A new method for finding and characterizing galaxy groups via low-frequency radio surveys
We describe a new method for identifying and characterizing the thermodynamic state of large samples of evolved galaxy groups at high redshifts using high-resolution, low-frequency radio surveys, such as those that will be carried out with LOFAR and the SquareKilometreArray.We identify a sub-population of morphologically regular powerful [Fanaroff-Riley type II (FR II)] radio galaxies and demonstrate that, for this sub-population, the internal pressure of the radio lobes is a reliable tracer of the external intragroup/intracluster medium (ICM) pressure, and that the assumption of a universal pressure profile for relaxed groups enables the total mass and X-ray luminosity to be estimated. Using a sample of well-studied FR II radio galaxies, we demonstrate that our method enables the estimation of group/cluster X-ray luminosities over three orders of magnitude in luminosity to within a factor of ~2 from low-frequency radio properties alone. Our method could provide a powerful new tool for building samples of thousands of evolved galaxy groups at z > 1 and characterizing their ICM.
Item Type | Article |
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Additional information | This article has been accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. ©: 2017 The Author(s). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society. All rights reserved. |
Keywords | galaxies: active, x-rays: galaxies: clusters, astronomy and astrophysics, space and planetary science |
Date Deposited | 15 May 2025 13:34 |
Last Modified | 31 May 2025 00:12 |
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