An excess of sub-millimetre sources towards z~1 clusters

Deep sub-millimetre observations using SCUBA are presented of the central regions of four high redshift clusters which have been extensively studied optically: CL0023+0423 (z=0.84), J0848+4453 (z=1.27), CL1604+4304 (z=0.90) and CL1604+4321 (z=0.92). 10 sub-millimetre sources are securely detected towards these four clusters at 850 microns, with two further tenuous detections; the raw 850 micron source counts exceed those determined from blank-field surveys by a factor of 3-4. In particular, towards CL1604+4304, 6 sources are detected with S(850) > 4 mJy making this the richest sub-mm field discovered to date. Corrections for gravitational lensing by these high redshift clusters reduce these excess sources counts, but are unlikely to account for more than about half of the excess, with the remainder presumably directly associated with cluster galaxies. The 450 to 850 micron flux density ratios of the detected sources are systematically higher (at a significance level > 98%) than those determined for blank-field selected sources, consistent with them being at the cluster redshifts. If subsequent identifications confirm cluster membership, these results will demonstrate that the optical Butcher-Oemler effect is also observed at sub-mm wavelengths.Comment: MNRAS, in consideration. 11 pages, including 6 figures. Minor typos correcte

The Search for AGN in Distant Galaxy Clusters

We are undertaking the first systematic study of the prevalence of AGN activity in a large sample of high redshift galaxy clusters. Local clusters contain mainly red elliptical galaxies, and have little or no luminous AGN activity. However, recent studies of some moderate to high redshift clusters have revealed significant numbers of luminous AGN within the cluster. This effect may parallel the Butcher-Oemler effect - the increase in the fraction of blue galaxies in distant clusters compared to local clusters. Our aim is to verify and quantify recent evidence that AGN activity in dense environments increases with redshift, and to evaluate the significance of this effect. As cluster AGN are far less prevalent than field sources, a large sample of over 120 cluster fields at z > 0.1 has been selected from the Chandra archives and is being analysed for excess point sources. The size of the excess, the radial distribution and flux of the sources and the dependence of these on cluster redshift and luminosity will reveal important information about the triggering and fueling of AGN.Comment: 2 pages, to appear in proceedings of 'Multi-wavelength AGN surveys', Cozumel, 200

The cluster environments of the z~1 3CR radio galaxies

An analysis of the environments around a sample of 28 3CR radio galaxies with redshifts 0.6 < z < 1.8 is presented, based primarily upon K--band images down to K ~ 20 taken using the UK Infrared Telescope (UKIRT). A net overdensity of K-band galaxies is found in the fields of the radio galaxies, with the mean excess counts being comparable to that expected for clusters of Abell Class 0 richness. A sharp peak is found in the angular cross-correlation amplitude centred on the radio galaxies, which, for reasonable assumptions about the luminosity function of the galaxies, corresponds to a spatial cross-correlation amplitude between those determined for low redshift Abell Class 0 and Abell Class 1 clusters.Comment: 18 pages LaTeX, including 10 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRA

A jet-cloud interaction in 3C34 at redshift z = 0.69

We report the detection of a strong jet-cloud interaction at a distance of 120 kpc from the nucleus of the radio galaxy 3C34, which has redshift z=0.69. Hubble Space Telescope images of the radio galaxy show a long narrow region of blue emission orientated along the radio axis and directed towards a radio hotspot. The William Herschel Telescope has been used to provide long-slit spectroscopic data of this object, and infrared observations made with the United Kingdom InfraRed Telescope have enabled its spectral energy distribution to be modelled. We propose that the aligned emission is associated with a region of massive star-formation, induced by the passage of the radio jet through a galaxy within the cluster surrounding 3C34. A star-formation rate of about 100 solar masses per year is required, similar to the values necessary to produce the alignment effect in high-redshift radio galaxies. The consequences of this result for models of star formation in distant radio galaxies are discussed.Comment: 12 pages including 11 figures, LaTeX. To appear in MNRA

HST, radio and infrared observations of 28 3CR radio galaxies at redshift z ~ 1: I. The observations

Hubble Space Telescope images are presented of a sample of 28 3CR radio galaxies with redshifts in the range 0.6 < z < 1.8, together with maps at comparable angular resolution of their radio structure, taken using the Very Large Array. Infrared images of the fields, taken with the United Kingdom InfraRed Telescope, are also presented. The optical images display a spectacular range of structures. Many of the galaxies show highly elongated optical emission aligned along the directions of the radio axes, but this is not a universal effect; a small number of sources are either symmetrical or misaligned. Amongst those sources which do show an alignment effect, the morphology of the optical emission varies greatly, from a single bright elongated emission region to strings of optical knots stretching from one radio hotspot to the other. The infrared images display much less complexity. Although their significantly lower angular resolution would wash out some of the smaller structures seen in the HST images, it is clear that these galaxies are less aligned at infrared wavelengths than in the optical. In this paper, we discuss the galaxies individually, but defer a statistical analysis of the multi-waveband properties of the complete sample of sources to later papers in this series.Comment: 39 pages including 52 figures, LaTeX. Accepted for publication in MNRA