We present a combined X-ray and optical analysis of the cold front cluster Abell 1201 using archi... more We present a combined X-ray and optical analysis of the cold front cluster Abell 1201 using archival Chandra data and multi-object spectroscopy taken with the 3.9 m Anglo-Australian and 6.5 m Multiple Mirror Telescopes. This paper represents the first in a series presenting a study of a sample of cold front clusters selected from the Chandra archives with the aim of relating cold fronts to merger activity, understanding the dynamics of mergers and their effect on the cluster constituents. The Chandra X-ray imagery of Abell 1201 reveals two conspicuous surface brightness discontinuities that are shown to be cold fronts, and a remnant core structure. Temperature maps reveal a complex multiphase temperature structure with regions of hot gas interspersed with fingers of cold gas. Our optical analysis is based on a sample of 321 confirmed members, whose mean redshift is z = 0.1673 ± 0.0002 and velocity dispersion is 778 ± 36 km s-1. We search for dynamical substructure and find clear evidence for multiple localized velocity substructures coincident with overdensities in the galaxy surface density. Most notably, we find the structure coincident with the remnant X-ray core. Despite the clear evidence for dynamical activity, we find the peculiar velocity distribution does not deviate significantly from Gaussian. We apply two-body dynamical analyses in order to assess which of the substructures are bound, and thus dynamically important in terms of the cluster merger history. We propose that the cold fronts in Abell 1201 are a consequence of its merger with a smaller subunit, which has induced gas motions that gave rise to "sloshing" cold fronts. Abell 1201 illustrates the value of combining multiwavelength data and multiple substructure detection techniques when attempting to ascertain the dynamical state of a cluster.
We investigate the environments and clustering properties of starburst galaxies selected from the... more We investigate the environments and clustering properties of starburst galaxies selected from the 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey (2dFGRS) in order to determine which, if any, environmental factors play a role in triggering a starburst. We quantify the local environments, clustering properties and luminosity functions of our starburst galaxies and compare to random control samples. The starburst galaxies are also classified morphologically in terms of their broad Hubble type and evidence of tidal merger/interaction signatures. We find the starburst galaxies to be much less clustered on large (5–15 Mpc) scales compared to the overall 2dFGRS galaxy population. In terms of their environments, we find just over half of the starburst galaxies to reside in low to intermediate luminosity groups, and a further ∼30 per cent residing in the outskirts and infall regions of rich clusters. Their luminosity functions also differ significantly from that of the overall 2dFGRS galaxy population, with the sense of the difference being critically dependent on the way their star formation rates are measured. In terms of pin-pointing what might trigger the starburst, it would appear that factors relating to their local environment are most germane. Specifically, we find clear evidence that the presence of a near neighbour of comparable luminosity/mass within 20 kpc is likely to be important in triggering a starburst. We also find that a significant fraction (20–30 per cent) of the galaxies in our starburst samples have morphologies indicative of either an ongoing or a recent tidal interaction and/or merger. These findings notwithstanding, there remain a significant portion of starburst galaxies where such local environmental influences are not in any obvious way playing a triggering role, leading us to conclude that starbursts can also be internally driven.
ABSTRACT We present an analysis of the structures and dynamics of the merging cluster Abell~1201,... more ABSTRACT We present an analysis of the structures and dynamics of the merging cluster Abell~1201, which has two sloshing cold fronts around a cooling core, and an offset gas core approximately 500kpc northwest of the center. New Chandra and XMM-Newton data reveal a region of enhanced brightness east of the offset core, with breaks in surface brightness along its boundary to the north and east. This is interpreted as a tail of gas stripped from the offset core. Gas in the offset core and the tail is distinguished from other gas at the same distance from the cluster center chiefly by having higher density, hence lower entropy. In addition, the offset core shows marginally lower temperature and metallicity than the surrounding area. The metallicity in the cool core is high and there is an abrupt drop in metallicity across the southern cold front. We interpret the observed properties of the system, including the placement of the cold fronts, the offset core and its tail in terms of a simple merger scenario. The offset core is the remnant of a merging subcluster, which first passed pericenter southeast of the center of the primary cluster and is now close to its second pericenter passage, moving at ~1000 km/s. Sloshing excited by the merger gave rise to the two cold fronts and the disposition of the cold fronts reveals that we view the merger from close to the plane of the orbit of the offset core.
We present new radial velocities for 307 galaxies (bJ<19.5) in the region of the rich cluster Abe... more We present new radial velocities for 307 galaxies (bJ<19.5) in the region of the rich cluster Abell 1386. 72 of these galaxies did not have any redshift published before. For each galaxy equatorial coordinates, total R magnitudes and all previously published redshifts are listed. (2 data files).
We present results based on new Chandra and multi-frequency radio observations of the disturbed c... more We present results based on new Chandra and multi-frequency radio observations of the disturbed cool core cluster Abell 133. The diffuse gas has a complex bird-like morphology, with a plume of emission extending from two symmetric wing-like features, and capped with a filamentary radio relic. X-ray observations indicate the presence of either high temperature gas or non-thermal emission in the region of the relic. We find evidence for a weak elliptical X-ray surface brightness edge surrounding the core, consistent with a sloshing cold front. The plume is consistent with having formed due to uplift by a buoyantly rising radio bubble, now seen as the radio relic. Our results are inconsistent with the previous suggestion that the X-ray wings formed due to the passage of a weak shock through the cool core. We instead conclude that the wings are due to X-ray cavities formed by gas displacement by the radio relic. The central cD galaxy contains two small-scale cold gas clumps that are slightly offset from their optical and UV counterparts, suggestive of a galaxy-galaxy merger event. On larger scales, there is evidence for cluster substructure in both optical observations and the X-ray temperature map. We suggest that Abell 133 has recently undergone a merger event with an interloping subgroup, initiating gas sloshing in the core. We show that the additional buoyant force from a passing subcluster can have a significant effect on the rise trajectories of buoyant bubbles, although this effect alone cannot fully explain the morphology of Abell 133. The radio observations reveal a previously unreported background giant radio galaxy at z = 0.293, the northern lobe of which overlies the radio relic in the core of Abell 133. A rough estimate indicates that the contribution of this background lobe to the total radio emission in the region of the relic is modest (< 13%). (Abridged)
X-ray cavities, often filled with radio-emitting plasma, are routinely observed in the intraclust... more X-ray cavities, often filled with radio-emitting plasma, are routinely observed in the intracluster medium of clusters of galaxies. These cavities, or "bubbles", are evacuated by jets from central AGN and subsequently rise buoyantly, playing a vital role in the "AGN feedback" model now commonly evoked to explain the balance between heating and radiative cooling in cluster cores. As the bubbles rise, they can displace cool central gas, promoting mixing and the redistribution of metals. I will show a few examples of buoyant bubbles, then argue that the peculiar morphology of the Abell 133 is due to buoyant lifting of cool central gas by a radio-filled bubble.
We present results from a 38 ks Chandra X-ray observation of the z=0.059 galaxy cluster A1991. Th... more We present results from a 38 ks Chandra X-ray observation of the z=0.059 galaxy cluster A1991. The cluster has a bright X-ray core and a central temperature gradient that declines inward from 2.7 keV at 130 kpc to approximately 1.6 keV at the cluster center. The radiative cooling time of the gas in the inner 10 kpc is about 0.5 Gyr, and rises to 1 Gyr at a radius of 20 kpc. The cooling rate of the gas within the latter radius is less than about 25 solar mass/yr. The Chandra ACIS-S3 image shows that the intracluster medium has an asymmetric surface brightness distribution with respect to the central galaxy. Bright knots of soft X-ray emission embedded in a cometary structure are located approximately 10 arcsec north of the optical center of the cD galaxy. Unlike the structures seen in other cooling flow clusters, the knots have no obvious association with the radio source. The structure's temperature of 0.83 keV makes it nearly 1 keV cooler than its surroundings, and its mass is 3.4E+09 solar masses. Based on its bow-shaped appearance and modest overpressure with respect to its surroundings, we interpret the structure as a cool mass concentration that is breaking apart as it travels northward through the center of the cluster.
We present a combined X-ray and optical analysis of the cold front cluster Abell 1201 using archi... more We present a combined X-ray and optical analysis of the cold front cluster Abell 1201 using archival Chandra data and multi-object spectroscopy taken with the 3.9 m Anglo-Australian and 6.5 m Multiple Mirror Telescopes. This paper represents the first in a series presenting a study of a sample of cold front clusters selected from the Chandra archives with the aim of relating cold fronts to merger activity, understanding the dynamics of mergers and their effect on the cluster constituents. The Chandra X-ray imagery of Abell 1201 reveals two conspicuous surface brightness discontinuities that are shown to be cold fronts, and a remnant core structure. Temperature maps reveal a complex multiphase temperature structure with regions of hot gas interspersed with fingers of cold gas. Our optical analysis is based on a sample of 321 confirmed members, whose mean redshift is z = 0.1673 ± 0.0002 and velocity dispersion is 778 ± 36 km s-1. We search for dynamical substructure and find clear evidence for multiple localized velocity substructures coincident with overdensities in the galaxy surface density. Most notably, we find the structure coincident with the remnant X-ray core. Despite the clear evidence for dynamical activity, we find the peculiar velocity distribution does not deviate significantly from Gaussian. We apply two-body dynamical analyses in order to assess which of the substructures are bound, and thus dynamically important in terms of the cluster merger history. We propose that the cold fronts in Abell 1201 are a consequence of its merger with a smaller subunit, which has induced gas motions that gave rise to "sloshing" cold fronts. Abell 1201 illustrates the value of combining multiwavelength data and multiple substructure detection techniques when attempting to ascertain the dynamical state of a cluster.
We investigate the environments and clustering properties of starburst galaxies selected from the... more We investigate the environments and clustering properties of starburst galaxies selected from the 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey (2dFGRS) in order to determine which, if any, environmental factors play a role in triggering a starburst. We quantify the local environments, clustering properties and luminosity functions of our starburst galaxies and compare to random control samples. The starburst galaxies are also classified morphologically in terms of their broad Hubble type and evidence of tidal merger/interaction signatures. We find the starburst galaxies to be much less clustered on large (5–15 Mpc) scales compared to the overall 2dFGRS galaxy population. In terms of their environments, we find just over half of the starburst galaxies to reside in low to intermediate luminosity groups, and a further ∼30 per cent residing in the outskirts and infall regions of rich clusters. Their luminosity functions also differ significantly from that of the overall 2dFGRS galaxy population, with the sense of the difference being critically dependent on the way their star formation rates are measured. In terms of pin-pointing what might trigger the starburst, it would appear that factors relating to their local environment are most germane. Specifically, we find clear evidence that the presence of a near neighbour of comparable luminosity/mass within 20 kpc is likely to be important in triggering a starburst. We also find that a significant fraction (20–30 per cent) of the galaxies in our starburst samples have morphologies indicative of either an ongoing or a recent tidal interaction and/or merger. These findings notwithstanding, there remain a significant portion of starburst galaxies where such local environmental influences are not in any obvious way playing a triggering role, leading us to conclude that starbursts can also be internally driven.
ABSTRACT We present an analysis of the structures and dynamics of the merging cluster Abell~1201,... more ABSTRACT We present an analysis of the structures and dynamics of the merging cluster Abell~1201, which has two sloshing cold fronts around a cooling core, and an offset gas core approximately 500kpc northwest of the center. New Chandra and XMM-Newton data reveal a region of enhanced brightness east of the offset core, with breaks in surface brightness along its boundary to the north and east. This is interpreted as a tail of gas stripped from the offset core. Gas in the offset core and the tail is distinguished from other gas at the same distance from the cluster center chiefly by having higher density, hence lower entropy. In addition, the offset core shows marginally lower temperature and metallicity than the surrounding area. The metallicity in the cool core is high and there is an abrupt drop in metallicity across the southern cold front. We interpret the observed properties of the system, including the placement of the cold fronts, the offset core and its tail in terms of a simple merger scenario. The offset core is the remnant of a merging subcluster, which first passed pericenter southeast of the center of the primary cluster and is now close to its second pericenter passage, moving at ~1000 km/s. Sloshing excited by the merger gave rise to the two cold fronts and the disposition of the cold fronts reveals that we view the merger from close to the plane of the orbit of the offset core.
We present new radial velocities for 307 galaxies (bJ<19.5) in the region of the rich cluster Abe... more We present new radial velocities for 307 galaxies (bJ<19.5) in the region of the rich cluster Abell 1386. 72 of these galaxies did not have any redshift published before. For each galaxy equatorial coordinates, total R magnitudes and all previously published redshifts are listed. (2 data files).
We present results based on new Chandra and multi-frequency radio observations of the disturbed c... more We present results based on new Chandra and multi-frequency radio observations of the disturbed cool core cluster Abell 133. The diffuse gas has a complex bird-like morphology, with a plume of emission extending from two symmetric wing-like features, and capped with a filamentary radio relic. X-ray observations indicate the presence of either high temperature gas or non-thermal emission in the region of the relic. We find evidence for a weak elliptical X-ray surface brightness edge surrounding the core, consistent with a sloshing cold front. The plume is consistent with having formed due to uplift by a buoyantly rising radio bubble, now seen as the radio relic. Our results are inconsistent with the previous suggestion that the X-ray wings formed due to the passage of a weak shock through the cool core. We instead conclude that the wings are due to X-ray cavities formed by gas displacement by the radio relic. The central cD galaxy contains two small-scale cold gas clumps that are slightly offset from their optical and UV counterparts, suggestive of a galaxy-galaxy merger event. On larger scales, there is evidence for cluster substructure in both optical observations and the X-ray temperature map. We suggest that Abell 133 has recently undergone a merger event with an interloping subgroup, initiating gas sloshing in the core. We show that the additional buoyant force from a passing subcluster can have a significant effect on the rise trajectories of buoyant bubbles, although this effect alone cannot fully explain the morphology of Abell 133. The radio observations reveal a previously unreported background giant radio galaxy at z = 0.293, the northern lobe of which overlies the radio relic in the core of Abell 133. A rough estimate indicates that the contribution of this background lobe to the total radio emission in the region of the relic is modest (< 13%). (Abridged)
X-ray cavities, often filled with radio-emitting plasma, are routinely observed in the intraclust... more X-ray cavities, often filled with radio-emitting plasma, are routinely observed in the intracluster medium of clusters of galaxies. These cavities, or "bubbles", are evacuated by jets from central AGN and subsequently rise buoyantly, playing a vital role in the "AGN feedback" model now commonly evoked to explain the balance between heating and radiative cooling in cluster cores. As the bubbles rise, they can displace cool central gas, promoting mixing and the redistribution of metals. I will show a few examples of buoyant bubbles, then argue that the peculiar morphology of the Abell 133 is due to buoyant lifting of cool central gas by a radio-filled bubble.
We present results from a 38 ks Chandra X-ray observation of the z=0.059 galaxy cluster A1991. Th... more We present results from a 38 ks Chandra X-ray observation of the z=0.059 galaxy cluster A1991. The cluster has a bright X-ray core and a central temperature gradient that declines inward from 2.7 keV at 130 kpc to approximately 1.6 keV at the cluster center. The radiative cooling time of the gas in the inner 10 kpc is about 0.5 Gyr, and rises to 1 Gyr at a radius of 20 kpc. The cooling rate of the gas within the latter radius is less than about 25 solar mass/yr. The Chandra ACIS-S3 image shows that the intracluster medium has an asymmetric surface brightness distribution with respect to the central galaxy. Bright knots of soft X-ray emission embedded in a cometary structure are located approximately 10 arcsec north of the optical center of the cD galaxy. Unlike the structures seen in other cooling flow clusters, the knots have no obvious association with the radio source. The structure's temperature of 0.83 keV makes it nearly 1 keV cooler than its surroundings, and its mass is 3.4E+09 solar masses. Based on its bow-shaped appearance and modest overpressure with respect to its surroundings, we interpret the structure as a cool mass concentration that is breaking apart as it travels northward through the center of the cluster.
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