942 research outputs found
The dynamical status of ZwCl 2341.1+0000: a very elongated galaxy structure with a complex radio emission
We study the dynamical status of the galaxy system ZwCl 2341.1+0000, a
filamentary multi-Mpc galaxy structure associated with a complex diffuse radio
emission. Our analysis is mainly based on new spectroscopic data for 128
galaxies acquired at the TNG telescope. We also use optical data available in
the SDSS and X-ray data from the Chandra archive. We select 101 cluster member
galaxies and compute the cluster redshift ~0.2693 and the global LOS
velocity dispersion ~1000 km/s. Our optical analysis agrees with the presence
of at least three, likely four or more, optical subclusters causing the SSE-NNW
elongation of the galaxy distribution and a significant velocity gradient in
the S-N direction. In particular, we detect an important low-velocity subclump
in the southern region, roughly coincident with the brightest peak of the
diffuse radio emission but with a clear offset between the optical and radio
peaks. We also detect one (or two) optical subcluster(s) at north, in
correspondence with the second brightest radio emission, and another one in the
central cluster region, where a third diffuse radio source has been recently
detected. A more refined analysis involving the study of the 2D galaxy
distribution suggests an even more complex structure. As for the X-ray
analysis, we confirm the SSE-NNW elongation of the intracluster medium and
detect four significant peaks. The X-ray emission is strongly asymmetric and
offsetted with respect to the galaxy distribution, thus suggesting a merger
caught in the phase of post-core-core passage. Our findings support two
possible hypotheses for the nature of the diffuse radio emission of ZwCl
2341.1+0000: a 2 relics+halo scenario or diffuse emission associated with the
infall and merging of several galaxy groups during the first phase of the
cluster formation.Comment: 14 pages, 14 figures, 4 tables; MNRAS in pres
The puzzling merging cluster Abell 1914: new insights from the kinematics of member galaxies
We analyze the dynamical state of Abell 1914, a merging cluster hosting a
radio halo, quite unusual for its structure. Our study considers spectroscopic
data for 119 galaxies obtained with the Italian Telescopio Nazionale Galileo.
We select 89 cluster members from spatial and velocity distributions. We also
use photometry Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope archives. We compute the mean
cluster redshift, =0.168, and the velocity dispersion which shows a high
value, sigma_v=1210_{-110}^{+125} km/s. From the 2D analysis we find that Abell
1914 has a NE-SW elongated structure with two galaxy clumps, that mostly merge
in the plane of the sky. Our best, but very uncertain estimate of the velocity
dispersion of the main system is sigma_v~1000 km/s. We estimate a virial mass
M_sys=1.4--2.6 10^{15} h_{70}^{-1} Msun for the whole system. We study the
merger through a simple two-body model and find that data are consistent with a
bound, outgoing substructure observed just after the core crossing. By studying
the 2D distribution of the red galaxies, photometrically selected, we show that
Abell 1914 is contained in a rich large scale structure, with two close
companion galaxy systems, known to be at z~0.17. The system at SW supports the
idea that the cluster is accreting groups from a filament aligned in the NE-SW
direction, while that at NW suggests a second direction of the accretion NW-SE.
We conclude that Abell 1914 well fits among typical clusters with radio halos.
We argue that the unusual radio emission is connected to the complex cluster
accretion and suggest that Abell 1914 resembles the well-known nearby merging
cluster Abell 754 for its particular observed phenomenology.Comment: 14 pages, 10 figures, 2 table
Internal dynamics of the galaxy cluster Abell 959
The connection of cluster mergers with the presence of extended, diffuse
radio sources in galaxy clusters is still being debated. In this paper we aim
to obtain new insights into the internal dynamics of Abell 959, showing
evidence of a diffuse radio source, analyzing velocities and positions of
member galaxies. Our analysis is based on redshift data for 107 galaxies in the
cluster field acquired at the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo. We also use
photometric data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (Data Release 6). We combine
galaxy velocities and positions to select 81 galaxies recognized as cluster
members and determine global dynamical properties. We analyze the cluster
searching for substructures by using several statistical methods. We also study
the 2D galaxy distribution in the field of the cluster. We compare our results
with those from X-ray and gravitational lensing analyses. We estimate a cluster
redshift of z=0.2883 +/- 0.0004. We detect an NE high velocity group at 5' from
the cluster center with a relative line--of--sight (LOS) velocity of ~ +1900
km/s with respect to the main system. We also detect a central, dense structure
elongated along the SE--NW direction likely connected with the two dominant
galaxies and their surrounding cores. This elongated central structure is
probably the trace of an old cluster merger. The LOS velocity dispersion of
galaxies is very high (1025 (-75/+104) km/s). The virial mass is M(<R=1.48
Mpc)= 1.15 (-0.19/+0.25) Msun. Our results suggest that this cluster is forming
along two main directions of mass accretion and show the typical
characteristics of radio clusters; i.e., it is very massive and shows a young
dynamical state. However, deeper radio observations are needed to clarify the
nature of the diffuse radio emission in Abell 959.Comment: 12 pages, 13 figures, 3 tables. Accepted for publication on Astronomy
and Astrophysic
The structure of Abell 1351: a bimodal galaxy cluster with peculiar diffuse radio emission
We aim to review the internal structure and dynamics of the Abell 1351
cluster, shown to host a radio halo with a quite irregular shape. Our analysis
is based on radial velocity data for 135 galaxies obtained at the Telescopio
Nazionale Galileo. We combine galaxy velocities and positions to select 95
cluster galaxy members and analyse the internal dynamics of the whole cluster.
We also examine X-ray data retrieved from Chandra and XMM archives. We measure
the cluster redshift, =0.325, the line-of-sight (LOS) velocity dispersion,
\sigma_v~1500 km/s, and the X-ray temperature, kT~9 keV. From both X-ray and
optical data independently, we estimate a large cluster mass, in the 1--4
M range. We attribute the extremely high value of \sigma_v to
the bimodality in the velocity distribution. We find evidence of a significant
velocity gradient and optical 3D substructure. The X-ray analysis also shows
many features in favour of a complex cluster structure, probably supporting an
ongoing merger of substructures in Abell 1351. The observational scenario
agrees with the presence of two main subclusters in the northern region, each
with its brightest galaxy (BCG1 and BCG2), detected as the two most important
X-ray substructures with a rest-frame LOS velocity difference of \Delta v~2500
km/s (in the rest frame) and probably being in large part aligned with the LOS.
We conclude that Abell 1351 is a massive merging cluster. The details of the
cluster structure allow us to interpret the quite asymmetric radio halo as a
`normal' halo plus a southern relic, strongly supporting a previous suggestion
based only on inspection of radio and preliminary X-ray data.Comment: 13 pages, 13 figures, 1 tabl
The dynamical state of RXCJ1230.7+3439: a multi-substructured merging galaxy cluster
We analyse the kinematical and dynamical state of the galaxy cluster
RXCJ1230.7+3439, at z=0.332, using 93 new spectroscopic redshifts of galaxies
acquired at the 3.6m TNG telescope and from SDSS DR16 public data. We find that
RXCJ1230 appears as a clearly isolated peak in the redshift space, with a
global line-of-sight velocity dispersion of km s,
and showing a very complex structure with the presence of three subclusters.
Our analyses confirm that the three substructures detected are in a pre-merger
phase, where the main interaction takes place with the south-west subclump. We
compute a velocity dispersion of and
km s for the main cluster and the
south-west substructure, respectively. The central main body and south-west
substructure differ by km s in the LOS velocity. From these
data, we estimate a dynamical mass of
M and M for the RXCJ1230 main
body and south-west clump, respectively, which reveals that the cluster will
suffer a merging characterized by a 2:1 mass ratio impact. We solve a two-body
problem for this interaction and find that the most likely solution suggests
that the merging axis lies almost contained in the plane of the sky and the
subcluster will fully interact in Gyr. The comparison between the
dynamical masses and those derived from X-ray data reveals a good agreement
within errors (differences \%), which suggests that the innermost
regions () of the galaxy clumps are almost in hydrostatical
equilibrium. To summarize, RXCJ1230 is a young but also massive cluster in a
pre-merging phase accreeting other galaxy systems from its environment.Comment: To be published in A&
Internal dynamics of the massive cluster Abell 697: a multiwavelength analysis
We conduct an intensive study of the rich, X-ray luminous, and hot galaxy cluster Abell 697 (at z=0.282), likely containing a diffuse radio emission, to determine its dynamical status. Our analysis is based on new spectroscopic data obtained at the TNG telescope for 93 galaxies and on new photometric data obtained at the INT telescope. We combine galaxy velocity and position information to select 68 cluster members, determine global dynamical properties, and detect possible substructures. The investigation of the dynamical status is also performed by using X-ray data stored in the Chandra archive. We compute the line-of-sight (LOS) velocity dispersion of galaxies, sigma_v=1334 km s^-1, in agreement with the high average X-ray temperature T_X=10.2 keV recovered from Chandra data. Assuming that the cluster is in dynamical equilibrium and mass follows the galaxy distribution, we find that A697 is a very massive cluster obtaining M(<R_max=0.75 Mpc h^-1)=9.5x10^14 solar masses h^-1 and M(<R_vir=3.85 Mpc h^-1)=4.5x10^15 solar masses h^-1 for the region well sampled by the spectroscopic data and for the entire virialized region, respectively. Further investigations find that A697 is not fully relaxed, as shown by the non Gaussianity of the velocity distribution, the elongation of the X-ray emission, and the presence of small-size substructures in the central region. Our results suggest that we are looking at a cluster undergone to a complex cluster merger occurring roughly mainly along the LOS, with a transverse component in the SSE-NNW direction. Our study supports the hypothesis of a relation between extended radio emission and merging phenomena
Deep spectroscopic luminosity function of Abell 85: no evidence for a steep upturn of the faint-end slope
We present a new deep determination of the spectroscopic LF within the virial
radius of the nearby and massive Abell\,85 (A85) cluster down to the dwarf
regime (M* + 6) using VLT/VIMOS spectra for galaxies with m mag and mag arcsec. The
resulting LF from 438 cluster members is best modelled by a double Schechter
function due to the presence of a statistically significant upturn at the
faint-end. The amplitude of this upturn (),
however, is much smaller than that of the SDSS composite photometric cluster LF
by Popesso et al. 2006, -2. The faint-end slope of the LF in
A85 is consistent, within the uncertainties, with that of the field. The red
galaxy population dominates the LF at low luminosities, and is the main
responsible for the upturn. The fact that the slopes of the spectroscopic LFs
in the field and in a cluster as massive as A85 are similar suggests that the
cluster environment does not play a major role in determining the abundance of
low-mass galaxies.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, accepted at MNRAS lette
The redshift and broad band spectral energy distribution of NRAO 150
Context. NRAO 150 is one of the brightest radio and mm AGN sources on the
northern sky. It has been revealed as an interesting source where to study
extreme relativistic jet phenomena. However, its cosmological distance has not
been reported so far, because of its optical faintness produced by strong
Galactic extinction.
Aims. Aiming at measuring the redshift of NRAO 150, and hence to start making
possible quantitative studies from the source.
Methods. We have conducted spectroscopic and photometric observations of the
source in the near-IR, as well as in the optical.
Results. All such observations have been successful in detecting the source.
The near-IR spectroscopic observations reveal strong H and H
emission lines from which the cosmological redshift of NRAO 150
() has been determined for the first time. We classify the
source as a flat-spectrum radio-loud quasar, for which we estimate a large
super-massive black-hole mass . After
extinction correction, the new near-IR and optical data have revealed a
high-luminosity continuum-emission excess in the optical (peaking at
\,\AA, rest frame) that we attribute to thermal emission from the
accretion disk for which we estimate a high accretion rate, \,% of the
Eddington limit.
Conclusions. Comparison of these source properties, and its broad-band
spectral-energy distribution, with those of Fermi blazars allow us to predict
that NRAO 150 is among the most powerful blazars, and hence a high luminosity
-although not detected yet- -ray emitter.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figure
The complex structure of Abell 2345: a galaxy cluster with non-symmetric radio relics
We aim to obtain new insights into the internal dynamics of the cluster Abell
2345. This cluster exhibits two non-symmetric radio relics well studied through
recent, deep radio data. Our analysis is based on redshift data for 125
galaxies acquired at the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo and on new photometric
data acquired at the Isaac Newton Telescope. We also use ROSAT/HRI archival
X-ray data. We combine galaxy velocities and positions to select 98 cluster
galaxies and analyze the internal dynamics of the cluster. We estimate a mean
redshift =0.1789 and a LOS velocity dispersion \sigma ~ 1070 km/s. The
two-dimensional galaxy distribution reveals the presence of three significant
peaks within a region of ~ 1 Mpc (the E, NW, and SW peaks). The spectroscopic
catalog confirms the presence of these three clumps. The total mass of the
cluster is very uncertain: M~ 2 10^15 solar masses. The E clump well coincides
with the main mass peak as recovered from the weak gravitational lensing
analysis and is off-set to the east from the BCG by ~ 1.3 arcmin. The ROSAT
X-ray data also show a very complex structure, mainly elongated in the E-W
direction, with two (likely three) peaks in the surface brightness
distribution, which, however, are off-set from the position of the peaks in the
galaxy density. The observed phenomenology agrees with the hypothesis that we
are looking at a complex cluster merger occurring along two directions: a major
merger along the ~ E-W direction (having a component along the LOS) and a minor
merger in the western cluster regions along the ~ N-S direction, roughly
parallel to the plane of the sky.Comment: 27 pages, 11 figures and 3 tables. Accepted for publication on
Astronomy and Astrophysic
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