Giant Radio Halos and Relics in ACTPol Clusters.

Master of Science in Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2017.Galaxy clusters are the largest gravitationally-bound structures in the universe. They act as the largest astrophysical laboratories in the universe and are extremely interesting objects to study as they are at crossroads between astrophysics and cosmology. In previous decades the most prominent cluster studies were focused on thermal processes in the intracluster medium (ICM). However, recent studies have shown that non-thermal studies give a different perspective on ICM processes. Giant radio halos and radio relics are examples of this non-thermal diffuse radio emission. Giant radio halos are believed to originate from synchrotron radiation resulting from the re-acceleration of relativistic electrons in the cluster's magnetic field by the turbulent energy following merger activity. Radio relics, another form of non-thermal diffuse radio emission, have been identi ed as possible tracers of merger shock waves. The study of diffuse radio emission has a number of open questions such as; the observed bimodality in the radio power versus X-ray luminosity plot. The bimodality could partly be due to the identi cation of halos and relics in clusters without a well-de ned selection function. In this thesis, we studied giant radio halos and relics in a homogeneous, mass-selected sample of sixteen clusters selected via the Sunyaev- Zel'dovich (SZ) effect by the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) with polarization sensitive receivers (ACTPol). We carried out a radio wavelength study using data obtained from the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) for four of these clusters. This subsample of four clusters will be added to the larger sample, eight of which have archival data, and four of which will be proposed for observations in the next GMRT observation cycle. We used the GMRT data at 610 MHz to search for diffuse radio emission in each cluster. We applied various uv-cuts and tapers to isolate the low-resolution emission in the target fi eld. For two of the four observed clusters, we tentatively discovered extended radio emission at a signifi cance level of at least 3o' We then measured radio fluxes for compact sources in the cluster region. We were able to calculate spectral indices for the compact sources that were cross-matched in FIRST

The MeerKAT Galaxy Clusters Legacy Survey: star formation in massive clusters at 0.15 < z < 0.35

We investigate dust-unbiased star formation rates (SFR) as a function of the environment in 20 massive clusters ($M_{200}>4\times10^{14} {\rm M}_{\odot}$) between $0.15<z<0.35$ using radio luminosities ($L_{\rm 1.4GHz}$) from the recently released MeerKAT Galaxy Cluster Legacy Survey catalogue. We use optical data from the Dark Energy Camera Legacy Survey to estimate photo-$z$s and assign cluster membership. We observe a steady decline in the fraction ($f_{\rm SF}$) of star-forming galaxies from $2R_{200}$ to the cluster centres in our full cluster sample, but notice a significant difference in $f_{\rm SF}$ gradients between clusters hosting large-scale extended radio emission in the form of haloes and relics (associated with ongoing merger activity) and non-radio-halo/relic hosting clusters. For star-forming galaxies within $R_{200}$, the $f_{\rm SF}$ in clusters hosting radio haloes and relics ($0.148\pm0.016$) is $\approx23\%$ higher than in non-radio-halo/relic hosting clusters ($0.120\pm0.011$). We observe a $3\sigma$ difference between the total SFR normalised by cluster mass for non-radio-halo/relic hosting clusters ($21.5\pm1.9$ M$_{\odot}$yr$^{-1}$/$10^{14}$M$_{\odot}$) and for clusters with radio haloes and relics ($26.1\pm1.4$ M$_{\odot}$yr$^{-1}$/$10^{14}$M$_{\odot}$). There is a $\approx4\times$ decline in the mass normalised total SFR of clusters for galaxies with SFR above the luminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs) SFR limit at our redshift slice, corresponding to 2 Gyr in look-back time. This is consistent with the rapid decline in SF activity with decreasing redshift amongst cluster LIRGs seen by previous studies using infrared-derived SFR.Comment: 13 pages, 9 figures. To be published in MNRA

A multiwavelength dynamical state analysis of ACT-CL J0019.6+0336

In our study, we show a multiwavelength view of ACT-CL J0019.6+0336 (which hosts a radio halo), to investigate the cluster dynamics, morphology, and ICM. We use a combination of XMM-Newton images, Dark Energy Survey (DES) imaging and photometry, SDSS spectroscopic information, and 1.16 GHz MeerKAT data to study the cluster properties. Various X-ray and optical morphology parameters are calculated to investigate the level of disturbance. We find disturbances in two X-ray parameters and the optical density map shows elongated and axisymmetric structures with the main cluster component southeast of the cluster centre and another component northwest of the cluster centre. We also find a BCG offset of ~950 km/s from the mean velocity of the cluster, and a discrepancy between the SZ mass, X-ray mass, and dynamical mass (MX,500 and MSZ,500 lies > 3σ away from Mdyn,500), showing that J0019 is a merging cluster and probably in a post-merging phase

MIGHTEE-\HI: Possible interactions with the galaxy NGC~895

The transformation and evolution of a galaxy is strongly influenced by interactions with its environment. Neutral hydrogen (\HI) is an excellent way to trace these interactions. Here, we present \HI\ observations of the spiral galaxy NGC~895, which was previously thought to be isolated. High-sensitivity \HI\ observations from the MeerKAT large survey project MIGHTEE reveal possible interaction features, such as extended spiral arms, and the two newly discovered \HI\ companions, that drive us to change the narrative that it is an isolated galaxy. We combine these observations with deep optical images from the Hyper Suprime Camera to show an absence of tidal debris between NGC 895 and its companions. We do find an excess of light in the outer parts of the companion galaxy MGTH$\_$J022138.1-052631 which could be an indication of external perturbation and thus possible sign of interactions. Our analysis shows that NGC~895 is an actively star-forming galaxy with a SFR of $\mathrm{1.75 \pm 0.09 [M_{\odot}/yr]}$, a value typical for high stellar mass galaxies on the star forming main sequence. It is reasonable to state that different mechanisms may have contributed to the observed features in NGC~895 and this emphasizes the need to revisit the target with more detailed observations. Our work shows the high potential and synergy of using state-of-the-art data in both \HI\ and optical to reveal a more complete picture of galaxy environments.Comment: 14 pages, 10 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRA

A GMRT Narrowband vs. Wideband Analysis of the ACT−CL J0034.4+0225 Field Selected from the ACTPol Cluster Sample

Low frequency radio observations of galaxy clusters are a useful probe of the non-thermal intracluster medium (ICM), through observations of diffuse radio emission such as radio halos and relics. Current formation theories cannot fully account for some of the observed properties of this emission. In this study, we focus on the development of interferometric techniques for extracting extended, faint diffuse emissions in the presence of bright, compact sources in wide-field and broadband continuum imaging data. We aim to apply these techniques to the study of radio halos, relics and radio mini-halos using a uniformly selected and complete sample of galaxy clusters selected via the Sunyaev-Zel’dovich (SZ) effect by the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) project, and its polarimetric extension (ACTPol). We use the upgraded Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (uGMRT) for targeted radio observations of a sample of 40 clusters. We present an overview of our sample, confirm the detection of a radio halo in ACT−CL J0034.4+0225, and compare the narrowband and wideband analysis results for this cluster. Due to the complexity of the ACT−CL J0034.4+0225 field, we use three pipelines to process the wideband data. We conclude that the experimental spam wideband pipeline produces the best results for this particular field. However, due to the severe artefacts in the field, further analysis is required to improve the image quality

A GMRT Narrowband vs. Wideband Analysis of the ACT−CL J0034.4+0225 Field Selected from the ACTPol Cluster Sample

Low frequency radio observations of galaxy clusters are a useful probe of the non-thermal intracluster medium (ICM), through observations of diffuse radio emission such as radio halos and relics. Current formation theories cannot fully account for some of the observed properties of this emission. In this study, we focus on the development of interferometric techniques for extracting extended, faint diffuse emissions in the presence of bright, compact sources in wide-field and broadband continuum imaging data. We aim to apply these techniques to the study of radio halos, relics and radio mini-halos using a uniformly selected and complete sample of galaxy clusters selected via the Sunyaev-Zel’dovich (SZ) effect by the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) project, and its polarimetric extension (ACTPol). We use the upgraded Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (uGMRT) for targeted radio observations of a sample of 40 clusters. We present an overview of our sample, confirm the detection of a radio halo in ACT−CL J0034.4+0225, and compare the narrowband and wideband analysis results for this cluster. Due to the complexity of the ACT−CL J0034.4+0225 field, we use three pipelines to process the wideband data. We conclude that the experimental spam wideband pipeline produces the best results for this particular field. However, due to the severe artefacts in the field, further analysis is required to improve the image quality.</jats:p

A Multiwavelength Dynamical State Analysis of ACT-CL J0019.6+0336

In our study, we show a multiwavelength view of ACT-CL J0019.6+0336 (which hosts a radio halo), to investigate the cluster dynamics, morphology, and ICM. We use a combination of XMM-Newton images, Dark Energy Survey (DES) imaging and photometry, SDSS spectroscopic information, and 1.16 GHz MeerKAT data to study the cluster properties. Various X-ray and optical morphology parameters are calculated to investigate the level of disturbance. We find disturbances in two X-ray parameters and the optical density map shows elongated and axisymmetric structures with the main cluster component southeast of the cluster centre and another component northwest of the cluster centre. We also find a BCG offset of ∼950 km/s from the mean velocity of the cluster, and a discrepancy between the SZ mass, X-ray mass, and dynamical mass (MX,500 and MSZ,500 lies &gt;3σ away from Mdyn,500), showing that J0019 is a merging cluster and probably in a post-merging phase.</jats:p