Discovery of the first giant double radio relic in a galaxy cluster found in the PLANCK Sunyaev-Zel'dovich cluster survey: PLCK G287.0+32.9

TL;DR

This paper reports the discovery of the first giant double radio relics in a galaxy cluster, revealing unprecedented scale shock waves and merger activity in a massive, hot galaxy cluster detected by the PLANCK satellite.

Contribution

It presents the first identification of giant double radio relics in a galaxy cluster, demonstrating their association with energetic merger shocks and cosmic web structures.

Findings

Discovery of giant (>1 Mpc) radio relics with unprecedented scale (~4.4 Mpc separation)

Detection of a possible radio halo and additional relics indicating ongoing mergers

Confirmation of a massive, hot, and dynamically disturbed galaxy cluster through multi-wavelength data

Abstract

We report the discovery of large scale diffuse non-thermal radio emission in PLCK G287.0+32.9, an exceptionally hot (T ~ 13 keV), massive and luminous galaxy cluster, strongly detected by the PLANCK satellite in a recent, all-sky blind search for new clusters through Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect. Giant Metrewave Radio telescope 150 MHz and Very Large Array 1.4 GHz radio data reveal a pair of giant (>1 Mpc) "arc" shaped peripheral radio-relics (signatures of shock waves) of unprecedented scale (linear separation ~4.4 Mpc at redshift 0.39), located at distances from the cluster center which are about 0.7 and 1.3 of the cluster's virial radius. Another possible giant relic and a radio-halo is detected closer to the cluster center. These relic sources are unique "signposts" of extremely energetic mergers and shocks (both ongoing and past), that are assembling and heating up this very massive galaxy cluster. They are also a probe of the filamentary cosmic-web structure beyond the cluster virial radius. Optical imaging with the IUCAA 2 meter telescope and XMM-Newton X-ray data confirm a very rich galaxy cluster with a morphologically disturbed core region, suggesting a dynamically perturbed merging system.