The Massive and Distant Clusters of WISE Survey X: Initial Results from a Sunyaev-Zeldovich Effect Study of Massive Galaxy Clusters at z>1 using MUSTANG2 on the GBT

TL;DR

This study uses MUSTANG2 on the GBT to observe high-redshift galaxy clusters from the MaDCoWS survey, measuring their Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect to determine masses and pressure profiles, revealing insights into cluster properties and their evolution.

Contribution

First application of MUSTANG2 to measure SZE in MaDCoWS high-redshift clusters, providing new mass and pressure profile data and exploring cluster core disruption and optical richness relations.

Findings

Strong SZE detections in 14 of 16 clusters

Some clusters show flatter pressure profiles and core disruption signs

Optical richness may have a different relation to SZE-inferred mass than previously thought

Abstract

The properties of galaxy clusters as a function of redshift can be utilized as an important cosmological tool. We present initial results from a program of follow-up observations of the Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect (SZE) in high redshift galaxy clusters detected at infrared wavelengths in the Massive and Distant Clusters of WISE Survey (MaDCoWS). Using typical on-source integration times of 3-4 hours per cluster, MUSTANG2 on the Green Bank Telescope was able to measure strong detections of SZE decrements and statistically significant masses on 14 out of 16 targets. On the remaining two, weaker (3.7 sigma) detections of the SZE signal and strong upper limits on the masses were obtained. In this paper we present masses and pressure profiles of each target and outline the data analysis used to recover these quantities. Of the clusters with strong detections, three show significantly flatter pressure profiles while, from the MUSTANG2 data, five others show signs of disruption at their cores. However, outside of the cores of the clusters, we were unable to detect significant amounts of asymmetry. Finally, there are indications that the relationship between optical richness used by MaDCoWS and SZE-inferred mass may be significantly flatter than indicated in previous studies.