Exploring Cluster Physics with High-Resolution Sunyaev-Zel’dovich Effect Images and X-Ray Data: The Case of the Most X-Ray-Luminous Galaxy Cluster RX J1347—1145

Abstract

Abstract Foreseeing the era of high spatial resolution measurements of the Sunyaev–Zel’dovich effect (SZE) in clusters of galaxies, we present a prototype analysis of this sort combined with Chandra X-ray data. It is applied specifically to RX J1347$-$1145 at $z=0.451$, the most X-ray-luminous galaxy cluster known, for which the highest resolution SZE and X-ray images are currently available. We demonstrate that the combined analysis yields a unique probe of complex structures in the intracluster medium, offering determinations of their temperature, density, and line-of-sight extent. For a subclump in RX J1347$-$1145, previously discovered in our SZE map, the temperature inferred after removing the foreground and background components is well in excess of 20 keV, indicating that the cluster has recently undergone a violent merger. Excluding the region around this subclump, the SZE signals in submillimeter to centimeter bands (350, 150, and 21 GHz) are all consistent with those expected from Chandra X-ray observations. We further present a temperature deprojection technique based on the SZE and X-ray images, without any knowledge of spatially resolved X-ray spectroscopy. The methodology presented here will be applicable to a statistical sample of clusters available in the future SZE surveys.