the detections and upper limits are presented. The morphological estimators namely, centroid shift (w), concentration parameter (c) and power ratios (P_3/P_0) derived from the Chandra X-ray images are used as proxies for the dynamical states of the GRHS+EGRHS clusters. The clusters with radio halos and mini-halos occupy distinct quadrants in the c-w, c-P_3/P_0 and w - P_3/P_0 planes, corresponding to the more and less morphological disturbance, respectively. The non-detections span both the quadrants.

How unusual is the cool-core radio halo cluster CL1821+643?

We present a multi-wavelength analysis of the merging rich cluster of galaxies Abell 2256. We have observed A2256 at 150 MHz using the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope and successfully detected the diffuse radio halo and the relic emission over an extent ∼ 1.2 Mpc. Using this 150 MHz image and the images made using archival observations from the VLA (1369 MHz) and the WSRT (350 MHz), we have produced spectral index images of the diffuse radio emission in A2256. These spectral index images show a distribution of flat spectral index (S∝ ν, α in the range -0.7 to -0.9) plasma in the NW of the cluster centre. Regions showing steep spectral indices (α in the range -1.0 to -2.3) are toward the SE of the cluster centre. These spectral indices indicate synchrotron life times for the relativistic plasmas in the range 0.08 0.4 Gyr. We interpret this spectral behaviour as resulting from a merger event along the direction SE to NW within the last 0.5 Gyr or so. A shock may be responsible for the NW relic in A2256 and the Mpc scale radio halo towards the SE is likely to be generated by the turbulence injected by mergers. Furthermore, the diffuse radio emission shows spectral steepening toward lower frequencies. This low frequency spectral steepening is consistent with a combination of spectra from two populations of relativistic electrons created at two epochs (two mergers) within the last ∼0.5 Gyr. Earlier interpretations of the X-ray and the optical data also suggested that there were two mergers in Abell 2256 in the last 0.5 Gyr, consistent with the current findings. Also highlighted in this study is the futility of correlating the average temperatures of thermal gas and the average spectral indices of diffuse radio emission in respective clusters. Subject headings: acceleration of particles — galaxies: clusters: individual (A2256)— galaxies: halos — radiation mechanisms : nonthermal — radio continuum : galaxiesWe present a multi-wavelength analysis of the merging rich cluster of galaxies, Abell 2256 (A2256). We have observed A2256 at 150 MHz using the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope and successfully detected the diffuse radio halo and the relic emission over a ~1.2 Mpc2 extent. Using this 150 MHz image and the images made using archival observations from the Very Large Array (VLA; 1369 MHz) and the Westerbrok Synthesis Radio Telescope (WSRT; 330 MHz), we have produced spectral index images of the diffuse radio emission in A2256. These spectral index images show a distribution of flat spectral index (S ∝ να, α in the range –0.7 to –0.9) plasma in the region NW of the cluster center. Regions showing steep spectral indices (α in the range –1.0 to –2.3) are toward the SE of the cluster center. These spectral indices indicate synchrotron lifetimes for the relativistic plasmas in the range 0.08-0.4 Gyr. We interpret this spectral behavior as resulting from a merger event along the direction SE to NW within the last 0.5 Gyr or so. A shock may be responsible for the NW relic in A2256 and the megaparsec scale radio halo toward the SE is likely to be generated by the turbulence injected by mergers. Furthermore, the diffuse radio emission shows spectral steepening toward lower frequencies. This low-frequency spectral steepening is consistent with a combination of spectra from two populations of relativistic electrons created at two epochs (two mergers) within the last ~0.5 Gyr. Earlier interpretations of the X-ray and the optical data also suggested that there were two mergers in Abell 2256 in the last 0.5 Gyr, consistent with the current findings. Also highlighted in this study is the futility of correlating the average temperatures of thermal gas and the average spectral indices of diffuse radio emission in the respective clusters.

Discovery of large-scale diffuse radio emission and of a new galaxy cluster in the surroundings of MACS J0520.7-1328

We report the discovery of a giant radio halo in a new, hot, X-ray luminous galaxy cluster recently found by Planck, PLCKG171.9–40.7. The radio halo was found using Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope observations at 235 MHz and 610 MHz, and in the 1.4 GHz data from an NRAO Very Large Array Sky Survey pointing that we have reanalyzed. The diffuse radio emission is coincident with the cluster X-ray emission, and has an extent of ~1 Mpc and a radio power of ~5 × 1024 W Hz–1 at 1.4 GHz. Its integrated radio spectrum has a slope of α ≈ 1.8 between 235 MHz and 1.4 GHz, steeper than that of a typical giant halo. The analysis of the archival XMM-Newton X-ray data shows that the cluster is hot (~10 keV) and disturbed, consistent with X-ray-selected clusters hosting radio halos. This is the first giant radio halo discovered in one of the new clusters found by Planck.

Clusters of Galaxies and the Cosmic Web with Square Kilometre Array

Massive galaxy clusters with cool-cores typically host diffuse radio sources called mini-haloes, whereas, those with non-cool-cores host radio haloes. We attempt to understand the unusual nature of the cool-core galaxy cluster CL1821+643 that hosts a Mpc-scale radio halo using new radio observations and morphological analysis of its intra-cluster medium. We present the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) 610 MHz image of the radio halo. The spectral index,