The evolution of diffuse radio sources in galaxy clusters

Ping Hung Kuo, Chorng Yuan Hwang, Wing Huen Ip

研究成果: 雜誌貢獻期刊論文同行評審

15 引文 斯高帕斯(Scopus)

摘要

We investigate the evolution and number distribution of radio halos in galaxy clusters. Without reacceleration or regeneration, the relativistic electrons responsible for the diffuse radio emission will lose their energy via inverse Compton and synchrotron losses in a rather short time, and radio halos will have lifetimes ∼0.1 Gyr. Radio halos could last for ∼Gyr if a significant level of reacceleration is involved. The lifetimes of radio halos would be comparable with the cosmological time if the radio-emitting electrons are mainly the secondary electrons generated by pion decay following proton-proton collisions between cosmic-ray protons and the thermal intracluster medium within the galaxy clusters. Adopting both observational and theoretical constraints for the formation of radio halos, we calculate the formation rates and the comoving number density of radio halos in the hierarchical clustering scheme. Comparing with observations, we find that the lifetimes of radio halos are ∼Gyr. Our results indicate that a significant level of reacceleration is necessary for the observed radio halos and the secondary electrons may not be a dominant origin for radio halos.

原文???core.languages.en_GB???
頁(從 - 到)108-115
頁數8
期刊Astrophysical Journal
604
發行號1 I
DOIs
出版狀態已出版 - 20 3月 2004

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