IUCAA Preprints
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Item BeppoSAX observation of the rich cluster of galaxies Abell 85(2001-01-06) Lima Neto, G. B.; Pislar, V.; Bagchi, JoydeepWe report the observation of the Intra-Cluster Medium (ICM) of Abell 85 by the X-ray satellite Bep- poSAX. We have both analysed the spectrum obtained in the central 8 arcmin circular region centred on the Very Steep Spectrum Radio Source (VSSRS) and the spec- tra from a number of sub-regions. Analysis of the spec- tra allowed us to independently obtain new estimates of the temperature, metallicity and line-of-sight hydro- gen density column, both globally (T = 6.6 ± 0.3 keV, Z = 0.38 ± 0.06Z⊙ and NH = 5.5+0.9 −0.71020cm−2) and lo- cally. These measures are in good agreement with previ- ous measures based on ROSAT and ASCA data. In the region of the VSRSS, we have tried to disentangle the thermal from the non-thermal X-ray emission. Although we could not do this unambiguously, we have nonethe- less estimated the extended magnetic field using the radio spectrum available for this region.We obtain a lower limit intensity of 0.9µG, consistent with our previous estimate. We also derive α-elements/iron abundance ratios that turn out to be higher than 1. Such a result tends to support the burst model for elliptical galaxies, where a strong galac- tic wind develops early in the galaxy history and type II supernovae (SN) may have the main role in the enrich- ment of the ICM. A two-temperature ICM model was fit- ted in the central region yielding a main component with roughly the mean cluster temperature and a cooler com- ponent with temperature less than 0.1 keV.Item Observing high-redshift Supernovae in lensed galaxies(2000-01-28) Saini, Tarun Deep; Raychaudhury, Somak; Shchekinov, Yuri A.Supernovae in distant galaxies that are grav- tationally lensed by foreground galaxy clusters make ex- cellent cosmological candles for measuring quantities like the density of the Universe in its various components and the Hubble constant. Distant supernovae will be more eas- ly detectable since foreground cluster lenses would mag- nify such supernovae by up to 3–4 magnitudes. We show that in the case of the lens cluster Abell 2218, the de- tectability of high-redshift supernovae is significantly en- hanced due to the lensing effects of the cluster. Since ensed supernovae will remain point images even when their host galaxies are stretched into arcs, the signal-to- noise ratio for their observation will be further enhanced, typically by an order of magnitude. We recommend moni- toring well-modelled clusters with several known arclets for the detection of cosmologically useful SNe around z = 1 and beyond.Item Photometric Scaling Relations for Bulges of Galaxies(2005-09-01) Ravikumar, C. D.; Kembhavi, A.K.; Barway, Sudhanshu; et al.We study the photometric parameters of the bulges of galaxies of different Hubble types including ellipticals, lenticulars, early and late type spirals and early type dwarf galaxies. Analyzing the distributions of various photometric parameters, and two and three-dimensional correlations between them, we find that there is a difference in the correlations exhibited by bright (MK < −22) and faint bulges, irrespective of their Hubble type. Importantly, the bright bulges, which include typically E/S0 galaxies and bulges of early type spirals, are tightly distributed around a common photometric plane (PP), while their fainter counter parts, mainly bulges of late type spirals and dwarf galaxies show significant deviation from the planar distribution. We show that the specific entropy, determined from the bulge structural parameters, systematically increases as we move from late to early Hubble types. We interpret this as evidence for hierarchical merging and passive evolution scenarios for bright and faint bulges respectively.Item Origin and evolution of cluster magnetism(2006-04-02) Shukurov, A.; Subramanian, Kandaswamy; Haugen, N. E. L.Random motions can occur in the intergalactic gas of galaxy clusters at all stages of their evolution. Depending on the poorly known value of the Reynolds number, these motions can or cannot become turbulent, but in any case they can generate random magnetic fields via dynamo action. We argue that magnetic fields inferred observationally for the intracluster medium require dynamo action, and then estimate parameters of random flows and magnetic fields at various stages of the cluster evolution. Polarization in cluster radio halos predicted by the model would be detectable with the SKA.Item Evolving turbulence and magnetic fields in galaxy clusters(2006-01-10) Subramanian, Kandaswamy; Shukurov, A.; Haugen, N. E. L.We discuss, using simple analytical models and MHD simulations, the origin and parameters of turbulence and magnetic fields in galaxy clusters. Any pre-existing tangled magnetic field must decay in a few hundred million years by generating gas motions even if the electric conductivity of the intracluster gas is high. We argue that tur- bulent motions can be maintained in the intracluster gas and its dynamo action can prevent such a decay and amplify a random seed magnetic field by a net factor typically 10⁴ in 5Gyr. Three physically distinct regimes can be identified in the evolution of turbulence and magnetic field in galaxy clusters. Firstly, the fluctuation dynamo will produce microgauss-strong, random magnetic fields during the epoch of cluster formation and major mergers. At this stage pervasive turbulent flows with r.m.s. velocity of about 300 kms−ᶥ can be maintained at scales 100–200 kpc. The magnetic field is intermittent, has a smaller scale of 20–30 kpc and average strength of 2 G. Secondly, turbulence will decay after the end of the major merger epoch; we discuss the dynamics of the decaying turbulence and the behavior of magnetic field in it. Magnetic field and turbulent speed undergo a power-law decay, decreasing by a factor of two during this stage, whereas their scales increase by about the same factor. Thirdly, smaller-mass subclusters and cluster galaxies will produce turbulent wakes where magnetic fields will be generated as well. Although the wakes plausibly occupy only a small fraction of the cluster volume, we show that their area covering factor can be close to unity, and thus they can produce some of the signatures of turbulence along virtually all lines of sight. The latter could potentially allow one to reconcile the possibility of turbulence with ordered filamentary gas structures, as in the Perseus cluster. The turbulent speeds and magnetic fields in the wakes are estimated to be of order 300 kms−ᶥ and 2 G, respectively, whereas the turbulent scales are of order 200 kpc for wakes behind subclusters of a mass 3 × 10ᶥᶟM⊙ and about 10 kpc in the galactic wakes. Magnetic field in the wakes is intermittent and has the scale of about 30 kpc and 1 kpc in the subcluster and galactic wakes, respectively. Random Faraday rotation measure is estimated to be typically 100–200 radm−², in agreement with observations. We predict detectable polarization of synchrotron emission from cluster radio halos at wavelengths 3–6 cm, if observed at sufficiently high resolution.Item Radio observations of ZwCl 2341.1+0000: a double radio relic cluster(2009-10-01) Weeren, R.; Miniati, F.; Bagchi, Joydeep; et al.infall and mergers of smaller subclusters and galaxy groups. Diffuse radio emission, in the form of radio halos and relics, is found in clusters undergoing a merger, indicating that shocks or turbulence associated with the merger are capable of accelerating electrons to highly relativistic energies. Double relics are a rare class of radio sources found in the periphery of clusters, with the two components located symmetrically on the opposite sides of the cluster center. These relics are important probes of the cluster periphery as (i) they provide an estimate of the magnetic field strength, and (ii) together with detailed modeling can be used to derive information about the merger geometry, mass, and timescale. Observations of these double relics can thus be used to test the framework of LSS formation. Here we report on radio observations of ZwCl 2341.1+0000, a complex merging structure of galaxies located at z = 0.27, using Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) observations. Aims. The main aim of the observations is to study the nature of the diffuse radio emission in the galaxy cluster ZwCl 2341.1+0000. Methods. We carried out GMRT 610, 241, and 157 MHz continuum observations of ZwCl 2341.1+0000. The radio observations are combined with X-ray and optical data of the cluster. Results. The GMRT observations show a double peripheral radio relic in the cluster ZwCl 2341.1+0000. The spectral index is −0.49 ± 0.18 for the northern relic and −0.76 ± 0.17 for the southern relic. We have derived values of 0.48 − 0.93 µGauss for the equipartition magnetic field strength. The relics are probably associated with outward traveling merger shock waves.Item Evolution of shocks and turbulence in the formation of galaxy clusters embedded in megaparsec-scale filaments(2011-04-26) Iapichino, L.; Miniati, F.; et al.; Paul, SurajitMassive structures like cluster of galaxies, embedded in cosmic filaments, release enormous amount of energy through their interactions. These events are associated with production of Mpc-scale shocks and injection of considerable amount of turbulence, affecting the non-thermal energy budget of the ICM. In order to study this thoroughly, we performed a set of cosmological simulations using the hydrodynamical code Enzo.We studied the formation of clusters undergoing major mergers, the propagation of merger shocks and their interaction with the filamentary cosmic web. This interaction is shown to pro- duce peripheral structures remarkably similar to giant radio relics observed, for example, in Abell 3376 and Abell 3667. We find a relatively long timescale (about 4 Gyr) for turbulence decay in the centre of major merging clusters. This timescale is substantially longer than typically assumed in the turbulent re-acceleration models, invoked for explaining the statistics of observed radio halos.