Evidence for a merger-revived radio phoenix in MaxBCG J217.95869+13.53470

TL;DR

This study combines X-ray and radio observations to analyze the physical state and merger activity of galaxy cluster MaxBCG J217.95869+13.53470, revealing a possible merger-revived radio phoenix and complex dynamical features.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed multi-wavelength analysis of this cluster, identifying a potential merger-revived radio phoenix linked to shock compression.

Findings

Detection of hot regions indicating merger activity.

Identification of a smaller infalling galaxy cluster.

Radio features suggest a merger shock and relic formation.

Abstract

We use XMM-Newton observations of the galaxy cluster MaxBCG J217.95869+13.53470 to analyze its physical properties and dynamical state. MaxBCG J217.95869+13.53470 is found at a redshift of 0.16, has a mass of ~1x10^14 Msun, and a luminosity of 7.9x10^43 erg/s. The temperature map shows the presence of hot regions towards the north and west of the brightest cluster galaxy (BCG). From the entropy distribution, regions of high entropy match the location of the hot regions; more high entropy regions are found to the west, and ~165 kpc to the southwest of the central AGN. A second X-ray bright galaxy is visible ~90 kpc to the northeast of the BCG, at a redshift of 0.162. This galaxy is likely to be the BCG of a smaller, infalling galaxy cluster. The mass of the smaller cluster is ~10 percent the mass of MaxBCG J217.95869+13.53470, yielding an impact parameter of ~30-100 kpc. We compare the results of our X-ray observations with GMRT observations of the radio source VLSS J1431.8+1331, located at the center of the cluster. Two sources are visible in the radio: a central elongated source that bends at its northern and southern ends, and a southwestern source that coincides with a region of high entropy. The radio sources are connected by a bridge of faint radio emission. We speculate that the southwestern radio source is a radio relic produced by compression of old radio plasma by a merger shock.