LoCuSS: the connection between brightest cluster galaxy activity, gas cooling and dynamical disturbance of X‐ray cluster cores

By A. Sanderson, A. Edge, Graham P. Smith. 2009

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We study the distribution of projected offsets between the cluster X-ray centroid and the brightest cluster galaxy (BCG) for 65 X-ray-selected clusters from the Local Cluster Substructure Survey, with a median redshift of z = 0.23. We find a clear correlation between X-ray/BCG projected offset and the logarithmic slope of the cluster gas density profile at 0.04r 500 (α), implying that more dynamically disturbed clusters have weaker cool cores. Furthermore, there is a close correspondence between the activity of the BCG, in terms of detected Hα and radio emission, and the X-ray/BCG offset, with the line-emitting galaxies all residing in clusters with X-ray/BCG offsets of ≤15 kpc. Of the BCGs with α 0.02r 500 , indicating that the total mass may be systematically underestimated in clusters with larger X-ray/BCG offsets. Our results imply a link between cool core strength and cluster dynamical state consistent with the view that cluster mergers can significantly perturb cool cores, and set new constraints on models of the evolution of the intracluster medium.

Subfields: Astronomy and Astrophysics, Instrumentation

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/dc2f9442b1dea7406e6783d974ddece45baa9b73

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Citations in the corpus

LoCuSS: first results from strong-lensing analysis of 20 massive galaxy clusters at z= 0.2 (2009, methodology): “…relation (Marrone et al. 2009), and multiwavelength studies supported by space-based (HST, Herschel, Chandra, GALEX, Spitzer) as well as groundbased (Keck, VLT, Gemini, MMT, CTIO, KPNO, Palomar) facilities (e.g. Zhang et al. 2008; Haines et al. 2009a,b; Sanderson et al. 2009b; Smith et al. 2009b).”
LoCuSS: THE SLOW QUENCHING OF STAR FORMATION IN CLUSTER GALAXIES AND THE NEED FOR PRE-PROCESSING (2015, methodology): “The best-fitting cluster models were then used to estimate r500, the radius enclosing a mean overdensity of 500 with respect to the critical density of the universe at the cluster redshift (Sanderson et al. 2009).”
The SPTpol Extended Cluster Survey (2019, background): “…cosmological studies (e.g., as an important input in weaklensing mass calibration of clusters, Johnston et al. 2007; George et al. 2012; Dietrich et al. 2019) and astrophysical studies, as it probes the dynamical states of clusters (Sanderson et al. 2009; Mann & Ebeling 2012; Rossetti et al. 2016).”
X-ray–optical classification of cluster mergers and the evolution of the cluster merger fraction (2011, methodology): “Sanderson et al. (2009), in their study of the dynamical state of clusters at 0.15 < z < 0.3, use two different flavours of such a BCG–X-ray offset to identify dynamically disturbed systems: one using the location of the X-ray peak and the other using the overall centroid of the diffuse X-ray…”
THE DENSITY PROFILES OF MASSIVE, RELAXED GALAXY CLUSTERS. I. THE TOTAL DENSITY OVER THREE DECADES IN RADIUS (2012, background): “…many characteristics that are known to be correlated with a relaxed state and a centrally-located BCG: a large luminosity gap between the BCG and the second rank galaxy, a low substructure fraction, and the presence of a cooling core (Sanderson et al. 2009; Smith et al. 2010; Richard et al. 2010).”
LoCuSS: Subaru Weak Lensing Study of 30 Galaxy Clusters (2009, background): “…the 2 value for the best-fit model significantly degrades for most of our clusters if the cluster center is taken to be offset from the BCG position by more than 1000, and is also consistent with the distribution of offsets between the BCG centers and the X-ray centroids (Sanderson et al. 2009).”
Weighing the Giants - I. Weak-lensing masses for 51 massive galaxy clusters: project overview, data analysis methods and cluster images (2012, result): “We therefore confirm previous studies that noted the correlation between BCG – X-ray offset and dynamical state of the cluster (e.g. Allen 1998; Smith et al. 2005; Bildfell et al. 2008; Sanderson et al. 2009; Hudson et al. 2010; Mann & Ebeling 2012).”
THE DENSITY PROFILES OF MASSIVE, RELAXED GALAXY CLUSTERS. II. SEPARATING LUMINOUS AND DARK MATTER IN CLUSTER CORES (2012, result): “These BCGs reside in the cool core clusters, consistent with earlier studies (Bildfell et al. 2008; Loubser et al. 2009; Sanderson et al. 2009).”
Are Brightest Halo Galaxies Central Galaxies (2010, background): “…of them are not (e.g., Beers & Geller 1983; Malumuth et al. 1992; Bird 1994; Postman & Lauer 1995; Zabludoff & Mulchaey 1998; Oegerle & Hill 2001; Yoshikawa et al. 2003; Lin & Mohr 2004; von der Linden et al. 2007; Bildfell et al. 2008; Hwang & Lee 2008; Sanderson et al. 2009; Coziol et al. 2009).”