The Coma cluster at LOFAR frequencies II: the halo, relic, and a new accretion relic

TL;DR

This study uses LOFAR observations at 144 MHz to reveal extensive radio structures in the Coma cluster, including a new accretion relic, and provides insights into particle acceleration and cosmic ray distribution in galaxy clusters.

Contribution

First detection of an accretion relic beyond the virial radius and analysis of spectral index variations, advancing understanding of particle acceleration in galaxy clusters.

Findings

The radio halo extends over 2 Mpc, the largest reported.

Discovery of a potential accretion relic beyond the virial radius.

Radial spectral steepening suggests non-uniform re-acceleration processes.

Abstract

We present LOw Frequency ARray observations of the Coma cluster field at 144\,MHz. The cluster hosts one of the most famous radio halos, a relic, and a low surface-brightness bridge. We detect new features that allow us to make a step forward in the understanding of particle acceleration in clusters. The radio halo extends for more than 2 Mpc, which is the largest extent ever reported. To the North-East of the cluster, beyond the Coma virial radius, we discover an arc-like radio source that could trace particles accelerated by an accretion shock. To the West of the halo, coincident with a shock detected in the X-rays, we confirm the presence of a radio front, with different spectral properties with respect to the rest of the halo. We detect a radial steepening of the radio halo spectral index between 144 MHz and 342 MHz, at $\sim 30^{\prime}$ from the cluster centre, that may indicate a non constant re-acceleration time throughout the volume. We also detect a mild steepening of the spectral index towards the cluster centre. For the first time, a radial change in the slope of the radio-X-ray correlation is found, and we show that such a change could indicate an increasing fraction of cosmic ray versus thermal energy density in the cluster outskirts. Finally, we investigate the origin of the emission between the relic and the source NGC 4789, and we argue that NGC4789 could have crossed the shock originating the radio emission visible between its tail and the relic.