Probing the origin of giant radio halos through radio and gamma-ray data : the case of the Coma cluster

TL;DR

This study investigates the origin of the Coma cluster's giant radio halo by combining radio, gamma-ray, and magnetic field data, testing secondary electron models and reacceleration scenarios to explain observations.

Contribution

It evaluates the viability of pure secondary models and reacceleration models for the radio halo, reconciling gamma-ray limits with magnetic field constraints.

Findings

Pure secondary models overpredict gamma-ray emission unless magnetic fields are large.

Reacceleration models can fit radio data and gamma-ray limits without conflicting with magnetic field constraints.

Broader turbulence and primary electron reacceleration ease model requirements.

Abstract

We combine all available information about the spectral shape and morphology of the radio halo of the Coma cluster with the gamma-ray upper limits obtained by the Fermi-LAT and with the magnetic field strength derived from Faraday rotation measures (RM). We explore the possibility that the radio halo is due to synchrotron emission of secondary electrons generated via p-p collisions in the intra-cluster-medium (ICM). First we investigate the case of pure secondary models. We use the observed spatial distribution of the halo's radio brightness to constrain the amount of cosmic rays (CRs) and their spatial distribution in the cluster that are required by the model. Under the canonical assumption that the spectrum of CRs is a power-law in momentum and that the spectrum of secondaries is stationary, we find that the combination of the steep spectrum of CRs necessary to explain the spectrum of the halo and their very broad spatial distribution (and large energy density) result in a gamma-ray emission in excess of present limits, unless the cluster magnetic field is sufficiently large. However such a field appears inconsistent with constraints from RM. Second we investigate more complex models based on secondary particles in which CR protons and their secondaries are all reaccelerated by MHD turbulence. We show that under these conditions it is possible to reproduce the radio data and to predict gamma-rays in agreement with the Fermi-LAT limits without tension with constraints on the cluster magnetic field. Reacceleration of secondaries by MHD turbulence also requires a spatial distribution of CRs much flatter than that of the ICM, if both the turbulent and magnetic field energy densities scale with that of the ICM. However broader spatial distributions of turbulence and field and/or the reacceleration of additional primary electrons in the ICM greatly alleviate this requirement.