Application of a self-similar pressure profile to Sunyaev–Zel'dovich effect data from galaxy clusters
Creators
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Mroczkowski, Tony1, 2
- Bonamente, Max3, 4
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Carlstrom, John E.5
- Culverhouse, Thomas L.5
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Greer, Christopher5
- Hawkins, David6
- Hennessy, Ryan5
- Joy, Marshall4
- Lamb, James W.6
- Leitch, Erik M.5
- Loh, Michael5
- Maughan, Ben7, 8
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Marrone, Daniel P.5, 9
- Miller, Amber1
- Muchovej, Stephen1
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Nagai, Daisuke10
- Pryke, Clem5
- Sharp, Matthew5
- Woody, David6
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1.
Columbia University
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2.
University of Pennsylvania
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3.
University of Alabama in Huntsville
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4.
Marshall Space Flight Center
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5.
University of Chicago
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6.
California Institute of Technology
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7.
University of Bristol
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8.
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
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9.
National Radio Astronomy Observatory
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10.
Yale University
Abstract
We investigate the utility of a new, self-similar pressure profile for fitting Sunyaev–Zel'dovich (SZ) effect observations of galaxy clusters. Current SZ imaging instruments–such as the Sunyaev–Zel'dovich Array (SZA)– are capable of probing clusters over a large range in a physical scale. A model is therefore required that can accurately describe a cluster's pressure profile over a broad range of radii from the core of the cluster out to a significant fraction of the virial radius. In the analysis presented here, we fit a radial pressure profile derived from simulations and detailed X-ray analysis of relaxed clusters to SZA observations of three clusters with exceptionally high-quality X-ray data: A1835, A1914, and CL J1226.9+3332. From the joint analysis of the SZ and X-ray data, we derive physical properties such as gas mass, total mass, gas fraction and the intrinsic, integrated Compton y-parameter. We find that parameters derived from the joint fit to the SZ and X-ray data agree well with a detailed, independent X-ray-only analysis of the same clusters. In particular, we find that, when combined with X-ray imaging data, this new pressure profile yields an independent electron radial temperature profile that is in good agreement with spectroscopic X-ray measurements.
Additional Information
© 2009. Received 2008 September 29; accepted 2009 January 9; published 2009 March 20. We thank John Cartwright, Ben Reddall, and Marcus Runyan for their significant contributions to the construction and commissioning of the SZA instrument. We thank Esra Bulbul and Nicole Hasler for their insights, comments, and help with Chandra X-ray Observatory (CXO) data reduction and figure production. We thank the staff of the Owens Valley Radio Observatory and CARMA for their outstanding support. We thank Samuel LaRoque for his help with themodeling code.We gratefully acknowledge the James S. McDonnell Foundation, the National Science Foundation and the University of Chicago for funding to construct the SZA. The operation of the SZA is supported by NSF Division of Astronomical Sciences through grant AST-0604982. Partial support is provided by NSF Physics Frontier Center grant PHY-0114422 to the Kavli Institute of Cosmological Physics at the University of Chicago, and by NSF grants AST-0507545 and AST-05-07161 to Columbia University.A.M. acknowledges support from a Sloan Fellowship, D.P.M. from an NRAO Jansky Fellowship, B.M. from a Chandra Fellowship, and C.G., S.M., and M.S. from NSF Graduate Research Fellowships.Attached Files
Published - Mroczkowski2009p1367Astrophys_J.pdf
Files
Mroczkowski2009p1367Astrophys_J.pdf
Additional details
Identifiers
- Eprint ID
- 14164
- Resolver ID
- CaltechAUTHORS:20090506-113043599
Funding
- James S. McDonnell Foundation
- NSF
- AST-0604982
- NSF
- PHY-0114422
- NSF
- AST-0507545
- NSF
- AST-0507545
- Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
- National Radio Astronomy Observatory Jansky Fellowship
- NASA Chandra Fellowship
- PF5-60041
- NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
Dates
- Created
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2009-05-11Created from EPrint's datestamp field
- Updated
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2021-11-08Created from EPrint's last_modified field
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- Caltech groups
- Physics Department