Stability of Cool Cores During Galaxy Cluster Growth: A Joint $Chandra$/SPT Analysis of 67 Galaxy Clusters Along a Common Evolutionary Track Spanning 9 Gyr
F. Ruppin, M. McDonald, L. E. Bleem, S. W. Allen, B. A. Benson, M. Calzadilla, G. Khullar, B. Floyd
We present the results of a joint analysis of $Chandra$ X-ray and South Pole Telescope (SPT) SZ observations targeting the first sample of galaxy clusters at $0.3 < z < 1.3$, selected to be the progenitors of well-studied nearby clusters based on their expected accretion rate. We develop a new procedure in order to tackle the analysis challenge that is estimating the intracluster medium (ICM) properties of low-mass and high-redshift clusters with ${\sim}150$ X-ray counts. One of the dominant sources of uncertainty on the ICM density profile estimated with a standard X-ray analysis with such shallow X-ray data is due to the systematic uncertainty associated with the ICM temperature obtained through the analysis of the background-dominated X-ray spectrum. We show that we can decrease the uncertainty on the density profile by a factor ${\sim}5$ with a joint deprojection of the X-ray surface brightness profile measured by $Chandra$ and the SZ integrated Compton parameter available in the SPT cluster catalog. We apply this technique to the whole sample of 67 clusters in order to track the evolution of the ICM core density during cluster growth. We confirm that the evolution of the gas density profile is well modeled by the combination of a fixed core and a self-similarly evolving non-cool core profile. We show that the fraction of cool-cores in this sample is remarkably stable with redshift although clusters have gained a factor ${\sim}4$ in total mass over the past ${\sim}9$ Gyr. This new sample combined with our new X-ray/SZ analysis procedure and extensive multi-wavelength data will allow us to address fundamental shortcomings in our current understanding of cluster formation and evolution at $z > 1$.
Deep Chandra Observations of the z = 1.16 Relaxed, Cool-core Galaxy Cluster SPT-CL J2215-3537
Stanford University（斯坦福大学）；Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, Stanford University（斯坦福大学卡弗里粒子天体物理与宇宙学研究所）；SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory（SLAC国家加速器实验室）；Rutgers University（罗格斯大学）
We present a multi-wavelength analysis of the galaxy cluster SPT-CL J0607-4448 (SPT0607), which is one of the most distant clusters discovered by the South Pole Telescope (SPT) at $z=1.4010\pm0.0028$. The high-redshift cluster shows clear signs of being relaxed with well-regulated feedback from the active galactic nucleus (AGN) in the brightest cluster galaxy (BCG). Using Chandra X-ray data, we construct thermodynamic profiles and determine the properties of the intracluster medium. The cool core nature of the cluster is supported by a centrally-peaked density profile and low central entropy (…
A Closer Look at the Dynamical State of the High-redshift Galaxy Cluster SPT-CL J2215-3537
Observatório Nacional（国家天文台）；Department of Astronomy, University of Michigan（密歇根大学天文学系）；Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía–CSIC（安达卢西亚天体物理研究所-西班牙国家研究委员会）
We report the first investigation of cool-core properties of galaxy clusters selected via their Sunyaev--Zel'dovich (SZ) effect. We use 13 galaxy clusters uniformly selected from 178 deg^2 observed with the South Pole Telescope (SPT) and followed up by the Chandra X-ray Observatory. They form an approximately mass-limited sample (> 3 x 10^14 M_sun h^-1_70) spanning redshifts 0.3 < z < 1.1. Using previously published X-ray-selected cluster samples, we compare two proxies of cool-core strength: surface brightness concentration (cSB) and cuspiness (α). We find that cSB is better constrained. We m…
SPT-CL J0417-4748: A Deep Chandra Study of a Relaxed Galaxy Cluster Without Central Star Formation
Chulalongkorn University（朱拉隆功大学）；Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, Stanford University（斯坦福大学卡弗里粒子天体物理与宇宙学研究所）；Department of Physics, Stanford University（斯坦福大学物理系）；SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory（斯坦福直线加速器中心）；Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers University（罗格斯大学物理与天文系）
We present ~103 ks of Chandra observations of the galaxy cluster SPT-CLJ0528-5300 (SPT0528, z=0.768). This cluster harbors the most radio-loud (L_1.4GHz = 1.01 x 10^33 erg/s/Hz) central AGN of any cluster in the South Pole Telescope (SPT) SZ survey with available X-ray data. We find evidence of AGN-inflated cavities in the X-ray emission, which are consistent with the orientation of the jet direction revealed by ATCA radio data. The combined probability that two such depressions -- each at ~1.4-1.8sigma significance, oriented ~180 degrees apart and aligned with the jet axis -- would occur by c…
The galaxy cluster SPT-CL J0205-5829 currently has the highest spectroscopically-confirmed redshift, z=1.322, in the South Pole Telescope Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SPT-SZ) survey. XMM-Newton observations measure a core-excluded temperature of Tx=8.7keV producing a mass estimate that is consistent with the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich derived mass. The combined SZ and X-ray mass estimate of M500=(4.9+/-0.8)e14 h_{70}^{-1} Msun makes it the most massive known SZ-selected galaxy cluster at z>1.2 and the second most massive at z>1. Using optical and infrared observations, we find that the brightest galaxies in SP…
We present first results on the cooling properties derived from Chandra X-ray observations of 83 high-redshift (0.3 < z < 1.2) massive galaxy clusters selected by their Sunyaev-Zel'dovich signature in the South Pole Telescope data. We measure each cluster's central cooling time, central entropy, and mass deposition rate, and compare to local cluster samples. We find no significant evolution from z~0 to z~1 in the distribution of these properties, suggesting that cooling in cluster cores is stable over long periods of time. We also find that the average cool core entropy profile in the inner ~1…
In recent years the number of known galaxy clusters beyond z > 0.2 has increased drastically, with the release of multiple catalogs containing >30,000 optically-detected galaxy clusters over the range 0 < z < 0.6. Combining these catalogs with the availability of optical spectroscopy of the brightest cluster galaxy from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey allows for the evolution of optical emission-line nebulae in cluster cores to be quantified. For the first time, the continuous evolution of optical line emission in brightest cluster galaxies over the range 0 < z < 0.6 is determined. A minimum in t…
[Abridged] We present new optical integral field spectroscopy (Gemini South) and submillimeter spectroscopy (Submillimeter Array) of the central galaxy in the Phoenix cluster (SPT-CLJ2344-4243). This cluster was previously reported to have a massive starburst (~800 Msun/yr) in the central, brightest cluster galaxy, most likely fueled by the rapidly-cooling intracluster medium. These new data reveal a complex emission-line nebula, extending for >30 kpc from the central galaxy. The total Halpha luminosity, assuming Halpha/Hbeta = 2.85, is L_Ha = 7.6 +/- 0.4 x10^43 erg/s, making this the most lum…
We analyse Chandra X-ray Observatory observations of a set of galaxy clusters selected by the South Pole Telescope using a new publicly-available forward-modelling projection code, MBProj2, assuming hydrostatic equilibrium. By fitting a powerlaw plus constant entropy model we find no evidence for a central entropy floor in the lowest-entropy systems. A model of the underlying central entropy distribution shows a narrow peak close to zero entropy which accounts for 60 per cent of the systems, and a second broader peak around 130 keV cm^2. We look for evolution over the 0.28 to 1.2 redshift rang…
A Chandra view of SPT-CL J0217-5014: a massive galaxy cluster at a cosmic intersection at z=0.53
Masaryk University（马萨里克大学）；Shanghai Jiao Tong University（上海交通大学）；National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences（中国科学院国家天文台）；Tsinghua University（清华大学）；University of Kentucky（肯塔基大学）；NASA Goddard Space Flight Center（美国宇航局戈达德太空飞行中心）；SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research（荷兰空间研究所）
We use the largest complete sample of 64 galaxy clusters (HIghest X-ray FLUx Galaxy Cluster Sample) with available high-quality X-ray data from Chandra, and apply 16 cool-core diagnostics to them, some of them new. We also correlate optical properties of brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) with X-ray properties. To segregate cool core and non-cool-core clusters, we find that central cooling time, t_cool, is the best parameter for low redshift clusters with high quality data, and that cuspiness is the best parameter for high redshift clusters. 72% of clusters in our sample have a cool core (t_coo…
In the cores of some galaxy clusters the hot intracluster plasma is dense enough that it should cool radiatively in the cluster's lifetime, leading to continuous "cooling flows" of gas sinking towards the cluster center, yet no such cooling flow has been observed. The low observed star formation rates and cool gas masses for these "cool core" clusters suggest that much of the cooling must be offset by astrophysical feedback to prevent the formation of a runaway cooling flow. Here we report X-ray, optical, and infrared observations of the galaxy cluster SPT-CLJ2344-4243 at z = 0.596. These obse…
X-ray astronomers often divide galaxy clusters into two classes: "cool core" (CC) and "non-cool core" (NCC) objects. The origin of this dichotomy has been the subject of debate in recent years, between "evolutionary" models (where clusters can evolve from CC to NCC, mainly through mergers) and "primordial" models (where the state of the cluster is fixed "ab initio" by early mergers or pre-heating). We found that in a well-defined sample (clusters in the GMRT Radio halo survey with available Chandra or XMM-Newton data), none of the objects hosting a giant radio halo can be classified as a cool …
Sunyaev-Zeldovich (SZ) surveys find massive clusters of galaxies by measuring the inverse Compton scattering of cosmic microwave background off of intra-cluster gas. The cluster selection function from such surveys is expected to be nearly independent of redshift and cluster astrophysics. In this work, we estimate the effect on the observed SZ signal of centrally-peaked gas density profiles (cool cores) and radio emission from the brightest cluster galaxy (BCG) by creating mock observations of a sample of clusters that span the observed range of classical cooling rates and radio luminosities. …
We study the long-term evolution of an idealized cool-core galaxy cluster under the influence of momentum-driven AGN feedback using three-dimensional high-resolution (60 pc) adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) simulations. The momentum-driven AGN feedback is modeled with a pair of (small-angle) precessing jets, and the jet power is calculated based on the accretion rate of the cold gas in the vicinity of the Supermassive Black Hole (SMBH). The ICM first cools into clumps along the propagation direction of the AGN jets. As the jet power increases, gas condensation occurs isotropically, forming spati…
We present Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Camera 3 observations of the core of the Phoenix Cluster SPT-CLJ2344-4243 in five broadband filters spanning rest-frame 1000--5500A. These observations reveal complex, filamentary blue emission, extending for >40kpc from the brightest cluster galaxy. We observe an underlying, diffuse population of old stars, following an r^1/4 distribution, confirming that this system is somewhat relaxed. The spectral energy distribution in the inner part of the galaxy, as well as along the extended filaments, is a smooth continuum and is consistent with that of a s…
We use the high quality pressure profiles of 239 galaxy clusters made available by the ACCEPT project (Cavagnolo et al. 2009) in order to derive the expected Sunyaev Zeldovich (SZ) signal in a variety of cases that hardly find a counterpart in the simulations. We made use of the Melin et al. (2006) cluster selection function for both the South Pole Telescope (SPT) and Planck instruments. We infer a clear effect of the cool core (CC) on the central Compton parameter y_0. We find that the presence of CCs introduces a small bias in cluster detection, especially around the mass at which the perfor…
Multi-Gyr two-dimensional calculations describe the gasdynamical evolution of hot gas in the Virgo cluster resulting from intermittent cavities formed with cosmic rays. Without cosmic rays, the gas evolves into a cooling flow, depositing about 85 solar masses per year of cold gas in the cluster core -- such uninhibited cooling conflicts with X-ray spectra and many other observations. When cosmic rays are produced or deposited 10 kpc from the cluster center in bursts of about 10^{59} ergs lasting 20 Myrs and spaced at intervals of 200 Myrs, the central cooling rate is greatly reduced to 0.1 - 1…
We present measurements of the thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect (SZE) toward SPT-CL J2334-4243 (the Phoenix galaxy cluster) at z=0.597 by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Band 3. The SZE is imaged at 5" resolution (corresponding to the physical scale of 23kpc/h) within 200kpc/h from the central galaxy with the peak signal-to-noise ratio exceeding 11. Combined with the Chandra X-ray image, the ALMA SZE data further allow for non-parametric deprojection of electron temperature, density, and entropy. Our method can minimize contamination by the central AGN and the X-ray…
Using data from the Two Dimensional XMM-Newton Group Survey (2dXGS), we have examined the abundance profile properties of both cool core (CC) and non cool core (NCC) galaxy groups. The ten NCC systems in our sample represent a population which to date has been poorly studied in the group regime. Fitting the abundance profiles as a linear function of log radius, we find steep abundance gradients in cool core (CC) systems, with a slope of -0.54+/-0.07. In contrast, non cool core (NCC) groups have profiles consistent with uniform metallicity. Many CC groups show a central abundance dip or plateau…
We present the results of our study of a volume-limited sample (z <= 0.071) of 101 X-ray galaxy groups and clusters, in which we explore the X-ray cavity energetics. Out of the 101 sources in our parent sample, X-ray cavities are found in 30 of them, all of which have a central cooling time of less than3 Gyr. New X-ray cavities are detected in three sources. We focus on the subset of sources that have a central cooling time of less than 3 Gyr, whose active galactic nucleus (AGN) duty cycle is approximately 61 percent (30/49). This rises to over 80 percent for a central cooling time of less tha…
X-ray observations of clusters of galaxies reveal the presence of edges in surface brightness and temperature, known as "cold fronts". In relaxed clusters with cool cores, these commonly observed edges have been interpreted as evidence for the "sloshing" of the core gas in the cluster's gravitational potential. Such sloshing may provide a source of heat to the cluster core by mixing hot gas from the cluster outskirts with the cool core gas. Using high-resolution $N$-body/Eulerian hydrodynamics simulations, we model gas sloshing in galaxy clusters initiated by mergers with subclusters. The simu…
Galaxy clusters are the largest structures for which there is observational evidence of a magnetised medium. Central cores seem to host strong magnetic fields ranging from a few 0.1 microG up to several 10 microG in cooling flow clusters. Numerous clusters harbor central powerful AGN which are thought to prevent cooling flows in some clusters. The influence of such feedback on the magnetic field remains unclear: does the AGN-induced turbulence compensate the loss of magnetic amplification within a cool core? And how is this turbulence sustained over several Gyr? Using high resolution magneto-h…
We present far-infrared (FIR) analysis of 68 Brightest Cluster Galaxies (BCGs) at 0.08 < z < 1.0. Deriving total infrared luminosities directly from Spitzer and Herschel photometry spanning the peak of the dust component (24-500um), we calculate the obscured star formation rate (SFR). 22(+6.2,-5.3)% of the BCGs are detected in the far-infrared, with SFR= 1-150 M_sun/yr. The infrared luminosity is highly correlated with cluster X-ray gas cooling times for cool-core clusters (gas cooling time <1 Gyr), strongly suggesting that the star formation in these BCGs is influenced by the cluster-scale co…
We used broad-band imaging data for 10 cool-core brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) and conducted a Bayesian analysis using stellar population synthesis to determine the likely properties of the constituent stellar populations. Determination of ongoing star formation rates (SFRs), in particular, has a direct impact on our understanding of the cooling of the intracluster medium (ICM), star formation and AGN-regulated feedback. Our model consists of an old stellar population and a series of young stellar components. We calculated marginalized posterior probability distributions for various model …
We study the heating of the cool cores in galaxy clusters by cosmic-rays (CRs) accelerated by the central active galactic nuclei (AGNs). We especially focus on the stability of the heating. The CRs stream with Alfvén waves in the intracluster medium (ICM) and heat the ICM. First, assuming that the heating and radiative cooling is balanced, we search steady state solutions for the ICM and CR profiles of clusters by solving a boundary value problem. The boundary conditions are set so that the solutions are consistent with observations of clusters. We find steady state solutions if the magnetic f…
