• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.323-328
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• 2004

In this paper we review the observational results on Relic radio sources in clusters of galaxies. We discuss their observational properties, structures and radio spectra. We will show that Relics can be divided according to their size, morphology, and location in the galaxy cluster. These differences could be related to physical properties of Relic sources. The comparison with cluster conditions suggests that Relics could be related to shock waves originated by cluster mergers.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.83-92
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• 2016

The Toothbrush radio relic associated with the merging cluster 1RXS J060303.3 is presumed to be produced by relativistic electrons accelerated at merger-driven shocks. Since the shock Mach number inferred from the observed radio spectral index, M_radio ≈ 2.8, is larger than that estimated from X-ray observations, M_X ≲ 1.5, we consider the re-acceleration model in which a weak shock of M_s ≈ 1.2 - 1.5 sweeps through the intracluster plasma with a preshock population of relativistic electrons. We find the models with a power-law momentum spectrum with the slope, s ≈ 4.6, and the cutoff Lorentz factor, γ_e,c ≈ 7-8×10⁴ can reproduce reasonably well the observed profiles of radio uxes and integrated radio spectrum of the head portion of the Toothbrush relic. This study confirms the strong connection between the ubiquitous presence of fossil relativistic plasma originated from AGNs and the shock-acceleration model of radio relics in the intracluster medium.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.30.1-30.1
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• 2020

The ASKAP-EMU survey is a deep wide-field radio continuum survey designed to cover the entire southern sky and a significant fraction of the northern sky up to +30°. Here, we report a discovery of a radio relic in the merging cluster SPT-CL J2023-5535 at z=0.23 from the ASKAP-EMU pilot 300 square degree survey (800-1088 MHz). The deep high-resolution data reveal a ~2 Mpc-scale radio halo elongated in the east-west direction, coincident with the intracluster gas. The radio relic is located at the western edge of this radio halo stretched ~0.5 Mpc in the north-south orientation. The integrated spectral index of the radio relic within the narrow bandwidth is α1088MHz800MHz = -0.76 ± 0.06. Our weak-lensing analysis shows that the system is massive (M200 = 1.04 ± 0.36 × 1015M⊙) and composed of at least three subclusters. We suggest a scenario, wherein the radio features arise from the collision between the eastern and middle subclusters. Furthermore, the direct link between the local AGN and the relic along with the discontinuities in X-ray observation hint us that we are looking at the site of re-acceleration.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.30.1-30.1
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• 2015

Radio relics are diffuse radio sources found in the outskirts of galaxy clusters and they are thought to trace synchrotron-emitting relativistic electrons accelerated at shocks. We explore a diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) model for radio relics in which a spherical shock with the parameters relevant for the Sausage radio relic in cluster CIZA J2242.8+5301 impinges on a magnetized cloud containing fossil relativistic electrons. This model is expected to explain some observed characteristics of giant radio relics such as the relative rareness, uniform surface brightness along the length of thin arc-like radio structure, and spectral curvature in the integrated radio spectrum. We find that the observed surface brightness profile of the Sausage relic can be explained reasonably well by shocks with speed $u_s{\sim}3{\times}10^3km/s$ and sonic Mach number $M_s{\sim}3$. These shocks also produce curved radio spectra that steepen gradually over $(0.1-10){\nu}_{br}$ with a break frequency ${\nu}_{br}{\sim}1GHz$, if the duration of electron acceleration is ~60-80 Myr. However, the abrupt increase in the spectral index above ~1.5 GHz observed in the Sausage relic seems to indicate that additional physical processes, other than radiative losses, operate for electrons with the Lorentz factor, ${\gamma}_e$ > $10^4$.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.145-155
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• 2016

The Sausage radio relic is the arc-like radio structure in the cluster CIZA J2242.8+5301, whose observed properties can be best understood by synchrotron emission from relativistic electrons accelerated at a merger-driven shock. However, there remain a few puzzles that cannot be explained by the shock acceleration model with only in-situ injection. In particular, the Mach number inferred from the observed radio spectral index, M_radio ≈ 4.6, while the Mach number estimated from X-ray observations, M_X−ray ≈ 2.7. In an attempt to resolve such a discrepancy, here we consider the re-acceleration model in which a shock of M_s ≈ 3 sweeps through the intracluster gas with a pre-existing population of relativistic electrons. We find that observed brightness profiles at multi frequencies provide strong constraints on the spectral shape of pre-existing electrons. The models with a power-law momentum spectrum with the slope, s ≈ 4.1, and the cutoff Lorentz factor, γ_e,c ≈ 3−5×10⁴, can reproduce reasonably well the observed spatial profiles of radio fluxes and integrated radio spectrum of the Sausage relic. The possible origins of such relativistic electrons in the intracluster medium remain to be investigated further.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.39.2-39.2
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• 2019

Diffuse radio emissions at the outskirt of merging galaxy clusters called radio relics provide a unique channel to understand the merger history. We present a recent discovery of double radio relics in the cluster merger ZwCL1447+2619 from our recent Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope observations. Both Band 3 (300-500 MHz) and Band 4 (550-850 MHz) data reveal a large (~1Mpc) and thin (~40kpc) radio relic ~1Mpc from the cluster X-ray center and a small radio relic (~0.3 Mpc) on the opposite side. These remarkable radio data together with Subaru weak-lensing analysis and Chandra X-ray observations enable us to reconstruct the merger scenario. Our preliminary analysis suggests that the cluster ZwCL J1447+2619 is a post-merger near its returning phase. In addition, using Keck DEIMOS spectroscopy, we find many "green" and "blue" member galaxies are located between the radio relics, a possible indication of merger shock-driven star formation activities.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.36.4-37
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• 2017

Although most of observed properties of giant radio relics detected in the outskirts of galaxy clusters could be explained by relativistic electrons accelerated at merger-driven shocks, a few significant puzzles remain. In some relics the shock Mach number inferred from X-ray observations is smaller than that estimated from radio spectral index. Such a discrepancy could be understood, if either the shock Mach number is nder-estimated in X-ray observation due to projection effects, or if pre-existing electrons with a flat spectrum are re-accelerated by a weak shock, retaining the flat spectral form. In this study, we explore these two scenarios by comparing the results of shock acceleration simulations with observed features of the so-called Toothbrush relic in the merging cluster 1RXS J060303.3. We find that both models could reproduce reasonably well the observed radio flux and spectral index profiles and the integrated radio spectrum. Either way, the broad transverse relic profile requires additional post shock electron acceleration by downstream turbulence.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.34.1-34.1
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• 2021

Abell 1240 is a merging galaxy cluster hosting prominent, symmetric double radio relics. To constrain its merging history, we provide the first weak-lensing analysis of the dark matter distribution of the Abell 1240 field with Subaru/Suprime-Cam observations after robustly addressing instrumental systematics. We also investigate the cluster galaxy distributions, combining our new MMT/Hectospec observations and the spectroscopic redshifts from the literature. Both weak-lensing mass reconstruction and galaxy distribution show that Abell 1240 consists of two subclusters stretched north to south between the double radio relics. We quantify the significance of the substructures and present their mass estimates. Finally, we discuss a merging stage of Abell 1240 with the current weak-lensing results and the radio relic priors.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.93-103
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• 2017

We explore the shock acceleration model for giant radio relics, in which relativistic electrons are accelerated via diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) by merger-driven shocks in the outskirts of galaxy clusters. In addition to DSA, turbulent acceleration by compressive MHD modes downstream of the shock are included as well as energy losses of postshock electrons due to Coulomb scattering, synchrotron emission, and inverse Compton scattering off the cosmic background radiation. Considering that only a small fraction of merging clusters host radio relics, we favor a reacceleration scenario in which radio relics are generated preferentially by shocks encountering the regions containing low-energy (${\gamma}_e{\leq}300$) cosmic ray electrons (CRe). We perform time-dependent DSA simulations of spherically expanding shocks with physical parameters relevant for the Sausage radio relic, and calculate the radio synchrotron emission from the accelerated CRe. We find that significant level of postshock turbulent acceleration is required in order to reproduce broad profiles of the observed radio flux densities of the Sausage relic. Moreover, the spectral curvature in the observed integrated radio spectrum can be explained, if the putative shock should have swept up and exited out of the preshock region of fossil CRe about 10 Myr ago.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.60.3-61
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• 2018

Abell 115 is a renowned cluster merger at z=0.197. It exhibits an asymmetric X-ray distribution with cometary tails and a megaparsec-sized radio relic stretching in the northeastern direction from the core of the northern cluster. Many observations have concluded that this cluster merger has a large impact parameter, but there has been no numerical analysis on the structure of Abell 115. In this study, we simulate Abell 115 with Gadget2 N-body/SPH code to reproduce the X-ray and weak lensing features of Abell 115. We find a new plausible merger scenario of Abell 115, wherein the northern cluster is currently in an outgoing phase. The predicted X-ray emission has a similar morphology to the observed tail of the northern cluster. However, in order to reproduce the observed line-of-sight velocity and projected distance while maintaining the two systems gravitationally bound, the system should possess a large projection angle, which makes the shock look considerably more diffused than the observed radio relic.