Implications of a High Angular Resolution Image of the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Effect in RXJ1347-1145

• Published in: arXiv.org
• Main Authors: Mason, B S, Dicker, S R, Korngut, P M, Devlin, M J, Cotton, W D, Koch, P M, Molnar, S M, Sievers, J L, Aguirre, J E, Benford, D, Staguhn, J G, Moseley, H, Irwin, K D, Ade, P A R
• Format: Paper Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ithaca Cornell University Library, arXiv.org 10.05.2010
• Subjects: Angular resolution; Bolometers; Clusters; Emission; Physics - Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
• ISSN: 2331-8422
• DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.0910.5025

The most X-ray luminous cluster known, RXJ1347-1145 (z=0.45), has been the object of extensive study across the electromagnetic spectrum. We have imaged the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Effect (SZE) at 90 GHz (3.3 mm) in RXJ1347-1145 at 10" resolution with the 64-pixel MUSTANG bolometer array on the Green Bank Telescope (GBT), confirming a previously reported strong, localized enhancement of the SZE 20" to the South-East of the center of X-ray emission. This enhancement of the SZE has been interpreted as shock-heated (> 20 keV) gas caused by an ongoing major (low mass-ratio) merger event. Our data support this interpretation. We also detect a pronounced asymmetry in the projected cluster pressure profile, with the pressure just east of the cluster core ~1.6 times higher than just to the west. This is the highest resolution image of the SZE made to date.