Where is the Dark Matter in the Double Radio Relic Galaxy Cluster PLCKG287.0+32.9?

  • Published : 2017.04.10

Abstract

Diffuse radio relics are often detected in merging galaxy clusters and are emitted by synchrotron process. Radio relics are believed to trace the shock waves in the intracluster medium induced by ram pressure during a major cluster merger. Radio halos and relics are found in approximately 50 galaxy clusters to date that are all in a state of merging. The rarest of these galaxy clusters contain pairs of relics of similar brightness as well as a radio halo. The massive galaxy cluster PLCKG287.0+32.9 belongs to this rare population and is the second most significant detection from the Planck SZ All-sky Survey. Perhaps even more intriguing is that the radio relics are observed at vastly different distances from the X-ray peak requiring a complex merging scenario. In this study, we use weak-lensing to peer deeper into the merging scenario by reconstructing the dark matter distribution. We relate the mass distribution to the radio, X-ray, and optical emissions to provide constraints for future simulations of the merger. Fitting an NFW profile to the tangential shear we infer the mass of the cluster and discuss its implications for the merging scenario.

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