English

Radio-relic and the diffuse emission trail discovered in a low mass galaxy cluster Abell 1697

Astrophysics of Galaxies 2020-01-15 v1 High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena

Abstract

We report the discovery of a putative radio relic, 830 kpc in length and found toward the outskirts of galaxy cluster Abell 1697 (z=0.181z=0.181), using the LOFAR Two Meter Sky Survey (LoTSS) at 144 MHz. With an X-ray-inferred mass of M500Xray=2.90.7+0.8×1014 MM_{500}^{X-ray}=2.9^{+0.8}_{-0.7}\times10^{14}~\rm{M_{\odot}}, this places Abell 1697 among the least massive relic hosts. The relic is also detected at 325 MHz in the Westerbork Northern Sky Survey (WENSS) and at 1.4 GHz in the NRAO VLA Sky Survey (NVSS) with an average spectral index of α(144,325,1400 MHz)=0.98±0.01\alpha(144,325,1400~\rm{MHz})=-0.98\pm0.01 and magnetic field of Beq0.6 μB_{eq}\sim0.6~\muG. This relic, located in the northeast periphery of the cluster, is 300 kpc wide, exhibits a gradual spectral steepening across the width (α144MHz1.4GHz(inj)=0.70±0.11\alpha_{144 \rm{MHz}}^{1.4\rm{GHz}}(inj)=-0.70\pm0.11 to α144MHz1.4GHz(edge)=1.19±0.15\alpha_{144 \rm{MHz}}^{1.4\rm{GHz}}(edge)=-1.19\pm0.15), as well as indications of a co-spatial X-ray (ROSAT) shock and the radio relic emission. The radio power of the relic is P1.4GHz=8.5±1.1×1023 W  Hz1P_{1.4GHz}=8.5\pm1.1\times10^{23}~\rm{W\;Hz^{-1}}, which is found to be in good agreement with the expected empirical correlation between the radio power and Largest Linear Size (LLS) of relics. The relic is trailed by extended (790×550790\times550 kpc) diffuse radio emission towards the cluster center, that is likely an ultra-steep spectrum (α144MHz1.4GHz<1.84\alpha_{144 \rm{MHz}}^{1.4\rm{GHz}}<-1.84) radio source. This structure is also found to be older by at least 190 Myrs, has a very low surface brightness of 0.3 μ0.3~\muJy arcsec2^{-2} and magnetic field Beq0.8 μB_{eq}\sim0.8~\muG, similar to that of a radio phoenix. Finally, we discuss the possible mechanisms responsible for the relic and the trailing diffuse radio emission, invoking re-acceleration due to wake turbulence, as well as the revival of fossil electrons from an old AGN activity by the cluster merger shocks.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1911.00531,
  title  = {Radio-relic and the diffuse emission trail discovered in a low mass galaxy cluster Abell 1697},
  author = {Surajit Paul and Sameer Salunkhe and Satish Sonkamble and Prateek Gupta and Tony Mroczkowski and Somak Raychaudhury},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1911.00531},
  year   = {2020}
}

Comments

9 pages, 8 figures, Accepted for publication in A&A