A521 is an interacting galaxy cluster located at z=0.247, hosting a low frequency radio halo connected to an eastern radio relic. Previous Chandra observations hinted at the presence of an X-ray brightness edge at the position of the relic, which may be a shock front. We analyze a deep observation of A521 recently performed with XMM-Newton in order to probe the cluster structure up to the outermost regions covered by the radio emission. The cluster atmosphere exhibits various brightness and temperature anisotropies. In particular, two cluster cores appear to be separated by two cold fronts. We find two shock fronts, one that was suggested by Chandra and that is propagating to the east, and another to the southwestern cluster outskirt. The two main interacting clusters appear to be separated by a shock heated region, which exhibits a spatial correlation with the radio halo. The outer edge of the radio relic coincides spatially with a shock front, suggesting this shock is responsible for the generation of cosmic ray electrons in the relic. The propagation direction and Mach number of the shock front derived from the gas density jump, M = 2.4 +/- 0.2, are consistent with expectations from the radio spectral index, under the assumption of Fermi I acceleration mechanism.
The diffuse plasma inside clusters of galaxies has X-ray emitting temperatures of a few keV. The physical mechanisms that heat this intracluster medium (ICM) to such temperatures include the accretion shock at the periphery of a galaxy cluster, the shocks driven by merger events, as well as a somewhat overlooked mechanism -- the dissipation of intracluster turbulent motions. We study the relative role of these heating mechanisms using galaxy clusters in Lagrangian tracer particle re-simulations of the Omega500 cosmological simulation. We adopt a novel analysis method of decomposing the tempera…
We present a new 400ks Chandra X-ray observation and a GMRT radio observation at 325MHz of the merging galaxy cluster Abell 2146. The Chandra observation reveals detailed structure associated with the major merger event including the Mach M=2.1+/-0.2 bow shock located ahead of the dense subcluster core and the first known example of an upstream shock (M=1.6+/-0.1). Surprisingly, the deep GMRT observation at 325MHz does not detect any extended radio emission associated with either shock front. All other merging galaxy clusters with X-ray detected shock fronts, including the Bullet cluster, Abel…
We present a key result from our optical integral field spectroscopic survey of 27 nearby ultra luminous and luminous infrared galaxies (U/LIRGs) from the Great Observatory All-sky LIRG Survey. Using spatially resolved multi-component emission line fitting to trace the emission line ratios and velocity dispersion of the ionized gas, we quantify for the first time the widespread shock ionization in gas-rich merging U/LIRGs. Our results show a fractional contribution to the total observed \Ha flux from radiative shocks increasing from a few percent during early merger stages to upwards of 60% of…
We report on a Suzaku measurement of the shock feature associated with the western radio relic in the merging cluster A3376. The temperature profile is characterized by an almost flat radial shape with kT ~ 4 keV within 0.5 r200 and a rise by about 1 keV inside the radio relic. Across the relic region (0.6-0.8 r200), the temperature shows a remarkable drop from about 4.7 keV to 1.3 keV. This is a clear evidence that the radio relic really corresponds to a shock front possibly caused by a past major merger. The observed sharp changes of the temperature and electron density indicate the Mach num…
Observations support the view that feedback, in the form of radio outbursts from active nuclei in central galaxies, prevents catastrophic cooling of gas and rapid star formation in many groups and clusters of galaxies. Variations in jet power drive a succession of weak shocks that can heat regions close to the active galactic nuclei (AGN). On larger scales, shocks fade into sound waves. The Braginskii viscosity determines a well-defined sound damping rate in the weakly magnetized intracluster medium (ICM) that can provide sufficient heating on larger scales. It is argued that weak shocks and s…
We present a new Chandra observation of the galaxy cluster Abell 2146 which has revealed a complex merging system with a gas structure that is remarkably similar to the Bullet cluster (eg. Markevitch et al. 2002). The X-ray image and temperature map show a cool 2-3 keV subcluster with a ram pressure stripped tail of gas just exiting the disrupted 6-7 keV primary cluster. From the sharp jump in the temperature and density of the gas, we determine that the subcluster is preceded by a bow shock with a Mach number M=2.2+/-0.8, corresponding to a velocity v=2200^{+1000}_{-900} km/s relative to the …
Cold fronts (CFs) are found in most galaxy clusters, as well as in some galaxies and groups of galaxies. We propose that some CFs are relics of merging between two shocks propagating in the same direction. Such shock mergers typically result in a quasi-spherical, factor ~1.4-2.7 discontinuity in density and in temperature. These CFs may be found as far out as the virial shock, unlike what is expected in other CF formation models. As a demonstration of this effect, we use one dimensional simulations of clusters and show that shock induced cold fronts form when perturbations such as explosions o…
Though feedback from central active galactic nuclei provides an attractive solution to the problem of overcooling in galaxy cluster cores, another possible source of heating may come from ``sloshing'' of the cluster core gas initiated by mergers. We present a set of simulations of galaxy cluster mergers with subclusters in order to determine the amount of heating provided by the mechanism of sloshing, exploring a parameter space over mass ratio, impact parameter, and viscosity of the intracluster medium (ICM). Our results show that for sloshing caused by mergers with gasless subclusters coolin…
We present a new 400 ks Chandra X-ray observation of the merging galaxy cluster Abell 2146. This deep observation reveals detailed structure associated with the major merger event including the Mach M=2.3+/-0.2 bow shock ahead of the dense, ram pressure stripped subcluster core and the first known example of an upstream shock in the ICM (M=1.6+/-0.1). By measuring the electron temperature profile behind each shock front, we determine the timescale for the electron population to thermally equilibrate with the shock-heated ions. We find that the temperature profile behind the bow shock is consis…
A number of merging galaxy clusters shows the presence of shocks and cold fronts, i.e. sharp discontinuities in surface brightness and temperature. The observation of these features requires an X-ray telescope with high spatial resolution like Chandra, and allows to study important aspects concerning the physics of the intra-cluster medium (ICM), such as its thermal conduction and viscosity, as well as to provide information on the physical conditions leading to the acceleration of cosmic rays and magnetic field amplification in the cluster environment. In this work we search for new discontin…
We present new Chandra X-ray and Giant Meterwave Radio Telescope (GMRT) radio observations of the nearby merging galaxy cluster Abell 754. Our X-ray data confirm the presence of a shock front by obtaining the first direct measurement of a gas temperature jump across the X-ray brightness edge previously seen in the imaging data. A754 is only the fourth galaxy cluster with confirmed merger shock fronts, and it has the weakest shock of those, with a Mach number M=1.57+0.16-0.12. In our new GMRT observation at 330 MHz, we find that the previously-known centrally located radio halo extends eastward…
We investigate a non-equilibrium ionization state and an electron-ion two-temperature structure of the intracluster medium (ICM) in merging galaxy clusters using a series of N-body and hydrodynamic simulations. Mergers with various sets of mass ratios and impact parameters are systematically investigated, and it is found that, in most cases, ICM significantly departs from the ionization equilibrium state at the shock layers with a Mach number of ~1.5-2.0 in the outskirts of the clusters, and the shock layers with a Mach number of ~2-4 in front of the ICM cores. Accordingly, the intensity ratio…
X-ray shocks and radio relics detected in the cluster outskirts are commonly interpreted as shocks induced by mergers of sub-clumps. We study the properties of merger shocks in merging galaxy clusters, using a set of cosmological simulations for the large-scale structure formation of the universe. As a representative case, we here focus on the simulated clusters that undergo almost head-on collisions with mass ratio $\sim2$. Due to the turbulent nature of the intracluster medium, shock surfaces are not smooth, but composed of shocks with different Mach numbers. As the merger shocks expand outw…
By simulating jet-inflated bubbles in cooling flows with the PLUTO hydrodynamic code we show that mixing of high entropy shocked jet's material with the intra-cluster medium (ICM) is the major heating process perpendicular to the jets' axis. Heating by the forward shock is not significant. The mixing is very efficient in heating the ICM in all directions, to distances of ~10kpc and more. Although the jets are active for a time period of only 20 Myr, the mixing and heating near the equatorial plane, as well as along the symmetry axis, continues to counter radiative cooling for times of >10^8 yr…
The galaxy cluster ZwCl 2341.1+0000 is a merging system at z=0.27, which hosts two radio relics and a central, faint, filamentary radio structure. The two radio relics have unusually flat integrated spectral indices of -0.49 +/- 0.18 and -0.76 +/- 0.17, values that cannot be easily reconciled with the theory of standard diffusive shock acceleration of thermal particles at weak merger shocks. We present imaging results from XMM-Newton and Chandra observations of the cluster, aimed to detect and characterise density discontinuities in the ICM. As expected, we detect a density discontinuity near …
We studied the intracluster medium of the galaxy cluster CIZA J2242.8+5301 using deep XMM-Newton observations. The cluster hosts a remarkable 2-Mpc long, ~50-kpc wide radio relic that has been nicknamed the "Sausage". A smaller, more irregular counter-relic is also present, along with a faint giant radio halo. We analysed the distribution of the ICM physical properties, and searched for shocks by trying to identify density and temperature discontinuities. East of the southern relic, we find evidence of shock compression corresponding to a Mach number of 1.3, and speculate that the shock extend…
Galaxy clusters form through a sequence of mergers of smaller galaxy clusters and groups. Models of diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) suggest that in shocks that occur during cluster mergers, particles are accelerated to relativistic energies, similar to supernova remnants. Together with magnetic fields these particles emit synchrotron radiation and may form so-called radio relics. Here we report the detection of a radio relic for which we find highly aligned magnetic fields, a strong spectral index gradient, and a narrow relic width, giving a measure of the magnetic field in an unexplored si…
Merging binaries of compact relativistic objects (neutron stars and black holes) are thought to be progenitors of short gamma-ray bursts and sources of gravitational waves, hence their study is of great importance for astrophysics. Because of the strong magnetic field of one or both binary members and high orbital frequencies, these binaries are strong sources of energy in the form of Poynting flux (e.g., magnetic-field-dominated outflows, relativistic leptonic winds, electromagnetic and plasma waves). The steady injection of energy by the binary forms a bubble (or a cavity) filled with matter…
We present a detailed analysis of two merging clusters, from XMM-\textit{Newton} X-ray archival data: PLCKESZ G036.7+14.9 ($z=0.15$; hereafter G036) and PLCK G292.5+22.0 ($z=0.30$; hereafter G292). We notice that the intracluster medium is heated as a result of the merger, and we find evidence for a merger shock in the region between both subcluster haloes. X-ray observations confirm that the shocks in these systems are among the hottest known in the literature. From the ICM analysis of temperature discontinuity, the Mach numbers were determined to be $M_{\rm G036}=1.3$ and $M_{\rm G292}=1.5$ …
We present a new 2 Ms Chandra observation of the cluster merger Abell 2146, which hosts two huge M~2 shock fronts each ~500 kpc across. For the first time, we resolve and measure the width of cluster merger shocks. The best-fit width for the bow shock is 17+/-1 kpc and for the upstream shock is 10.7+/-0.3 kpc. A narrow collisionless shock will appear broader in projection if its smooth shape is warped by local gas motions. We show that both shock widths are consistent with collisionless shocks blurred by local gas motions of 290+/-30 km/s. The upstream shock forms later on in the merger than t…
We study the dynamics of galaxy mergers, with emphasis on the gas feeding of nuclear regions, using a suite of hydrodynamical simulations of galaxy encounters. The high spatial and temporal resolution of the simulations allows us to not only recover the standard picture of tidal-torque induced inflows, but also to detail another, important feeding path produced by ram pressure. The induced shocks effectively decouple the dynamics of the gas from that of the stars, greatly enhancing the loss of gas angular momentum and leading to increased central inflows. The ram-pressure shocks also cause, in…
CIZA J2242.8+5301, a merging galaxy cluster at z=0.19, hosts a double-relic system and a faint radio halo. Radio observations at frequencies ranging from a few MHz to several GHz have shown that the radio spectral index at the outer edge of the N relic corresponds to a shock of Mach number 4.6+/-1.1, under the assumptions of diffusive shock acceleration of thermal particles in the test particle regime. Here, we present results from new Chandra observations of the cluster. The Chandra surface brightness profile across the N relic only hints to a surface brightness discontinuity (<2-sigma detect…
Jets from active galactic nuclei in the centers of galaxy clusters inflate cavities of low density relativistic plasma and drive shock and sound waves into the intracluster medium. When these waves overrun previously inflated cavities, they form a differentially rotating vortex through the Richtmyer-Meshkov instability. The dissipation of energy captured in the vortex can contribute to the feedback of energy into the atmospheres of cool core clusters. Using a series of hydrodynamic simulations we investigate the efficiency of this process: we calculate the kinetic energy in the vortex by decom…
The thermal history of cosmic gas in the Dark Ages remains largely unknown. It is important to quantify the impact of relevant physics on the IGM temperature between $z=10$ and $z \sim 30$, in order to interpret recent and oncoming observations, including results reported by EDGES. We revisit the gas heating due to structure formation shocks in this era, using a set of fixed grid cosmological hydrodynamical simulations performed by three different codes. In all our simulations, the cosmic gas is predicted to be in multiphase state since $z>30$. The gas surrounding high density peaks gradually …
Galaxy interactions are known to trigger starbursts. Young massive star clusters formed in interacting galaxies and mergers may become young globular clusters. The ages of these clusters can provide clues about the timing of interaction-triggered events, and thus provide an important way to reconstruct the star formation history of merging galaxies. Numerical simulations of galaxy mergers can implement different star formation rules. For instance, star formation dependent on gas density or triggered by shocks, predicts significantly different star formation histories. To test the validity of t…
We present a new Chandra X-ray observation of the off-axis galaxy group merger RXJ0751.3+5012. The hot atmospheres of the two colliding groups appear highly distorted by the merger. The images reveal arc-like cold fronts around each group core, produced by the motion through the ambient medium, and the first detection of a group merger shock front. We detect a clear density and temperature jump associated with a bow shock of Mach number M=1.9+/-0.4 ahead of the northern group. Using galaxy redshifts and the shock velocity of 1100+/-300 km/s, we estimate that the merger axis is only 10deg from …
Knowledge of X-ray shock and radio relic connection in merging galaxy clusters has been greatly extended in terms of both observation and theory over the last decade. ZwCl 2341+0000 is a double-relic merging galaxy cluster; previous studies have shown that half of the S relic is associated with an X-ray surface brightness discontinuity, while the other half not. The discontinuity was believed to be a shock front. Therefore, it is a mysterious case of an only partial shock-relic connection. By using the 206.5 ks deep Chandra observations, we aim to investigate the nature of the S discontinuity.…
Imprints of galaxy cluster formation processes are visible in the intracluster medium and can arise in shock fronts, which are detectable via discontinuities in e.g. the gas temperature and density profiles. In this study, we investigate the X-ray properties of the intracluster gas and the radio morphology of the extraordinary cluster A2163. This cluster shows an irregular morphology in various wavelengths and has one of the most luminous and extended known radio halos. Additionally, it is one of the hottest clusters known. We analyze two Suzaku observations of A2163, one in the north-east (NE…
The evolution of powerful extragalactic jets is not only interesting by itself, but also for its impact on the evolution of the host galaxy and its surroundings. We have performed long-term axisymmetric numerical simulations of relativistic jets with different powers to study their evolution through an environment with a pressure and density gradient. Our results show key differences in the evolution of jets with different powers in terms of the spatial and temporal scales of energy deposition. According to our results, the observed morphology in X-ray cavities requires that an important fract…
We present results from a very deep (650 ks) Chandra X-ray observation of the galaxy group NGC~5813, the deepest Chandra observation of a galaxy group to date. Earlier observations showed two pairs of cavities distributed roughly collinearly, with each pair associated with an elliptical shock front. The new observations confirm a third pair of outer cavities, collinear with the other pairs, and reveal an associated outer outburst shock at ~30 kpc. This system is therefore unique in exhibiting three cavity pairs, each associated with an unambiguous AGN outburst shock front. The implied mean kin…
