Related papers: Non-thermal particles in the intergalactic and int…
We address the role of gamma-ray astronomy in the investigation of nonthermal processes in the large scale structure of the universe. Based on EGRET upper limits on nearby galaxy clusters (GCs) we constrain the acceleration efficiency of CR…
The discovery of diffuse synchrotron radio emission and, more recently, of the hard X-ray (HXR) tails have triggered a growing interest about non-thermal phenomena in galaxy clusters. After a brief review of the most important evidences for…
Gamma-ray astronomy will play a crucial role in the investigation of nonthermal processes in the large scale structure of the universe. Particularly, galaxy clusters (GC) observations at this photon energy will help us understand the origin…
Non-thermal components are key ingredients for understanding clusters of galaxies. In the hierarchical model of structure formation, shocks and large-scale turbulence are unavoidable in the cluster formation processes. Understanding the…
We discuss the origin of thermal and non-thermal phenomena in galaxy clusters. Specifically, we present some expectations for the non-thermal emission (from radio to gamma ray wavelenghts) expected in a model in which secondary electrons…
Evidence for nonthermal activity in clusters of galaxies is well established from radio observations of synchrotron emission by relativistic electrons, and new windows (in EUV and Hard X-ray ranges) have provided more powerful tools for its…
Recent observations of excess radiation at extreme ultraviolet and hard X-ray energies straddling the well known thermal soft X-ray emission have provided new tools and puzzles for investigation of the acceleration of nonthermal particles…
Shocks are a ubiquitous consequence of cosmic structure formation, and they play an essential role in heating galaxy cluster media. Virtually all of the gas in clusters has been processed by one or more shocks of at least moderate strength.…
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…
The existence of cosmic rays and weak magnetic fields in the intracluster volume has been well proven by deep radio observations of galaxy clusters. However a detailed physical characterization of the non-thermal component of large…
Radio observations prove the existence of relativistic particles and magnetic field associated with the intra-cluster-medium (ICM) through the presence of extended synchrotron emission in the form of radio halos and peripheral relics. This…
The interaction of magnetic turbulence and relativistic particles is a important process for understanding particles propagation and acceleration in many astrophysical environments. Large-scale turbulence can be generated in the…
There is compelling evidence that at least some clusters of galaxies are powerful sources of non-thermal radiation. In all cases where this radiation has been detected, a general trend is that high energy densities of cosmic rays and…
The search for gamma radiation in clusters of galaxies represents a precious tool to investigate the history of these large scale structures. Clusters or sources within them accelerate cosmic rays, as demonstrated by the detection of radio…
The nonthermal radiation observed from a handfull of clusters of Galaxies is the proof that particle acceleration occurs in the intracluster medium. It is often believed that shock surfaces associated with either mergers of clusters of…
The main goal of this thesis is to study the physical processes that can produce non-thermal emission at high energies in astrophysical objects capable to accelerate particles up to relativistic velocities. In particular, we have studied…
Galaxy clusters grow by gas accretion, mostly from mergers of substructures, which release powerful shock waves into cosmic plasmas and convert a fraction of kinetic energy into thermal energy, amplification of magnetic fields and into the…
This Chapter provides a brief tutorial on some aspects of plasma physics that are fundamental to understanding the dynamics and energetics of the intracluster medium (ICM). The tutorial is split into two parts: one that focuses on the…
Nonthermal radiation is observed from clusters of galaxies in the radio, hard X-rays, and possibly in the soft X-ray/UV bands. While it is known that radiative processes related to nonthermal electrons are responsible for this radiation,…
Acceleration of cosmic-ray electrons (CRe) in the intra-cluster-medium (ICM) is probed by radio observations that detect diffuse, Mpc-scale, synchrotron sources in a fraction of galaxy clusters. Giant radio halos are the most spectacular…