The most giant radio structures in the Universe

TL;DR

This paper discusses the discovery of giant radio bridges connecting galaxy clusters, providing evidence of particle acceleration and magnetic fields outside clusters, and advancing the understanding of the cosmic web's magnetization.

Contribution

It presents recent observational results on radio bridges, highlighting their significance in studying large-scale structure and cosmic magnetism.

Findings

Detection of 3-5 Mpc radio bridges between clusters

Evidence of particle acceleration outside galaxy clusters

Insights into magnetic field amplification mechanisms

Abstract

One of the exciting results of the last years concerning the study of the large-scale structure is the discovery of long (3-5 Mpc) bridges of radio emission connecting pairs of interacting clusters. This is the first direct evidence of the existence of particle acceleration and magnetic field amplification mechanisms outside galaxy clusters. Non-thermal components spread over such vast extents probe the dynamics of large-scale structures and the mechanisms of energy dissipation therein. In my talk, I will discuss recent results on radio bridges, showing how their observation represents a step forward in the search of the radio signature of the magnetized cosmic web.