Simulating SZ intensity maps of giant AGN cocoons

TL;DR

This paper uses relativistic hydrodynamic simulations to model the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect in AGN cocoons, revealing that high-temperature gas significantly influences high-frequency SZ signals, aiding understanding of AGN cocoon dynamics.

Contribution

It introduces fully relativistic calculations of the SZ effect in AGN cocoons, highlighting the importance of high-temperature gas contributions at high frequencies.

Findings

High-temperature gas (kb Te ~ 100 keV) dominates SZ signal at high frequencies.

SZ observations at 217 GHz and above can reveal the dynamic components of AGN cocoons.

Relativistic spectral functions peak at high temperatures, enhancing SZ signals from AGN cocoons.

Abstract

We perform relativistic hydrodynamic simulations of the formation and evolution of AGN cocoons produced by very light powerful jets. We calculate the intensity maps of the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) effect at high frequencies for the simulated AGN cocoons using the relativistically correct Wright formalism. Our fully relativistic calculations demonstrate that the contribution from the high temperature gas (kb Te ~ 100 keV) to the SZ signal from AGN cocoons at high frequencies is stronger than that from the shocked ambient intercluster medium owing to the fact that the relativistic spectral functions peak at these temperature values. We present simulations of the SZ effect from AGN cocoons at various frequencies, and demonstrate that SZ observations at 217 GHz and at higher frequencies, such as 857 GHz, will provide us with knowledge about the dynamically-dominant component of AGN cocoons.