Related papers: Do radio relics challenge diffusive shock accelera…
Galaxy clusters are the largest gravitationally-bound structures in the Universe. As such, during merger events with similar systems, they release an enormous amount of energy that is dissipated through the formation of shock waves and…
Previously it has been recognized that radio halos in galaxy clusters are preferentially associated with merging systems as indicated by substructure in the X-ray images and temperature maps. Since, however, many clusters without radio…
Radio relics are diffuse synchrotron sources that illuminate shock waves in the intracluster medium. In recent years, radio telescopes have provided detailed observations about relics. Consequently, cosmological simulations of radio relics…
About 1/3 of X-ray-luminous clusters show smooth, Mpc-scale radio emission, known as giant radio haloes. One promising model for radio haloes is Fermi-II acceleration of seed relativistic electrons by compressible turbulence. The origin of…
The existence and extent of non-thermal phenomena in galaxy clusters is now well established. A key question in our understanding of these phenomena is the origin of the relativistic electrons which may be constrained by the modelling of…
Pairs of radio relics are believed to form during cluster mergers, and are best observed when the merger occurs in the plane of the sky. Mergers can also produce radio halos, through complex processes likely linked to turbulent…
About 1/3 of X-ray-luminous clusters show smooth, unpolarized radio emission on ~Mpc scales, known as giant radio halos. One promising model for radio halos is Fermi-II acceleration of seed relativistic electrons by turbulence of the…
The number of diffuse radio halos in clusters of galaxies has grown in recent years, making it possible to derive statistical properties of these sources and of the hosting clusters. We show that diffuse sources are associated with X-ray…
We investigate binary mergers of galaxy clusters, the formation of shocks, and the resulting radio relics using three-dimensional simulations. The initial setup consists of two idealized spherical subclusters with a mass ratio below three,…
The origin of ultra-high energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) has been an open question for decades. Here, we use a combination of hydrodynamic simulations and general physical arguments to demonstrate that UHECRs can in principle be produced by…
The central regions of galaxy clusters are permeated by magnetic fields and filled with relativistic electrons. When clusters merge, the magnetic fields are amplified and relativistic electrons are re-accelerated by turbulence in the intra…
Radio observations discovered large scale non thermal sources in the central Mpc regions of dynamically disturbed galaxy clusters (radio halos). The morphological and spectral properties of these sources suggest that the emitting electrons…
Some galaxy clusters show diffuse radio emission in the form of peripheral relics (so far attributed to primary, shock-(re)accelerated electrons) or central halos. Analysing radio and X-ray data from the literature, we find new connections…
We investigate the evolution and number distribution of radio halos in galaxy clusters. Without re-acceleration or regeneration, the relativistic electrons responsible for the diffuse radio emission will lose their energy via…
The shock waves produce relativistic particles via the diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) mechanism. Among various circumstances, fast acceleration has been expected for perpendicular shocks. We investigate the acceleration time and the…
Diffuse, extended radio emission in galaxy clusters, commonly referred to as radio halos, indicate the presence of high energy cosmic ray (CR) electrons and cluster-wide magnetic fields. We can predict from theory the expected surface…
These notes present the fundamentals of Fermi acceleration at shocks, with a special attention to the role that supernova remnants have in producing Galactic cosmic rays. Then, the recent discoveries in the theory of diffusive shock…
Galaxy clusters grow by mergers with other clusters and galaxy groups. These mergers create shock waves within the intracluster medium (ICM) that can accelerate particles to extreme energies. In the presence of magnetic fields, relativistic…
Radio emission in the form of giant radio relics is observed at the periphery of galaxy clusters. This non-thermal emission is an important tracer for cosmic-ray electrons and intracluster magnetic fields. One striking observational feature…
Diffuse radio sources in galaxy clusters are unique signposts of cluster assembly in the Universe. Our knowledge of their observational properties has considerably improved over the past decade, and the long standing questions concerning…