12 Search Results

Absmore » tract We present the discovery of the most distant, dynamically relaxed cool core cluster, SPT-CL J2215−3537 (SPT2215), and its central brightest cluster galaxy (BCG) at z = 1.16. Using new X-ray observations, we demonstrate that SPT2215 harbors a strong cool core with a central cooling time of 200 Myr (at 10 kpc) and a maximal intracluster medium cooling rate of 1900 ± 400 M _⊙ yr ⁻¹ . This prodigious cooling may be responsible for fueling the extended, star-forming filaments observed in Hubble Space Telescope imaging. Based on new spectrophotometric data, we detect bright [O ii ] emission in the BCG, implying an unobscured star formation rate (SFR) of ${320}_{-140}^{+230}$ M _⊙ yr ⁻¹ . The detection of a weak radio source (2.0 ± 0.8 mJy at 0.8 GHz) suggests ongoing feedback from an active galactic nucleus (AGN), though the implied jet power is less than half the cooling luminosity of the hot gas, consistent with cooling overpowering heating. The extreme cooling and SFR of SPT2215 are rare among known cool core clusters, and it is even more remarkable that we observe these at such high redshift, when most clusters are still dynamically disturbed. The high mass of this cluster, coupled with the fact that it is dynamically relaxed with a highly isolated BCG, suggests that it is an exceptionally rare system that must have formed very rapidly in the early universe. Combined with the high SFR, SPT2215 may be a high- z analog of the Phoenix cluster, potentially providing insight into the limits of AGN feedback and star formation in the most massive galaxies.« less

We present ~103 ks of Chandra observations of the galaxy cluster SPT-CLJ0528-5300 (SPT0528, z = 0.768). This cluster harbors the most radio-loud (L _1.4GHz = 1.01 × 10³³ erg s^-1 Hz^-1) central active galactic nucleus (AGN) of any cluster in the South Pole Telescope (SPT) Sunyaev–Zeldovich survey with available X-ray data. We find evidence of AGN-inflated cavities in the X-ray emission, which are consistent with the orientation of the jet direction revealed by Australia Telescope Compact Array radio data. The combined probability that two such depressions—each at ~1.4–1.8σ significance, oriented ~180° apart and aligned with the jet axis—would occur bymore » chance is 0.1%. At 10⁶¹ erg, the outburst in SPT0528 is among the most energetic known in the universe, and certainly the most powerful known at z > 0.25. This work demonstrates that such powerful outbursts can be detected even in shallow X-ray exposures out to relatively high redshifts (z ~ 0.8), providing an avenue for studying the evolution of extreme AGN feedback. The ratio of the cavity power ( erg s^-1) to the cooling luminosity (L _cool = (1.5 ± 0.5) × 10⁴⁴ erg s^-1) for SPT0528 is among the highest measured to date. If, in the future, additional systems are discovered at similar redshifts with equally high P _cav/L _cool ratios, it would imply that the feedback/cooling cycle was not as gentle at high redshifts as in the low-redshift universe.« less

We derive cosmological constraints using a galaxy cluster sample selected from the 2500 deg(2) SPT-SZ survey. The sample spans the redshift range 0.25 < z < 1.75 and contains 343 clusters with SZ detection significance xi > 5. The sample is supplemented with optical weak gravitational lensing measurements of 32 clusters with 0.29 < z < 1.13 (from Magellan and Hubble Space Telescope) and X-ray measurements of 89 clusters with 0.25 < z < 1.75 (from Chandra). We rely on minimal modeling assumptions: (i) weak lensing provides an accurate means of measuring halo masses, (ii) the mean SZ and X-raymore » observables are related to the true halo mass through power-law relations in mass and dimensionless Hubble parameter E(z) with a priori unknown parameters, and (iii) there is (correlated, lognormal) intrinsic scatter and measurement noise relating these observables to their mean relations. We simultaneously fit for these astrophysical modeling parameters and for cosmology. Assuming a flat nu Lambda CDM model, in which the sum of neutrino masses is a free parameter, we measure Omega(m) = 0.276 +/- 0.047, sigma(8) = 0.781 +/- 0.037, and sigma(8)(Omega(m)/0.3)(0.2) = 0.766 +/- 0.025. The redshift evolutions of the X-ray Y-X-mass and M-gas-mass relations are both consistent with self-similar evolution to within 1 sigma. The mass slope of the Y-X-mass relation shows a 2.3 sigma deviation from self-similarity. Similarly, the mass slope of the M-gas-mass relation is steeper than self-similarity at the 2.5 sigma level. In a nu omega CDM cosmology, we measure the dark energy equation-of-state parameter w = -1.55 +/- 0.41 from the cluster data. We perform a measurement of the growth of structure since redshift z similar to 1.7 and find no evidence for tension with the prediction from general relativity. This is the first analysis of the SPT cluster sample that uses direct weak-lensing mass calibration and is a step toward using the much larger weak-lensing data set from DES. We provide updated redshift and mass estimates for the SPT sample.« less

We present a multi-wavelength analysis of the four most relaxed clusters in the South Pole Telescope 2500 deg² survey, which lie at 0.55 < z < 0.75. This study, which utilizes new, deep data from Chandra and Hubble, along with ground-based spectroscopy from Gemini and Magellan, improves significantly on previous studies in both depth and angular resolution, allowing us to directly compare to clusters at z~0. We find that the temperature, density, and entropy profiles of the intracluster medium (ICM) are very similar among the four clusters, and share similar shapes to clusters at z~0. Specifically, we find no evidencemore » for deviations from self similarity in the temperature profile over the radial range 10kpc < r < 1Mpc, implying that the processes responsible for preventing runaway cooling over the past >6 Gyr are, at least roughly, preserving self similarity. We find typical metallicities of ~0.3 Zsun in the bulk of the ICM, rising to ~0.5 Zsun in the inner ~100 kpc, and reaching ~1 Zsun at r < 10kpc. This central excess is similar in magnitude to what is observed in the most relaxed clusters at z~0, suggesting that both the global metallicity and the central excess that we see in cool core clusters at z~0 were in place very early in the cluster lifetime and, specifically, that the central excess is not due to late-time enrichment by the central galaxy. Consistent with observations at z~0, we measure a diversity of stellar populations in the central brightest cluster galaxies of these four clusters, with star formation rates spanning a factor of ~500, despite the similarity in cooling time, cooling rate, and central entropy. These data suggest that, while the details vary dramatically from system to system, runaway cooling has been broadly regulated in relaxed clusters over the past 6 Gyr.« less

We present the results of a Chandra X-ray survey of the 8 most massive galaxy clusters at z > 1.2 in the South Pole Telescope 2500 deg2 survey. We combine this sample with previously-published Chandra observations of 49 massive X-ray-selected clusters at 0 < z < 0.1 and 90 SZ-selected clusters at 0.25 < z < 1.2 to constrain the evolution of the intracluster medium (ICM) over the past ~10 Gyr. We find that the bulk of the ICM has evolved self similarly over the full redshift range probed here, with the ICM density at r > 0.2R500 scaling likemore » E(z) 2 . In the centers of clusters (r . 0.01R500), we find significant deviations from self similarity (ne ∝ E(z) 0.1±0.5 ), consistent with no redshift dependence. When we isolate clusters with over-dense cores (i.e., cool cores), we find that the average over-density profile has not evolved with redshift – that is, cool cores have not changed in size, density, or total mass over the past ~9–10 Gyr. We show that the evolving “cuspiness” of clusters in the Xray, reported by several previous studies, can be understood in the context of a cool core with fixed properties embedded in a self similarly-evolving cluster. We find no measurable evolution in the X-ray morphology of massive clusters, seemingly in tension with the rapidly-rising (with redshift) rate of major mergers predicted by cosmological simulations. We show that these two results can be brought into agreement if we assume that the relaxation time after a merger is proportional to the crossing time, since the latter is proportional to H(z) -1.« less

We present a quantitative study of the X-ray morphology of galaxy clusters, as a function of their detection method and redshift. We analyze two separate samples of galaxy clusters: a sample of 36 clusters at $$0.35\lt z\lt 0.9$$ selected in the X-ray with the ROSAT PSPC 400 deg(2) survey, and a sample of 90 clusters at $$0.25\lt z\lt 1.2$$ selected via the Sunyaev–Zel’dovich (SZ) effect with the South Pole Telescope. Clusters from both samples have similar-quality Chandra observations, which allow us to quantify their X-ray morphologies via two distinct methods: centroid shifts (w) and photon asymmetry ($${A}_{\mathrm{phot}}$$). The latter techniquemore » provides nearly unbiased morphology estimates for clusters spanning a broad range of redshift and data quality. We further compare the X-ray morphologies of X-ray- and SZ-selected clusters with those of simulated clusters. We do not find a statistically significant difference in the measured X-ray morphology of X-ray and SZ-selected clusters over the redshift range probed by these samples, suggesting that the two are probing similar populations of clusters. We find that the X-ray morphologies of simulated clusters are statistically indistinguishable from those of X-ray- or SZ-selected clusters, implying that the most important physics for dictating the large-scale gas morphology (outside of the core) is well-approximated in these simulations. Finally, we find no statistically significant redshift evolution in the X-ray morphology (both for observed and simulated clusters), over the range of $$z\sim 0.3$$ to $$z\sim 1$$, seemingly in contradiction with the redshift-dependent halo merger rate predicted by simulations.« less

We report new ALMA observations of the CO(3-2) line emission from the $$2.1\pm0.3\times10^{10}\rm\thinspace M_{\odot}$$ molecular gas reservoir in the central galaxy of the Phoenix cluster. The cold molecular gas is fuelling a vigorous starburst at a rate of $$500-800\rm\thinspace M_{\odot}\rm\; yr^{-1}$$ and powerful black hole activity in the form of both intense quasar radiation and radio jets. The radio jets have inflated huge bubbles filled with relativistic plasma into the hot, X-ray atmospheres surrounding the host galaxy. The ALMA observations show that extended filaments of molecular gas, each $$10-20\rm\; kpc$$ long with a mass of several billion solar masses, aremore » located along the peripheries of the radio bubbles. The smooth velocity gradients and narrow line widths along each filament reveal massive, ordered molecular gas flows around each bubble, which are inconsistent with gravitational free-fall. The molecular clouds have been lifted directly by the radio bubbles, or formed via thermal instabilities induced in low entropy gas lifted in the updraft of the bubbles. These new data provide compelling evidence for close coupling between the radio bubbles and the cold gas, which is essential to explain the self-regulation of feedback. As a result, the very feedback mechanism that heats hot atmospheres and suppresses star formation may also paradoxically stimulate production of the cold gas required to sustain feedback in massive galaxies.« less

X-ray cavities are key tracers of mechanical (or radio mode) heating arising from the active galactic nuclei (AGNs) in brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs). We report on a survey for X-ray cavities in 83 massive, high-redshift ($$0.4\lt z\lt 1.2$$) clusters of galaxies selected by their Sunyaev-Zel'dovich signature in the South Pole Telescope data. Based on Chandra X-ray images, we find a total of six clusters having symmetric pairs of surface brightness depressions consistent with the picture of radio jets inflating X-ray cavities in the intracluster medium (ICM). The majority of these detections are of relatively low significance and require deeper follow-upmore » data in order to be confirmed. Further, this search will miss small (<10 kpc) X-ray cavities that are unresolved by Chandra at high ($$z\gtrsim 0.5$$) redshift. Despite these limitations, our results suggest that the power generated by AGN feedback in BCGs has remained unchanged for over half of the age of the universe ($$\gt 7$$ Gyr at $$z\sim 0.8$$). On average, the detected X-ray cavities have powers of $$(0.8-5)\times {{10}^{45}}\ {\rm erg}\ {{{\rm s}}^{-1}}$$, enthalpies of $$(3-6)\times {{10}^{59}}\ {\rm erg}$$, and radii of ~17 kpc. Integrating over 7 Gyr, we find that the supermassive black holes in BCGs may have accreted 108 to several $${{10}^{9}}\;{{M}_{\odot }}$$ of material to power these outflows. This level of accretion indicates that significant supermassive black hole growth may occur not only at early times, in the quasar era, but at late times as well. We also find that X-ray cavities at high redshift may inject an excess heat of 0.1–1.0 keV per particle into the hot ICM above and beyond the energy needed to offset cooling. Although this result needs to be confirmed, we note that the magnitude of excess heating is similar to the energy needed to preheat clusters, break self-similarity, and explain the excess entropy in hot atmospheres.« less

X-ray cavities are key tracers of mechanical (or radio mode) heating arising from the active galactic nuclei (AGNs) in brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs). We report on a survey for X-ray cavities in 83 massive, high-redshift ($$0.4\lt z\lt 1.2$$) clusters of galaxies selected by their Sunyaev-Zel’dovich signature in the South Pole Telescope data. Based on Chandra X-ray images, we find a total of six clusters having symmetric pairs of surface brightness depressions consistent with the picture of radio jets inflating X-ray cavities in the intracluster medium (ICM). The majority of these detections are of relatively low significance and require deeper follow-upmore » data in order to be confirmed. Further, this search will miss small (<10 kpc) X-ray cavities that are unresolved by Chandra at high ($$z\gtrsim 0.5$$) redshift. Despite these limitations, our results suggest that the power generated by AGN feedback in BCGs has remained unchanged for over half of the age of the universe ($$\gt 7$$ Gyr at $$z\sim 0.8$$). On average, the detected X-ray cavities have powers of $$(0.8-5)\times {{10}^{45}}\ {\rm erg}\ {{{\rm s}}^{-1}}$$, enthalpies of $$(3-6)\times {{10}^{59}}\ {\rm erg}$$, and radii of ~17 kpc. Integrating over 7 Gyr, we find that the supermassive black holes in BCGs may have accreted 10(8) to several $${{10}^{9}}\,{{M}_{\odot }}$$ of material to power these outflows. This level of accretion indicates that significant supermassive black hole growth may occur not only at early times, in the quasar era, but at late times as well. We also find that X-ray cavities at high redshift may inject an excess heat of 0.1–1.0 keV per particle into the hot ICM above and beyond the energy needed to offset cooling. Although this result needs to be confirmed, we note that the magnitude of excess heating is similar to the energy needed to preheat clusters, break self-similarity, and explain the excess entropy in hot atmospheres.« less

We present cosmological parameter constraints obtained from galaxy clusters identified by their SunyaevZel'dovich effect signature in the 2500 square-degree South Pole Telescope Sunyaev Zel'dovich (SPT-SZ) survey. We consider the 377 cluster candidates identified at z > 0.25 with a detection significance greater than five, corresponding to the 95% purity threshold for the survey. We compute constraints on cosmological models using the measured cluster abundance as a function of mass and redshift. We include additional constraints from multi-wavelength observations, including Chandra X-ray data for 82 clusters and a weak lensing-based prior on the normalization of the mass-observable scaling relations. Assuming amore » spatially flat Lambda CDM cosmology, we combine the cluster data with a prior on H-0 and find sigma(8)= 0.784. +/- 0.039 and Omega(m) = 0.289. +/- 0.042, with the parameter combination sigma(8) (Omega(m)/0.27)(0.3) = 0.797 +/- 0.031. These results are in good agreement with constraints from the cosmic microwave background (CMB) from SPT, WMAP, and Planck, as well as with constraints from other cluster data sets. We also consider several extensions to Lambda CDM, including models in which the equation of state of dark energy w, the species-summed neutrino mass, and/or the effective number of relativistic species (N-eff) are free parameters. When combined with constraints from the Planck CMB, H-0, baryon acoustic oscillation, and SNe, adding the SPT cluster data improves the w constraint by 14%, to w = -1.023 +/- 0.042.« less