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Shock Heating of the Merging Galaxy Cluster A521A521 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 that 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.
Document ID
20150002682
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
External Source(s)
doi:10.1088/0004-637X/764/1/82
Authors
Bourdin, H. (Rome Univ. Rome, Italy)
Mazzotta, P. (Rome Univ. Rome, Italy)
Markevitch, M. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Giacintucci, S. (Maryland Univ. College Park, MD, United States)
Brunetti, G. (Istituto di Radioastronomia Bologna, Italy)
Date Acquired
March 9, 2015
Publication Date
January 29, 2013
Publication Information
Publication: The Astrophysical Journal
Volume: 764
Issue: 1
Subject Category
Astrophysics
Astronomy
Fluid Mechanics And Thermodynamics
Report/Patent Number
GSFC-E-DAA-TN8651
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNX09AP45G
CONTRACT_GRANT: ASI-INAF I/009/10/0
CONTRACT_GRANT: PRIN-INAF2009
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNX09AP36G
CONTRACT_GRANT: SAO PF0-110071
CONTRACT_GRANT: ASI-INAF I/088/06/0
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.

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