An Examination of the Optical Substructure of Galaxy Clusters Hosting Radio Sources

TL;DR

This study investigates the optical substructure of galaxy clusters hosting radio sources, testing if bent radio sources are linked to cluster mergers, and finds no significant difference in substructure presence.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive analysis of optical substructure in clusters with various radio source morphologies, challenging the assumption that bent sources indicate mergers.

Findings

No significant substructure preference in clusters with bent radio sources

Comparison of substructure rates across different radio source types

Use of multiple substructure analysis tools

Abstract

Using radio sources from the Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-cm (FIRST) survey, and optical counterparts in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), we have identified a large number of galaxy clusters. The radio sources within these clusters are driven by active galactic nuclei, and our cluster samples include clusters with bent, and straight, double-lobed radio sources. We also included a single-radio-component comparison sample. We examine these galaxy clusters for evidence of optical substructure, testing the possibility that bent double-lobed radio sources are formed as a result of large-scale cluster mergers. We use a suite of substructure analysis tools to determine the location and extent of substructure visible in the optical distribution of cluster galaxies, and compare the rates of substructure in clusters with different types of radio sources. We found no preference for significant substructure in clusters hosting bent double-lobed radio sources compared to those with other types of radio sources.