Throughout observations of the merging galaxy cluster PSZ2 G277.93+12.34 with the MeerKAT radio telescope, a global group of astronomers have serendipitously detected a double radio relic and an odd radio circle. The invention was detailed in a paper revealed April 24 on the arXiv pre-print repository.
Radio relics are diffuse, elongated radio sources of synchrotron origin. They happen within the type of spectacular single or double symmetric arcs on the peripheries of galaxy clusters. Astronomers are particularly within the seek for double relics as such options might present essential details about cluster mergers and the resultant emission.
At a distance of about 2.5 billion light years away from the Earth, PSZ2 G277.93+12.34 is a galaxy cluster with a mass of some 360 trillion solar plenty. The cluster is poorly studied, therefore its members are presently not properly outlined. Nevertheless, earlier observations have discovered {that a} galaxy often called WISEA J103230.00–433815.4 is most probably the brightest cluster galaxy of PSZ2 G277.93+12.34.
A group of astronomers led by Bärbel S. Koribalski of the Western Sydney College in Australia, has lately investigated PSZ2 G277.93+12.34 with MeerKAT with the intention to shed extra gentle on the character of this cluster. Their research was complemented by radio continuum photographs from the Australian SKA Pathfinder (ASKAP) and X-ray knowledge from the Spectrum-Roentgen-Gamma (SRG) space telescope.
By analyzing MeerKAT 1.3 GHz radio continuum photographs of the PSZ2 G277.93+12.34, the researchers detected two giant radio relics, positioned northeast and southwest of the cluster middle, forming a double radio relic with an angular separation of roughly 16 arcminutes (about 8.5 million gentle years). The southern relic is comparatively skinny, has a linear extent of about 5.35 million gentle years, and a floor brightness of some 16 𝜇Jy/beam. On the subject of the northern relic, it’s twice as extensive because the southern one, has a linear extent of at the very least 2.15 million gentle years, and its floor brightness was discovered to be 55 𝜇Jy/beam.
It was famous that the 2 relics collectively kind a partial circle, occupying at the very least 35% of its circumference. In keeping with the authors of the paper, the double relic morphology suggests a face-on orientation of the merger; nonetheless, low-frequency imaging of the PSZ2 G277.93+12.34 at each excessive decision and excessive sensitivity is required with the intention to confirm this.
Along with the invention of the double radio relic, the astronomers additionally detected a brand new odd radio circle (ORC) at a redshift of about 0.3, in a distinct a part of the MeerKAT photographs. The so-called ORCs are mysterious gigantic rings of radio waves and their origin continues to be unexplained.
The newfound ORC, which obtained designation ORC J1017–4422, stays undetected in X-ray emission and has a diameter of about 1.3 million gentle years. It’s the fourth single ORC to this point recognized.
Extra info:
Bärbel S. Koribalski et al, MeerKAT discovery of a double radio relic and odd radio circle, arXiv (2023). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2304.11784
Journal info:
arXiv
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Double radio relic and odd radio circle found with MeerKAT (2023, Could 2)
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