Probing Magnetic Field Morphology in Galaxy Clusters with the Gradient Technique

TL;DR

This study introduces a gradient technique to map the magnetic field orientation in galaxy clusters using X-ray and radio data, revealing field structures aligned with cluster features and feedback processes.

Contribution

The paper develops and applies a gradient-based method to determine magnetic field directions in galaxy clusters from emission maps, providing new insights into magnetic field morphology.

Findings

Magnetic fields follow sloshing arms in Perseus, consistent with simulations.

Detection of magnetic draping around bubbles and merging substructures.

Magnetic fields are predominantly azimuthal in cool-core cluster centers.

Abstract

Magnetic fields in the intracluster medium (ICM) affect the structure and the evolution of galaxy clusters. However, their properties are largely unknown, and measuring magnetic fields in galaxy clusters is challenging, especially on large-scales outside of individual radio sources. In this work, we probe the plane-of-the-sky orientation of magnetic fields in clusters using the intensity gradients. The technique is a branch of the Gradient Technique (GT) that employs emission intensity maps from turbulent gas. We utilize the Chandra X-ray images of the Perseus, M 87, Coma, and A2597 galaxy clusters, and the VLA radio observations of the synchrotron emission from Perseus. We find that the fields predominantly follow the sloshing arms in Perseus, which is in agreement with numerical simulations. The GT-predicted magnetic field shows signatures of magnetic draping around rising bubbles driven by supermassive black hole (SMBH) feedback in the centers of cool-core clusters, as well as draping around substructures merging with the Coma cluster. We calculate the mean-field orientation with respect to the radial direction in these clusters. In the central regions of cool-core clusters, the mean orientation of the magnetic fields is preferentially azimuthal. There is a broad agreement between the magnetic field of Perseus predicted using the X-ray and radio data. Further numerical studies and better future observations with higher resolution and the larger effective area will help reduce the uncertainties of this method.