Properties of Shocks in Simulated Merging Clusters

Shocks are induced in the intracluster medium by mergers of subclusters during the hierarchical structure formation of the universe. Radio relics detected in the outskirts of galaxy clusters have been interpreted as diffuse synchrotron emission from cosmic ray electrons accelerated at such merger shocks. Using a set of cosmological hydrodynamic simulations, we study how the properties of merger-driven shocks depend on the parameters such as the mass ratio and impact parameter of mergers. In particular, we examine the distribution of the Mach number and energetics of shocks associated with synthetic radio relics in simulated merging clusters. In this poster, we will present the preliminary results and the implications.