arXiv subjects

N. Ota

Publications and source records attributed to N. Ota.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2014

ASTRO-H White Paper - Clusters of Galaxies and Related Science

The next generation X-ray observatory ASTRO-H will open up a new dimension in the study of galaxy clusters by achieving for the first time the spectral resolution required to measure velocities of the intracluster plasma, and extending at the same time the spectral coverage to energies well beyond 10 keV. This white paper provides an overview of the capabilities of ASTRO-H for exploring gas motions in galaxy clusters including their cosmological implications, the physics of AGN feedback, dynamics of cluster mergers as well as associated high-energy processes, chemical enrichment of the intracluster medium, and the nature of missing baryons and unidentified dark matter.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2014

Universal Profiles of the Intracluster Medium from Suzaku X-Ray and Subaru Weak Lensing Obesrvations

We conduct a joint X-ray and weak-lensing study of four relaxed galaxy clusters (Hydra A, A478, A1689 and A1835) observed by both Suzaku and Subaru out to virial radii, with an aim to understand recently-discovered unexpected feature of the ICM in cluster outskirts. We show that the average hydrostatic-to-lensing total mass ratio for the four clusters decreases from \sim 70% to \sim 40% as the overdensity contrast decreases from 500 to the virial value.The average gas mass fraction from lensing total mass estimates increases with cluster radius and agrees with the cosmic mean baryon fraction within the virial radius, whereas the X-ray-based gas fraction considerably exceeds the cosmic values due to underestimation of the hydrostatic mass. We also develop a new advanced method for determining normalized cluster radial profiles for multiple X-ray observables by simultaneously taking into account both their radial dependence and multivariate scaling relations with weak-lensing masses. Although the four clusters span a range of halo mass, concentration, X-ray luminosity and redshift, we find that the gas entropy, pressure, temperature and density profiles are all remarkably self-similar when scaled with the lensing M_200 mass and r_200 radius.The entropy monotonically increases out to \sim 0.5r_200 following the accretion shock heating model K(r)\propto r^1.1, and flattens at \simgt 0.5r_200.The universality of the scaled entropy profiles indicates that the thermalization mechanism over the entire cluster region (>0.1r_200) is controlled by gravitation in a common to all clusters, although the heating efficiency in the outskirts needs to be modified from the standard law.The bivariate scaling functions of the gas density and temperature reveal that the flattening of the outskirts entropy profile is caused by the steepening of the temperature, rather than the flattening of the gas density.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2013

Investigating the hard X-ray emission from the hottest Abell cluster A2163 with Suzaku

We present the results from Suzaku observations of the hottest Abell galaxy cluster A2163 at $z=0.2$. To study the physics of gas heating in cluster mergers, we investigated hard X-ray emission from the merging cluster A2163, which hosts the brightest synchrotron radio halo. We analyzed hard X-ray spectra accumulated from two-pointed Suzaku observations. Non-thermal hard X-ray emission should result from the inverse Compton (IC) scattering of relativistic electrons by the CMB photons. To measure this emission, the dominant thermal emission in the hard X-ray band must be modeled in detail. To this end, we analyzed the combined broad-band X-ray data of A2163 collected by Suzaku and XMM-Newton, assuming single- and multi-temperature models for thermal emission and the power-law model for non-thermal emission. From the Suzaku data, we detected significant hard X-ray emission from A2163 in the 12-60 keV band at the $28σ$ level (or at the $5.5σ$ level if a systematic error is considered). The Suzaku HXD spectrum alone is consistent with the single-T thermal model of gas temperature $kT=14$ keV. From the XMM data, we constructed a multi-T model including a very hot ($kT=18$ keV) component in the NE region. Incorporating the multi-T and the power-law models into a two-component model with a radio-band photon index, the 12-60 keV energy flux of non-thermal emission is constrained within $5.3 \pm 0.9 (\pm 3.8)\times 10^{-12}~{\rm erg\, s^{-1} cm^{-2}}$. The 90% upper limit of detected IC emission is marginal ($< 1.2\times 10^{-11}~{\rm erg\, s^{-1} cm^{-2}}$ in the 12-60 keV). The estimated magnetic field in A2163 is $B > 0.098~{\rm μG}$. While the present results represent a three-fold increase in the accuracy of the broad band spectral model of A2163, more sensitive hard X-ray observations are needed to decisively test for the presence of hard X-ray emission due to IC emission.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2013

Gas bulk motion in the Perseus cluster measured with SUZAKU

We present the results from Suzaku observations of the Perseus galaxy cluster, which is relatively close, the brightest in the X-ray sky and a relaxed object with a cool core. A number of exposures of central regions and offset pointing with the X-ray Imaging Spectrometer cover a region within radii of 20'-30'. The central data are used to evaluate the instrumental energy-scale calibration with accuracy confirmed to within around 300 km/s, by the spatial and temporal variation of the instruments. These deep and well-calibrated data are used to measure X-ray redshifts of the intracluster medium. A hint of gas bulk motion, with radial velocity of about -(150-300) km/s, relative to the main system was found at 2-4 arcmin (45-90kpc) west of the cluster center, where an X-ray excess and a cold front were found previously. No other velocity structure was discovered. Over spatial scales of 50-100kpc and within 200kpc radii of the center, the gas-radial-velocity variation is below 300 km/s, while over scales of 400 kpc within 600 kpc radii, the variation is below 600 km/s. These X-ray redshift distributions are compared spatially with those of optical member galaxies for the first time in galaxy clusters. Based on X-ray line widths gas turbulent velocities within these regions are also constrained within 1000-3000 km/s. These results of gas dynamics in the core and larger scales in association with cluster merger activities are discussed and future potential of high-energy resolution spectroscopy with ASTRO-H is considered.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2013

Suzaku study of gas properties along filaments of A2744

Context: We present the results of Suzaku observations of a massive galaxy cluster A2744, which is an active merger at $z=0.308$. Aims: By using long X-ray observations of A2744, we aim to understand the growth of the cluster and the gas heating process through mass accretion along the surrounding filaments. Methods: We analyzed data from two-pointed Suzaku observations of A2744 to derive the temperature distribution out to the virial radius in three different directions. We also performed a deprojection analysis to study radial profiles of gas temperature, density, and entropy and compared the X-ray results with multi-wavelength data to investigate correlations with the surface density of galaxies and with radio relics. Results: The gas temperature was measured out to the virial radius $r_{200}$ in the north-east region and to about $1.5r_{200}$ in the north-west and south regions. The radial profile of the gas temperature is rather flat and the temperature is very high (even near $r_{200}$); it is comparable to the mean temperature of this cluster ($kT=9$ keV). These characteristics have not been reported in any other cluster. We find a hint of temperature jump in the northeast region whose location coincides with a large radio relic, indicating that the cluster experienced gas heating because of merger or mass accretion onto the main cluster. The temperature distribution is anisotropic and shows no clear positive correlation with the galaxy density, which suggests an inhomogeneous mass structure and a complex merger history in A2744.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2013

The Hot and Energetic Universe: The evolution of galaxy groups and clusters

Major astrophysical questions related to the formation and evolution of structures, and more specifically of galaxy groups and clusters, will still be open in the coming decade and beyond: what is the interplay of galaxy, supermassive black hole, and intergalactic gas evolution in the most massive objects in the Universe - galaxy groups and clusters? What are the processes driving the evolution of chemical enrichment of the hot diffuse gas in large-scale structures? How and when did the first galaxy groups in the Universe, massive enough to bind more than 10^7 K gas, form? Focussing on the period when groups and clusters assembled (0.5<z<2.5), we show that, due to the continuum and line emission of this hot intergalactic gas at X-ray wavelengths, Athena+, combining high sensitivity with excellent spectral and spatial resolution, will deliver breakthrough observations in view of the aforementioned issues. Indeed, the physical and chemical properties of the hot intra-cluster gas, and their evolution across time, are a key to understand the co-evolution of galaxy and supermassive black hole within their environments.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2013

Suzaku observations of the low surface brightness cluster A76

Context: We present results of Suzaku observations of a nearby galaxy cluster A76 at z=0.0395. This cluster is characterized by extremely low X-ray surface brightness and is hereafter referred to as the LSB cluster. Aims: To understand the nature and thermodynamic evolution of the LSB cluster by studying the physical properties of the hot intracluster medium in A76. Methods: We conducted two-pointed Suzaku observations of A76 and examined the global gas properties of the cluster by XIS spectral analysis. We also performed deprojection analysis of annular spectra and derived radial profiles of gas temperature, density and entropy out to approximately 850 kpc (~ 0.6 r_200) and 560 kpc (~0.4 r_200) in A76 East and A76 West, respectively. Results: The measured global temperature and metal abundance are approximately 3.3 keV and 0.24 solar, respectively. From the deprojection analysis, the entropy profile is found to be flat with respect to radius. The entropy within the central region (r < 0.2r_200) is exceptionally high (~400 keV cm^2). This phenomenon is not readily explained by either gravitational heating or preheating. The X-ray morphology is clumped and irregular, and the electron density is extremely low (1e-4 -- 1e-3 cm^-3) for the observed high temperature, suggesting that A76 is in the early phase of cluster formation and the gas compression due to gravitational potential confinement is lagging behind the gas heating.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2011

X-Ray Study of the Outer Region of Abell 2142 with Suzaku

We observed outer regions of a bright cluster of galaxies A2142 with Suzaku. Temperature and brightness structures were measured out to the virial radius ($r_{200}$) with good sensitivity. We confirmed the temperature drop from 9 keV around the cluster center to about 3.5 keV at $r_{200}$, with the density profile well approximated by the $β$ model with $β= 0.85$. Within $0.4\r_{200}$, the entropy profile agrees with $r^{1.1}$, as predicted by the accretion shock model. The entropy slope becomes flatter in the outer region and negative around $r_{200}$. These features suggest that the intracluster medium in the outer region is out of thermal equilibrium. Since the relaxation timescale of electron-ion Coulomb collision is expected to be longer than the elapsed time after shock heating at $r_{200}$, one plausible reason of the low entropy is the low electron temperature compared to that of ions. Other possible explanations would be gas clumpiness, turbulence and bulk motions of ICM\@. We also searched for a warm-hot intergalactic medium around $r_{200}$ and set an upper limit on the oxygen line intensity. Assuming a line-of-sight depth of 2 Mpc and oxygen abundance of 0.1 solar, the upper limit of an overdensity is calculated to be 280 or 380, depending on the foreground assumption.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2010

Suzaku observations of X-ray excess emission in the cluster of galaxies A3112

We analysed the Suzaku XIS1 data of the A3112 cluster of galaxies in order to examine the X-ray excess emission in this cluster reported earlier with the XMM-Newton and Chandra satellites. The best-fit temperature of the intracluster gas depends strongly on the choice of the energy band used for the spectral analysis. This proves the existence of excess emission component in addition to the single-temperature MEKAL in A3112. We showed that this effect is not an artifact due to uncertainties of the background modeling, instrument calibration or the amount of Galactic absorption. Neither does the PSF scatter of the emission from the cool core nor the projection of the cool gas in the cluster outskirts produce the effect. Finally we modeled the excess emission either by using an additional MEKAL or powerlaw component. Due to the small differencies between thermal and non-thermal model we can not rule out the non-thermal origin of the excess emission based on the goodness of the fit. Assuming that it has a thermal origin, we further examined the Differential Emission Measure (DEM) models. We utilised two different DEM models, a Gaussian differential emission measure distribution (GDEM) and WDEM model, where the emission measure of a number of thermal components is distributed as a truncated power law. The best-fit XIS1 MEKAL temperature for the 0.4-7.0 keV band is 4.7+-0.1 keV, consistent with that obtained using GDEM and WDEM models.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2009

X-ray Diagnostics of Thermal Conditions of the Hot Plasmas in the Centaurus Cluster

X-ray data of the Centaurus cluster, obtained with {\it XMM-Newton} for 45 ksec, were analyzed. Deprojected EPIC spectra from concentric thin shell regions were reproduced equally well by a single-phase plasma emission model, or by a two-phase model developed by {\it ASCA}, both incorporating cool (1.7--2.0 keV) and hot ($\sim 4$ keV) plasma temperatures. However, EPIC spectra with higher statistics, accumulated over 3-dimentional thick shell regions, were reproduced better by the two-phase model than by the singe-phase one. Therefore, hot and cool plasma phases are inferred to co-exist in the cluster core region within $\sim 70$ kpc. The iron and silicon abundances of the plasma were reconfirmed to increase significantly towards the center, while that of oxygen was consistent with being radially constant. The implied non-solar abundance ratios explains away the previously reported excess X-ray absorption from the central region. Although an additional cool ($\sim 0.7$ keV) emission was detected within $\sim 20$ kpc of the center, the RGS data gave tight upper limits on any emission with a tempeartures below $\sim 0.5$ keV. These results are compiled into a magnetosphere model, which interprets the cool phase as confined within closed magnetic loops anchored to the cD galaxy. When combined with so-called Rosner-Tucker-Vaiana mechanism which applies to solar coronae, this model can potentially explain basic properties of the cool phase, including its temperature and thermal stability.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2009

Suzaku measurement of Abell 2204's intracluster gas temperature profile out to 1800 kpc

Context: Measurements of intracluster gas temperatures out to large radii are important for the use of clusters for precision cosmology and for studies of cluster physics. Previous attempts to measure robust temperatures at cluster virial radii failed. Aims: The goal of this work is to measure the temperature profile of the very relaxed galaxy cluster Abell 2204 out to large radii, possibly reaching the virial radius. Methods: Taking advantage of its low particle background due to its low-Earth orbit, Suzaku data are used to measure the outer temperature profile of Abell 2204. These data are combined with Chandra and XMM-Newton data of the same cluster in order to make the connection to the inner regions, unresolved by Suzaku, and to determine the smearing due to Suzaku's PSF. Results: The temperature profile of Abell 2204 is determined from 10 kpc to 1800 kpc, close to an estimate of r200 (the approximation to the virial radius). The temperature rises steeply from below 4 keV in the very center up to more than 8 keV in the intermediate range and then decreases again to about 4 keV at the largest radii. Varying the measured particle background normalization artificially by +-10 percent does not change the results significantly. Predictions for outer temperature profiles based on hydrodynamic simulations show good agreement. In particular, we find the observed temperature profile to be slightly steeper but consistent with a drop of a factor of 0.6 from 0.3 r200 to r200, as predicted by simulations. Conclusions: Temperature measurements up to the virial radius seem feasible with Suzaku, when a careful analysis of the different background components and the effects of the PSF is performed. The result obtained here indicates that numerical simulations capture the intracluster gas physics well in cluster outskirts.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2009

Constraints on the Intracluster Dust Emission in the Coma Cluster of Galaxies

We have undertaken a search for the infrared emission from the intracluster dust in the Coma cluster of galaxies by the Multiband Imaging Photometer for Spitzer. Our observations yield the deepest mid and far-infrared images of a galaxy cluster ever achieved. In each of the three bands, we have not detected a signature of the central excess component in contrast to the previous report on the detection by Infrared Space Observatory (ISO). We still find that the brightness ratio between 70 and 160 microns shows a marginal sign of the central excess, in qualitative agreement with the ISO result. Our analysis suggests that the excess ratio is more likely due to faint infrared sources lying on fluctuating cirrus foreground. Our observations yield the 2 sigma upper limits on the excess emission within 100 kpc of the cluster center as 5 x 10^-3 MJy/sr, 6 x 10^-2 MJy/sr, and 7 x 10^-2 MJy/sr, at 24, 70, and 160 microns, respectively. These values are in agreement with those found in other galaxy clusters and suggest that dust is deficient near the cluster center by more than 3 orders of magnitude compared to the interstellar medium.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2008

Suzaku broad-band spectroscopy of RX J1347.5-1145: constraints on the extremely hot gas and non-thermal emission

We present the results from the analysis of long Suzaku observations of the most X-ray luminous galaxy cluster RX J1347.5-1145 at z=0.451. Aims: We study physical properties of the hot (~20 keV) gas clump in the south-east (SE) region discovered by the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) effect observations, to understand the gas physics of a violent cluster merger. We also explore a signature of non-thermal emission using the hard X-ray data. Results: We find that the single-temperature model fails to reproduce the continuum emission and Fe-K lines measured by XIS simultaneously. The two-temperature model with a very hot component improves the fit, although the XIS data can only give a lower bound on its temperature. We detect the hard X-ray emission in the 12-40 keV band at the 7 sigma level; however, the significance becomes marginal when the systematic error in the background estimation is included. With the Suzaku + Chandra joint analysis, we determine the temperature of the SE excess component to be 25.3^{+6.1}_{-4.5} ^{+6.9}_{-9.5} keV (90% statistical and systematic errors), which is in an excellent agreement with the previous SZ + X-ray analysis. This is the first time that the X-ray spectroscopy alone gives a good measurement of the temperature of the hot component in the SE region, which is made possible by Suzaku's unprecedented sensitivity to the wide X-ray band. These results strongly indicate that the cluster has undergone a recent, violent merger. The spectral analysis shows that the SE component is consistent with being thermal. We find the 3 sigma upper limit on the non-thermal flux, F < 8e-12 erg s^{-1} cm^{-2} in the 12-60 keV band. Combining this limit with a recent discovery of the radio mini halo at 1.4 GHz, we find a lower limit on the strength of the intracluster magnetic field, B > 0.007 micro G.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2008

A bright, dust-obscured, millimeter-selected galaxy beyond the Bullet Cluster (1E0657-56)

Deep 1.1 mm continuum observations of 1E0657-56 (the "Bullet Cluster") taken with the millimeter-wavelength camera AzTEC on the 10-m Atacama Submillimeter Telescope Experiment (ASTE), have revealed an extremely bright (S$_{\rm{1.1mm}}=15.9$ mJy) unresolved source. This source, MMJ065837-5557.0, lies close to a maximum in the density of underlying mass-distribution, towards the larger of the two interacting clusters as traced by the weak-lensing analysis of Clowe et al. 2006. Using optical--IR colours we argue that MMJ065837-5557.0 lies at a redshift of $z = 2.7 \pm 0.2$. A lensing-derived mass-model for the Bullet Cluster shows a critical-line (caustic) of magnification within a few arcsecs of the AzTEC source, sufficient to amplify the intrinsic millimeter-wavelength flux of the AzTEC galaxy by a factor of $\gg 20$. After subtraction of the foreground cluster emission at 1.1mm due to the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect, and correcting for the magnification, the rest-frame FIR luminosity of MMJ065837-5557.0 is $\le 10^{12} \rm L_{\odot}$, characteristic of a luminous infrared galaxy (LIRG). We explore various scenarios to explain the colors, morphologies and positional offsets between the potential optical and IR counterparts, and their relationship with MMJ065837-5557.0. Until higher-resolution and more sensitive (sub)millimeter observations are available, the detection of background galaxies close to the caustics of massive lensing clusters offers the only opportunity to study this intrinsically faint millimeter-galaxy population.

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arXiv2006

Hard X-ray Detector (HXD) on Board Suzaku

The Hard X-ray Detector (HXD) on board Suzaku covers a wide energy range from 10 keV to 600 keV by combination of silicon PIN diodes and GSO scintillators. The HXD is designed to achieve an extremely low in-orbit back ground based on a combination of new techniques, including the concept of well-type active shield counter. With an effective area of 142 cm^2 at 20 keV and 273 cm2 at 150 keV, the background level at the sea level reached ~1x10^{-5} cts s^{-1} cm^{-2} keV^{-1} at 30 keV for the PI N diodes, and ~2x10^{-5} cts s^{-1} cm^{-2} keV^{-1} at 100 keV, and ~7x10^{-6} cts s^{-1} cm^{-2} keV^{-1} at 200 keV for the phoswich counter. Tight active shielding of the HXD results in a large array of guard counters surrounding the main detector parts. These anti-coincidence counters, made of ~4 cm thick BGO crystals, have a large effective area for sub-MeV to MeV gamma-rays. They work as an excellent gamma-ray burst monitor with limited angular resolution (~5 degree). The on-board signal-processing system and the data transmitted to the ground are also described.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2006

Chandra Observations of SDSS J1004+4112: Constraints on the Lensing Cluster and Anomalous X-Ray Flux Ratios of the Quadruply Imaged Quasar

We present results from Chandra observations of SDSS J1004+4112, a strongly lensed quasar system with a maximum image separation of 15". All four bright images of the quasar, as well as resolved X-ray emission originating from the lensing cluster, are clearly detected. The emission from the lensing cluster extends out to approximately 1.5 arcmin. We measure the bolometric X-ray luminosity and temperature of the lensing cluster to be 4.7e44 erg s^-1 and 6.4 keV, consistent with the luminosity-temperature relation for distant clusters. The mass estimated from the X-ray observation shows excellent agreement with the mass derived from gravitational lensing. The X-ray flux ratios of the quasar images differ markedly from the optical flux ratios, and the combined X-ray spectrum of the images possesses an unusually strong Fe Kalpha emission line, both of which are indicative of microlensing.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2004

Probing Warm-Hot Intergalactic Medium Associated with the Virgo Cluster using an Oxygen Absorption Line

To detect a warm-hot intergalactic medium associated with the large-scale structure of the universe, we observed a quasar behind the Virgo cluster with XMM-Newton. With a net exposure time of 54 ks, we marginally detected an OVIII K alpha absorption line at 650.9 +0.8/-1.9 eV in the RGS spectra, with a statistical confidence of 96.4 %. The observed line center energy is consistent with the redshift of M87, and hence the absorber is associated with the Virgo cluster. From the curve of growth, the OVIII column density was estimated to be > 7 x 10^16 cm^-2. In the EPIC spectra, excess emission was found after evaluating the hot intracluster medium in the Virgo cluster and various background components. We inspected the ROSAT All-Sky Survey map of the diffuse soft X-ray background, and confirmed that the level of the north and west regions just outside of the Virgo cluster is consistent with the background model that we used, while that of the east side is significantly higher and the enhancement is comparable with the excess emission found in the EPIC data. We consider a significant portion of the excess emission to be associated with the Virgo cluster, although a possible contribution from the North Polar Spur cannot be excluded. Using the column density and the emission measure and assuming an oxygen abundance of 0.1 and an ionization fraction of 0.4, we estimate that the mean electron density and the line-of-sight distance of the warm-hot gas are < 6 x 10^-5 cm^-3 and > 9 Mpc, respectively. These numbers strongly suggest that we have detected a warm-hot intergalactic medium in a filament associated with the Virgo cluster.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2004

Exploring Cluster Physics with High-Resolution Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Effect Images and X-Ray Data: The Case of the Most X-Ray-Luminous Galaxy Cluster RX J1347-1145

Foreseeing the era of high spatial resolution measurements of the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect (SZE) in clusters of galaxies, we present a prototype analysis of this sort combined with Chandra X-ray data. It is applied specifically to RX J1347-1145 at z=0.451, the most X-ray-luminous galaxy cluster known, for which the highest resolution SZE and X-ray images are currently available. We demonstrate that the combined analysis yields a unique probe of complex structures in the intracluster medium, offering determinations of their temperature, density, and line-of-sight extent. For a subclump in RX J1347-1145, previously discovered in our SZE map, the temperature inferred after removing the foreground and background components is well in excess of 20 keV, indicating that the cluster has recently undergone a violent merger. Excluding the region around this subclump, the SZE signals in submillimeter to centimeter bands (350, 150, and 21 GHz) are all consistent with those expected from Chandra X-ray observations. We further present a temperature deprojection technique based on the SZE and X-ray images, without any knowledge of spatially resolved X-ray spectroscopy. The methodology presented here will be applicable to a statistical sample of clusters available in the future SZE surveys.

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