New Constraints on the Complex Mass Substructure in Abell 1689 from Gravitational Flexion

TL;DR

This study applies the flexion aperture mass technique to HST images of Abell 1689, successfully constraining substructure masses and profiles, revealing complex cluster dynamics and recent merger activity.

Contribution

It demonstrates the effectiveness of the flexion aperture mass method in mapping and constraining small-scale substructures in galaxy clusters.

Findings

Identified 4 distinct mass peaks in Abell 1689.

Constrained the masses and profiles of these substructures.

Revealed complex small-scale structure indicating recent merger activity.

Abstract

In a recent publication, the flexion aperture mass statistic was found to provide a robust and effective method by which substructure in galaxy clusters might be mapped. Moreover, we suggested that the masses and mass profile of structures might be constrained using this method. In this paper, we apply the flexion aperture mass technique to HST ACS images of Abell 1689. We demonstrate that the flexion aperture mass statistic is sensitive to small-scale structures in the central region of the cluster. While the central potential is not constrained by our method, due largely to missing data in the central 0.5$^\prime$ of the cluster, we are able to place constraints on the masses and mass profiles of prominent substructures. We identify 4 separate mass peaks, and use the peak aperture mass signal and zero signal radius in each case to constrain the masses and mass profiles of these substructures. The three most massive peaks exhibit complex small-scale structure, and the masses indicated by the flexion aperture mass statistic suggest that these three peaks represent the dominant substructure component of the cluster ($\sim 7\times 10^{14}h^{-1}M_\odot$). Their complex structure indicates that the cluster -- far from being relaxed -- may have recently undergone a merger. The smaller, subsidiary peak is located coincident with a group of galaxies within the cluster, with mass $\sim 1\times10^{14}h^{-1}M_\odot$. These results are in excellent agreement with previous substructure studies of this cluster.