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At least 757 records · Page 42

Morphology and kinematics in clusters of galaxies

The existence of subclustering, infall, and the morphology-local density relation suggest that there should be differences in the kinematics of different morphological populations in clusters. From published data, we compile a sample of galaxy redshifts and types in six rich clusters of galaxies: A548, A1060, A1644, A1656, A2l51, and DC 2048 - 52. In three clusters, the velocity distribution of spiral galaxies is different from those of other morphological populations: (1) spirals and ellipticals differ in A1656 and A2151, and (2) spirals and S0s differ in DC 2048 - 52. The differences in the distributions result primarily from differences in the mean velocities. The results are consistent with a picture in which a cluster irregularly accretes clumps of mostly spiral galaxies from the field, causing the combined velocity distribution to be asymmetric. These clumps might infall within the plane of a wall like the Great Wall of galaxies. Recent dynamical simulations show that the asymmetries may persist until after the clumps have merged with the central mass concentration.

Zabludoff, Ann I.↗

Do clusters of galaxies affect the spectrum of the microwave background?

The distortion, averaged over the sky, due to the Compton scattering of background photons with electrons in the hot gas in clusters of galaxies is calculated. Using an existing sample of X-ray clusters, various values of the density parameter Omega, and plausible models for cluster evolution, Monte Carlo realizations of the microwave sky are generated. The spatial structure of these simulations shows a network of discrete sources whose properties can be a strong function of both evolution and Omega. The amount of spectral distortion in the models is greatest for models characterized by self-similar cluster evolution in an open universe and is within an order of magnitude of the current upper limits. Thus, improved observational sensitivity must inevitably detect some deviation from a blackbody spectrum.

Markevitch, M.↗

Detection of a 'rotating' gas cloud 100 kiloparsecs in diameter surrounding 3C 275.1, a quasar at the center of a rich cluster of galaxies

The distorted radio quasar 3C 275.1 (z = 0.55) is the first QSO found to lie at the center of a rich cluster of galaxies. The quasar is surrounded by an extremely large elliptical nebulosity whose major axis exceeds 100 kpc. Spectroscopic observations of this nebulosity were obtained, with the spectrograph slit aligned along the nebulosity's major axis. The spectrum of the nebulosity in the visible is dominated by O II and O III forbidden emission lines, which yield a well-defined 'solid-body rotation curve' extending 40 kpc from the quasar nucleus, a rotation curve very different from those of normal spiral galaxies. The 3C 275.1 nebulosity is both the largest yet discovered around a quasar and the first in which organized large-scale motions (rotation?) have been identified. The nebulosity may be residue from multiple tidal interactions with cluster members, or it may be accumulated material from a 'cooling flow' of the type seen in low-redshift clusters which are X-ray sources.

Hintzen, P.↗

A morphological classification of clusters of galaxies from Einstein images

The earliest Uhuru observations showed that cluster X-ray sources were not associated with single individual galaxies but were extended sources. It has only been with the advent of the Einstein X-ray imaging observatory that a first look at cluster X-ray morphology and classification has been possible. The proposed classification system divides clusters into two families, including those with and those without X-ray dominant galaxies. Within each family, the dynamical indicators display a full range of values. One subgroup of clusters is those whose X-ray emission is not regular and which do not contain an X-ray dominant galaxy. One of the brighter, nearer and best studied members of this class is Al367. From the X-ray imaging observations, four clusters have been discovered to have double structure in their surface brightness distributions. The Coma cluster is the archtype of an evolved, fully relaxed cluster. Ellipticals in the Virgo core include M87, M86, and M84. It is concluded that the cluster images are useful in determining the cluster family and the cluster's dynamical state.

Jones, C.↗

The X-ray morphology of the Perseus cluster of galaxies

Results are reported for a sounding-rocket measurement of the spatial distribution of the X-ray flux from the Perseus cluster of galaxies in the range from 0.5 to 4.5 keV. Two scans (N-S and E-W) were made along the line of galaxies extending from NGC 1275 to IC 310. A flux maximum is observed which is coincident with the location of NGC 1275, but the X-ray distribution is shown to exclude just a point source. More broadening is detected in the E-W direction, and a comparison with other X-ray and optical data indicates a complex structure for the cluster. A three-component model is proposed in which the total X-ray luminosity of the cluster may be a combination of contributions from a central point source (NGC 1275), a condensed disk-like region oriented edge-on along the line of galaxies, and a more symmetric region extending out to at least 1 deg.

Wolff, R. S.↗

Cross Correlating Cosmological Probes for LSST & CMB-S4

The upcoming years will be populated with state-of-the-art Stage-IV cosmological surveys. This paper forecasts the cosmological information we expect to constrain using probes from the Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) and CMB-S4. We explore the effectiveness of different large-scale-structure probes, including the power spectra of galaxy weak lensing, galaxy position, Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) lensing, and their cross-correlations. We use correlated lognormal simulations with the expected redshift distributions, galaxy number densities, and noise levels of the LSST survey. For CMB weak lensing, we use CMB-S4 lensing simulations with anticipated noise levels to obtain the expected error bars of each probe. We investigate the constraining power of the cosmological parameters for the individual probes and their combinations in an idealized scenario. We do not take into account astrophysical and observational parameters such as galaxy bias variations and photometric redshift un- certainties. Overall, we find the auto-correlated probes hold stronger constraints on cosmological parameters than the cross-correlated probes due to kernel differences. However, the cross-correlation of galaxy clustering and CMB lensing is very comparable to the auto-correlation of galaxy clustering with only an 8% stronger constraint in S8. It will be important for future surveys to use these auto and cross probes in combination due to the different astrophysical and systematic effects involved in CMB and late-time galaxy data. When systematics are added to this analysis, the cross probes will serve as a check for systematic biases in individual probes. In addition, we find a significant increase in constraint using all four probes in combination. This can be illustrated by the increase in constraint of S8 by 93.2% comparing galaxy clustering auto-correlation to a combination of all probes. Our study is a first step toward forecasting the high-precision cosmological constraints we expect to obtain using the next generation of large-scale structure probes.

Gibbins, Grace↗

Constraints on cold dark matter theories from observations of massive x-ray-luminous clusters of galaxies at high redshift

During the course of a gravitational lensing survey of distant, X-ray selected Einstein Observatory Extended Medium Sensitivity Survey (EMSS) clusters of galaxies, we have studied six X-ray-luminous (L(sub x) greater than 5 x 10(exp 44)(h(sub 50)(exp -2))ergs/sec) clusters at redshifts exceeding z = 0.5. All of these clusters are apparently massive. In addition to their high X-ray luminosity, two of the clusters at z approximately 0.6 exhibit gravitationally lensed arcs. Furthermore, the highest redshift cluster in our sample, MS 1054-0321 at z = 0.826, is both extremely X-ray luminous (L(sub 0.3-3.5keV)=9.3 x 10(exp 44)(h(sub 50)(exp -2))ergs/sec) and exceedingly rich with an optical richness comparable to an Abell Richness Class 4 cluster. In this Letter, we discuss the cosmological implications of the very existence of these clusters for hierarchical structure formation theories such as standard Omega = 1 CDM (cold dark matter), hybrid Omega = 1 C + HDM (hot dark matter), and flat, low-density Lambda + CDM models.

Luppino, G. A.↗

Observations of rich clusters of galaxies at metre wavelengths

Observations have been made at 10 frequencies between 50 and 120 MHz of 17 rich, X-ray emitting clusters of galaxies with the 78 x 156 m dipole array al Llanherne. The observed flux densities were compared to the flux densities expected on the basis of the known discrete sources in the fields. In no case was a significant flux excess found that might have indicated the presence of a diffuse halo component of radio emission in the cluster. For those clusters in which spectral indices could be determined, the spectra all tend to be much steeper than is normal for extragalactic radio sources, although a strict correlation between the X-ray luminosity and the low-frequency radio luminosity or spectral index is not found. The occurrence of large halo sources such as that which is present in the Coma cluster seems to be quite unusual.

Cane, H. V.↗

Chandra Observations of Clusters of Galaxies

The high spatial resolution of the Chandra X-ray telescope, along with the broad energy coverage will allow a new view of the X-ray emission from clusters of galaxies. Results from the first Chandra X-ray images, including any structure in clusters on fine scales, gas temperature distributions and heavy element abundances will be presented.

Jones, Christine↗

Large-scale structure of X-ray clusters of galaxies

Observations from the A-2 experiment on HEAO-1 are used to search for very large-scale structure (exceeding a degree) in 40 X-ray sources in clusters of galaxies. Significant evidence for extension is found only in the relatively nearby Perseus and Virgo clusters. For the remainder of the sources the results place stringent limits on the flux in any very large component.

Nulsen, P. E. J.↗

Search for decaying dark matter in the Virgo cluster of galaxies with HAWC

The decay or annihilation of dark matter particles may produce a steady flux of very-high-energy gamma rays detectable above the diffuse background. Nearby clusters of galaxies provide excellent targets to search for the signatures of particle dark matter interactions. In particular, the Virgo cluster spans several degrees across the sky and can be efficiently probed with a wide field-of-view instrument. The High Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) observatory, due to its wide field of view and sensitivity to gamma rays at an energy scale of 300 GeV–100 TeV is well-suited for this search. Using 2141 days of data, we search for γ -ray emission from the Virgo cluster, assuming well-motivated dark matter substructure models. Our results provide some of the strongest constraints on the decay lifetime of dark matter for masses above 10 TeV. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Albert, A.↗

The Aemulus Project. V. Cosmological Constraint from Small-scale Clustering of BOSS Galaxies

We analyze clustering measurements of BOSS galaxies using a simulation-based emulator of two-point statistics. We focus on the monopole and quadrupole of the redshift-space correlation function, and the projected correlation function, at scales of 0.1 ~ 60 h -1 Mpc. Although our simulations are based on wCDM with general relativity (GR), we include a scaling parameter of the halo velocity field, γ f , defined as the amplitude of the halo velocity field relative to the GR prediction. We divide the BOSS data into three redshift bins. After marginalizing over other cosmological parameters, galaxy bias parameters, and the velocity scaling parameter, we find fσ 8 (z = 0.25) = 0.413 ± 0.031, fσ 8 (z = 0.4) = 0.470 ± 0.026, and fσ 8 (z = 0.55) = 0.396 ± 0.022. Compared with Planck observations using a flat Lambda cold dark matter model, our results are lower by 1.9σ, 0.3σ, and 3.4σ, respectively. These results are consistent with other recent simulation-based results at nonlinear scales, including weak lensing measurements of BOSS LOWZ galaxies, two-point clustering of eBOSS LRGs, and an independent clustering analysis of BOSS LOWZ. All these results are generally consistent with a combination of ${\gamma }_{f}^{1/2}{\sigma }_{8}\approx 0.75$. We note, however, that the BOSS data is well fit assuming GR, i.e., γf = 1. We cannot rule out an unknown systematic error in the galaxy bias model at nonlinear scales, but near-future data and modeling will enhance our understanding of the galaxy–halo connection, and provide a strong test of new physics beyond the standard model.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

OSO-8 X-ray spectra of clusters of galaxies. 2: Discussion

X-ray spectral parameters obtained from 2 to 20 keV OSO-8 data on X-ray clusters and optical cluster properties were examined to obtain information for restricting models for hot intracluster gas structures. Topics discussed include the radius of the X-ray core in relation to the galaxy core radius, the viral mass of hotter clusters, and galaxy density and optical central cluster properties. A population of cool, dim X-ray clusters which have not been observed is predicted. The iron abundance determinations recently quoted for intracluster gas are uncertain by 50 to greater than 100 percent from this nonstatistical cause alone.

Smith, B. W.↗

Linear clusters of galaxies - A999 and A1016

Redshifts have been measured for galaxies in two of the 'linear' clusters of the sample of Adams, Strom, and Strom (1980), including 44 redshifts in A999 and 40 in A1016. From the data, it is concluded that the galaxies in A999 are probably drawn from a spherically symmetric distribution, while those in A1016 probably are not. Both A999 and A1016 have mass-to-light ratios lower than typical of other clusters. The effect of anisotropy on the determination of cluster masses from the virial theorem is examined, and it is found that if the shortest axes of these clusters are close to the line of sight, the mass-to-light ratio may be underestimated by about 50 percent. No significant evidence is found for alignments of individual cluster members with the cluster axis in the convincing linear cluster A1016. There is similarly no evidence of segregation by luminosity morphological type in A1016.

Chapman, G. N. F.↗

An X-ray redshift measure for clusters of galaxies up to z not less than 1

Correlated measurements of redshifted iron line emission and apparent surface brightness are suggested for unambiguously defining intrinsic X-ray characteristics for clusters of galaxies up to z not less than 1. If some of the weak unidentified high-galactic-latitude X-ray sources are clusters at z roughly equal to 1-3, then such correlated measurements should be feasible within the complement of instruments aboard the HEAO-B orbiting X-ray telescope observatory. In addition, those clusters at z less than 1 would require spectral data from broader bandwidth experiments, such as the all-sky survey to be provided by the proportional counters aboard the first mission of the High Energy Astronomy Observatory (HEAO-A).

Boldt, E.↗

Dark Energy Survey Year 6 results: Intra-cluster light from redshift 0.2 to 0.5

Using the full 6 years of imaging data from the Dark Energy Survey, we study the surface brightness profiles of galaxy cluster central galaxies and intra-cluster light. We apply a ‘stacking’ method to over 4000 galaxy clusters identified by the redMaPPer cluster finder in the redshift range of 0.2−0.5. This yields high-signal-to-noise circularly averaged profile measurements of the central galaxy and intra-cluster light out to 1 Mpc from the cluster centre. Using redMaPPer richness as a cluster mass indicator, we find that the brightness of the intra-cluster light has a strong mass dependence throughout the 0.2−0.5 redshift range, and this dependence grows stronger at a larger radius. In terms of redshift evolution, we find some evidence that the central galaxy, as well as the diffuse light within the transition region between the cluster central galaxy and intra-cluster light within 80 kpc from the centre, may be growing over time. At larger radii, more than 80 kpc away from the cluster centre, we do not detect evidence of additional redshift evolution beyond the cluster mass dependence, consistent with the findings from the IllustrisTNG hydrodynamic simulation. We speculate that the major driver of intra-cluster light growth, especially at large radii, is associated with cluster mass growth. Finally, we find that the colour of the cluster central galaxy and intra-cluster light displays a radial gradient that becomes bluer at a larger radius, which is consistent with a stellar stripping and disruption origin of intra-cluster light as suggested by simulation studies.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Dynamics of clusters of galaxies with central dominant galaxies. I - Galaxy redshifts

Optical redshifts are presented for a sample of 638 galaxies in the fields of the clusters Abell 85, DC 0107-46, Abell 496, Abell 2052, and DC 1842-63. The velocity histograms and wedge diagrams show evidence for a foreground sheet of galaxies in Abell 85 and background sheets of galaxies in DC 0107-46 and Abell 2052. The foreground group projected against the center of Abell 85 found by Beers et al. (1991) is confirmed. No evidence of substructure was found in Abell 496, Abell 2052, and DC 1842-63. The clusters have global velocity dispersions ranging from 551 km/s for DC 1842-63 to 714 km/s for A496, and flat dispersion profiles. Mass estimates using the virial theorem and the projected mass method range from 2.3 x 10 exp 14 solar masses for DC 0107-46 to 1.1 x 10 exp 15 solar masses for A85.

Malumuth, Eliot M.↗

X-ray studies of clusters of galaxies with the Einstein Observatory

The paper reports on cluster observations made by the Columbia Astrophysics Laboratory with the Einstein Observatory. A plot of the 0.2-3.0 keV X-ray luminosity of two dozen randomly selected sources against the Bautz-Morgan class reveals no apparent correlation between X-ray brightness and cluster morphological type. Observing a field containing the Butcher and Oemler cluster CL0024+1654 (z = 0.39), the satellite detected a weak source coincident with the cluster center. An IPC (imaging proportional counter) image of the Coma cluster, the nearest and best studied of Abell's rich clusters, shows a smooth X-ray emission rising to a flat central plateau in the vicinity of the giant ellipticals, NGC4874 and NGC4889. Although individual galaxies emerge above the diffuse flux near the edge of the field at the level of 0.1% of the cluster emission, the central 40 minutes contain no fluctuations on the scale of approximately one minute to the 1%-level.

Helfand, D. J.↗