http://arxiv.org/abs/1510.05951
We present the study of the structure and dynamical status of the galaxy system A523. Our analysis is based on new spectroscopic data for 132 galaxies (TNG), new photometric data (INT), X-ray data (Chandra archive), and radio data (VLA archive). We present the first measures of velocity dispersion of the galaxy population, 949 km/s, and global X-ray temperature of the hot ICM, 5.3 keV. We infer that A523 is a massive system, M200 about 7-9 10E14 Msun. Our analysis of optical data confirms the presence of two subclusters, 0.75 Mpc apart, tracing the SSW-NNE direction, finds that they are (little) separated in velocity, and identifies the two dominant galaxies (BCG1 and BCG2). We show that the X-ray surface brightness is strongly elongated towards the NNE direction, and its peak is clearly offsetted from both the BCGs, and quantify the presence of substructure. We confirm the presence of a 1.3 Mpc large central radio source, its main ESE-WNW elongation perpendicular to the optical/X-ray elongation, and the previous halo classification. We determine a large radio/X-ray peaks offset and detect evidence of polarization, being this detected in only very few radio halos. The radio/X-ray offset and polarization might be the result of having most magnetic field energy on large spatial scales, as shown by our ad hoc simulations. Most properties are consistent with scaling relations followed by other clusters hosting radio halos, but A523 is shown to be peculiar in the Pradio-Lx plane, having a higher radio power or a lower X-ray luminosity than expected. According to main optical and X-ray features, A523 can be described as a binary head–on merger after the primary collision in the SSW-NNE direction. However, both optical and radio data show some evidence in favor of a more complex cluster structure with A523 forming at the cross of two filaments, along SSW-NNE and ESE-WNW directions.
M. Girardi, W. Boschin, F. Gastaldello, et. al.
Wed, 21 Oct 15
53/66
Comments: MNRAS submitted, 19 pages, 20 figures