Relics In Galaxy Clusters Research Articles

A semi-analytical model for the formation and evolution of radio relics in galaxy clusters

ABSTRACT Radio relics are Mpc-sized synchrotron sources located in the peripheral regions of galaxy clusters. Models based on the diffuse shock acceleration (DSA) scenario have been widely accepted to explain the formation of radio relics. However, a critical challenge to these models is that most observed shocks seem too weak to generate detectable emission, unless fossil electrons, a population of mildly energetic electrons that have been accelerated previously, are included in the models. To address this issue, we present a new semi-analytical model to describe the formation and evolution of radio relics by incorporating fossil relativistic electrons into DSA theory, which is constrained by a sample of 14 observed relics, and employ the Press–Schechter formalism to simulate the relics in a 20° × 20° sky field at 50, 158, and 1400 MHz, respectively. Results show that fossil electrons contribute significantly to the radio emission, which can generate radiation four orders of magnitude brighter than that solely produced by thermal electrons at 158 MHz, and the power distribution of our simulated radio relic catalogue can reconcile the observed P1400–Mvir relation. We predict that $7.1{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ clusters with $M_{\mathrm{vir}} \gt 1.2\times 10^{14}\, \mathrm{M}_{\odot }$ would host relics at 158 MHz, which is consistent with the result of $10 \pm 6{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ given by the Second Data Release of the LOFAR Two-meter Sky Survey. It is also found that radio relics are expected to cause severe foreground contamination in future epoch of reionization experiments, similar to that of radio haloes. The possibility of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) providing seed fossil relativistic electrons is evaluated by calculating the number of radio-loud AGNs that a shock is expected to encounter during its propagation.

How Merger-driven Gas Motions in Galaxy Clusters Can Turn AGN Bubbles into Radio Relics

Abstract Radio relics in galaxy clusters are extended synchrotron sources produced by cosmic-ray electrons in the microgauss magnetic field. Many relics are found in the cluster periphery and have a cluster-centric, narrow arc-like shape, which suggests that the electrons are accelerated or reaccelerated by merger shock fronts propagating outward in the intracluster plasma. In the X-ray, some relics do exhibit such shocks at the location of the relic, but many do not. We explore the possibility that radio relics trace not the shock fronts but the shape of the underlying distribution of seed relativistic electrons, lit up by a recent shock passage. We use magnetohydrodynamic simulations of cluster mergers and include bubbles of relativistic electrons injected by jets from the central active galactic nucleus or from an off-center radio galaxy. We show that the merger-driven gas motions (a) can advect the bubble cosmic rays to very large radii and (b) spread the relativistic seed electrons preferentially in the tangential direction—along the gravitational equipotential surfaces—producing extended, filamentary, or sheet-like regions of intracluster plasma enriched with aged cosmic rays, which resemble radio relics. Once a shock front passes across such a region, the sharp radio emission edges would trace the sharp boundaries of these enriched regions rather than the front. We also show that these elongated cosmic-ray features are naturally associated with magnetic fields stretched tangentially along their long axis, which could help explain the high polarization of relics.

Acceleration of cosmic rays by double shock waves in galaxy clusters: application to radio relics

Context. Radio relics in galaxy clusters are known to be good laboratories for verification of the applicability of the diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) model in its canonical version. The need for such verification stems from the inconsistencies in the shock properties resulting from radio observations compared to X-ray observations. Aims. In this article we aim to explore how the presence of a second shock in the vicinity of a relic modifies the spectrum of accelerated electrons and decipher which of the involved parameters can have a significant impact on their shape. Methods. We analytically studied DSA of cosmic rays in two stationary shocks aiming to investigate the change of the distribution function. The latter eventually leads to spectrum slope deviations visible in different observations and simulations that do not appear to be explained by the case wherein cosmic rays interact with a single shock wave. Results. We obtain a complex distribution function f(x, p) depending on many parameters (distance between two shocks, compression ratios, spatial diffusion coefficients, injection value, etc.). This function reveals modifications that occur because of the coupled acceleration in both shocks. Apparently, deviations in the particle spectrum from the pure power law depend on a few parameters such as Q1/Q2, κ1/κ2, r1/r2, and L. Although we do not verify this idea by taking a particular cluster as an example, we demonstrate a potential cause of spectral disturbances in radio relics. In general terms, our findings appear to correlate with results from the literature when the distance between the shocks is of the order of the width of a radio relic and κ1/κ2 ∝ 3.

Shock acceleration efficiency in radio relics

Context. Radio relics in galaxy clusters are giant diffuse synchrotron sources powered in cluster outskirts by merger shocks. Although the relic–shock connection has been consolidated in recent years by a number of observations, the details of the mechanisms leading to the formation of relativistic particles in this environment are still not well understood. Aims. The diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) theory is a commonly adopted scenario to explain the origin of cosmic rays at astrophysical shocks, including those in radio relics in galaxy clusters. However, in a few specific cases it has been shown that the energy dissipated by cluster shocks is not enough to reproduce the luminosity of the relics via DSA of thermal particles. Studies based on samples of radio relics are required to further address this limitation of the mechanism. Methods. In this paper, we focus on ten well-studied radio relics with underlying shocks observed in the X-rays and calculate the electron acceleration efficiency of these shocks that is necessary to reproduce the observed radio luminosity of the relics. Results. We find that in general the standard DSA cannot explain the origin of the relics if electrons are accelerated from the thermal pool with an efficiency significantly smaller than 10%. Our results show that other mechanisms, such as shock re-acceleration of supra-thermal seed electrons or a modification of standard DSA, are required to explain the formation of radio relics.

Polarization of radio relics in galaxy clusters

ABSTRACTRadio emission in the form of giant radio relics is observed at the periphery of galaxy clusters. This non-thermal emission is an important tracer for cosmic ray electrons and intracluster magnetic fields. One striking observational feature of these objects is their high degree of polarization, which provides information on the magnetic fields at the relics’ positions. In this contribution, we test if state-of-the-art high resolution cosmological simulations are able to reproduce the polarization features of radio relics. Therefore, we present a new analysis of high-resolution cosmological simulations to study the polarization properties of radio relics in detail. In order to compare our results with current and future radio observations, we create mock radio observations of the diffuse polarized emission from a massive galaxy cluster using six different projections, for different observing frequencies and for different telescopes. Our simulations suggest that, due to the effect of Faraday rotation, it is extremely difficult to relate the morphology of the polarized emission for observing frequencies below 1.4 GHz to the real magnetic field structure in relics. We can reproduce the observed degree of polarization and also several small-scale structures observed in real radio relics, but further work would be needed to reproduce some large-scale spectacular features as observed in real radio relics, such as the ‘Sausage’ and ‘Toothbrush’ relics.

Simulations of imaging extended sources using the GMRT and the U-GMRT

Astrophysical sources such as radio halos and relics in galaxy clusters, supernova remnants and radio galaxies have angular sizes from a few to several $10$s of arcminutes. In radio interferometric imaging of such sources, the largest angular size of the source that can be imaged is limited by the shortest projected baseline towards the source. It is essential to determine the limitations of the recovery of the extended features on various angular scales in order to interpret the radio image. We simulated observations of a model extended source of Gaussian shape with the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) using Common Astronomy Software Applications (CASA). The recovery in flux density and in morphology of the model source was quantified in a variety of observing cases with changing source properties and the uv-coverage. If $\theta_{lar}$ is the largest angular scale sampled in an observation with the GMRT, then $>80\%$ recovery of a source of size $0.3\times\theta_{lar}$ is possible. The upgraded GMRT (U-GMRT) providing 200 MHz instantaneous bandwidth between 300 - 500 MHz will allow a factor of two better recovery of a source of size $\theta_{lar}$ as compared to the GMRT at 300 MHz with 33 MHz bandwidth. We provide quantitative estimates for the improvement in extended source recovery in observations at low elevations and long durations. The presented simulations can be carried out for future radio telescopes such as the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) for optimisation of observing strategies to image extended radio sources.

The correlation between radio power and Mach number for radio relics in galaxy clusters

We discuss a new technique to constrain models for the origin of radio relics in galaxy clusters using the correlation between the shock Mach number and the radio power of relics. This analysis is carried out using a sample of relics with information on both the Mach numbers derived from X-ray observation, $\mathcal{M}_X$, and using spectral information from radio observations of the peak and the average values of the spectral index along the relic, $\mathcal{M}_R$. We find that there is a lack of correlation between $\mathcal{M}_X$ and $\mathcal{M}_R$; this result is an indication that the spectral index of the relic is likely not due to the acceleration of particles operated by the shock but it is related to the properties of a fossil electrons population. We also find that the available data on the correlation between the radio power $P_{1.4}$ and Mach numbers ($\mathcal{M}_R$ and $\mathcal{M}_X$) in relics indicate that neither the DSA nor the adiabatic compression can simply reproduce the observed $P_{1.4}-\mathcal{M}$ correlations. Furthermore, we find that the radio power is not correlated with $\mathcal{M}_X$, whereas it is not possible to exclude a correlation with $\mathcal{M}_R$. This also indicates that the relic power is mainly determined by the properties of a fossil electron population rather than by the properties of the shock. Our results require either to consider models of shock (re)acceleration that go beyond the proposed scenarios of DSA and adiabatic compression at shocks, or to reconsider the origin of radio relics in terms of other physical scenarios.

Can cluster merger shocks reproduce the luminosity and shape distribution of radio relics?

Radio relics in galaxy clusters are believed to trace merger shock fronts. If cosmological structure formation determines the luminosity, size and shape distributions of radio relics then merger shocks need to be lighted up in a homogeneous way. We investigate if a mock relic sample, obtained from zoomed galaxy cluster simulations, is able to match the properties of relics measured in the NRAO VLA Sky Survey (NVSS). We compile a list of all radio relics known to date and homogeneously measure their parameters in all NVSS images and apply the same procedure to relics in our simulations. Number counts in the mock relic sample increase more steeply towards lower relic flux densities, suggesting an incompleteness of NVSS in this regime. Overall, we find that NVSS and mock samples show similar properties. However, large simulated relics tend to be somewhat smaller and closer to the cluster centre than observed ones. Besides this, the mock sample reproduces very well-known correlations for radio relics, in particular those relating the radio luminosity with the largest linear size and the X-ray luminosity. We show that these correlations are largely governed by the sensitivity of the NVSS observations. Mock relics show a similar orientation with respect to the direction to the cluster centre as the NVSS sample. Moreover, we find that their maximum radio luminosity roughly correlates with cluster mass, although displaying a large scatter. The overall good agreement between NVSS and the mock sample suggests that properties of radio relics are indeed governed by merger shock fronts, emitting in a homogeneous fashion. Our study demonstrates that the combination of mock observations and data from upcoming radio surveys will allow to shed light on both the origin of radio relics and the nature of the intracluster medium.

Relics in galaxy clusters at high radio frequencies

We observed three radio relics in galaxy clusters and one radio relic candidate at 4.85 and 8.35 GHz in total emission and linearly polarized emission with the Effelsberg 100-m telescope and one radio relic candidate in X-rays with the Chandra telescope. The radio spectra of the integrated emission below 8.35 GHz can be well fitted by single power laws for all four relics. The flat spectra (spectral indices of 0.9 and 1.0) for the "Sausage" relic in cluster CIZA J2242+53 and the "Toothbrush" relic in cluster 1RXS 06+42 indicate that models describing the origin of relics have to include effects beyond the assumptions of diffuse shock acceleration. The spectra of the radio relics in ZwCl 0008+52 and in Abell 1612 are steep, as expected from weak shocks (Mach number $\approx 2.4$). We find polarization degrees of more than 50 % in the two prominent Mpc-sized radio relics, the Sausage and the Toothbrush. The high degree of polarization indicates that the magnetic field vectors are almost perfectly aligned along the relic structure. The polarization degrees correspond to Mach numbers of $>2.2$. Polarized emission is also detected in the radio relics in ZwCl 0008+52 and, for the first time, in Abell 1612. Abell 1612 shows a complex X-ray surface brightness distribution, indicating a recent major merger. No Faraday depolarization is detected between 4.85 GHz and 8.35 GHz, except for one component of the Toothbrush relic. Faraday depolarization between 1.38 GHz and 8.35 GHz varies with distance from the center of the host cluster 1RXS 06+42, which can be explained by a decrease in electron density and/or in strength of a turbulent magnetic field. Faraday rotation measures show large-scale gradients along the relics, which cannot be explained by variations in the Milky Way foreground. Large-scale regular fields appear to be present in intergalactic space around galaxy clusters.

The efficiency of magnetic field amplification at shocks by turbulence

Turbulent dynamo field amplification has often been invoked to explain the strong field strengths in thin rims in supernova shocks ($\sim 100 \, \mu$G) and in radio relics in galaxy clusters ($\sim \mu$G). We present high resolution MHD simulations of the interaction between pre-shock turbulence, clumping and shocks, to quantify the conditions under which turbulent dynamo amplification can be significant. We demonstrate numerically converged field amplification which scales with Alfv\'en Mach number, $B/B_0 \propto {\mathcal M}_{\rm A}$, up to ${\mathcal M}_{\rm A} \sim 150$. This implies that the post-shock field strength is relatively independent of the seed field. Amplification is dominated by compression at low ${\mathcal M}_{\rm A}$, and stretching (turbulent amplification) at high ${\mathcal M}_{\rm A}$. For high $\mathcal{M}_{\rm A}$, the $B$-field grows exponentially and saturates at equipartition with turbulence, while the vorticity jumps sharply at the shock and subsequently decays; the resulting field is orientated predominately along the shock normal (an effect only apparent in 3D and not 2D). This agrees with the radial field bias seen in supernova remnants. By contrast, for low $\mathcal{M}_{\rm A}$, field amplification is mostly compressional, relatively modest, and results in a predominantly perpendicular field. The latter is consistent with the polarization seen in radio relics. Our results are relatively robust to the assumed level of gas clumping. Our results imply that the turbulent dynamo may be important for supernovae, but is only consistent with the field strength, and not geometry, for cluster radio relics. For the latter, this implies strong pre-existing $B$-fields in the ambient cluster outskirts.

The impact of the SZ effect on cm-wavelength (1–30 GHz) observations of galaxy cluster radio relics

Radio relics in galaxy clusters are believed to be associated with powerful shock fronts that originate during cluster mergers, and are a testbed for the acceleration of relativistic particles in the intracluster medium. Recently, radio relic observations have pushed into the cm-wavelength domain (1–30 GHz) where a break from the standard synchrotron power law spectrum has been found, most noticeably in the famous “Sausage” relic. Such spectral steepening is seen as an evidence for non-standard relic models, such as ones requiring seed electron population with a break in their energy spectrum. In this paper, however, we point to an important effect that has been ignored or considered insignificant while interpreting these new high-frequency radio data, namely the contamination due to the Sunyaev-Zel’dovich (SZ) effect that changes the observed synchrotron flux. Even though the radio relics reside in the cluster outskirts, the shock-driven pressure boost increases the SZ signal locally by roughly an order of magnitude. The resulting flux contamination for some well-known relics are non-negligible already at 10 GHz, and at 30 GHz the observed synchrotron fluxes can be diminished by a factor of several from their true values. At higher redshift the contamination gets stronger due to the redshift independence of the SZ effect. Interferometric observations are not immune to this contamination, since the change in the SZ signal occurs roughly at the same length scale as the synchrotron emission, although there the flux loss is less severe than single-dish observations. Besides presenting this warning to observers, we suggest that the negative contribution from the SZ effect can be regarded as one of the best evidence for the physical association between radio relics and shock waves. We present a simple analytical approximation for the synchrotron-to-SZ flux ratio, based on a theoretical radio relic model that connects the nonthermal emission to the thermal gas properties, and show that by measuring this ratio one can potentially estimate the relic magnetic fields or the particle acceleration efficiency.

Electron and proton acceleration efficiency by merger shocks in galaxy clusters

Radio relics in galaxy clusters are associated with powerful shocks that (re) accelerate relativistic electrons. It is widely believed that the acceleration proceeds via diffusive shock acceleration. In the framework of thermal leakage, the ratio of the energy in relativistic electrons to the energy in relativistic protons should be smaller than K-e/p similar to 10(-2). The relativistic protons interact with the thermal gas to produce gamma-rays in hadronic interactions. Combining observations of radio relics with upper limits from gamma-ray observatories can constrain the ratio K-e/p. In this work, we selected 10 galaxy clusters that contain double radio relics, and derive new upper limits from the stacking of gamma-ray observations by Fermi. We modelled the propagation of shocks using a semi-analytical model, where we assumed a simple geometry for shocks and that cosmic ray protons are trapped in the intracluster medium. Our analysis shows that diffusive shock acceleration has difficulties in matching simultaneously the observed radio emission and the constraints imposed by Fermi, unless the magnetic field in relics is unrealistically large (>> 10 mu G). In all investigated cases (also including realistic variations of our basic model and the effect of re-acceleration), the mean emission of the sample is of the order of the stacking limit by Fermi, or larger. These findings put tension on the commonly adopted model for the powering of radio relics, and imply that the relative acceleration efficiency of electrons and protons is at odds with predictions of diffusive shock acceleration, requiring K-e/p >= 10 - 10(-2).

Do radio relics challenge diffusive shock acceleration?

Radio relics in galaxy clusters are thought to be associated with powerful shock waves that accelerate particles via diffusive shock acceleration (DSA). Among the particles accelerated by DSA, relativistic protons should outnumber electrons by a large factor. While the relativistic electrons emit synchrotron emission detectable in the radio band, the protons interact with the thermal gas to produce gamma-rays in hadronic interactions. Using simple models for the propagation of shock waves through clusters, the distribution of thermal gas and the efficiency of DSA, we find that the resulting hadronic $\gamma$-ray emission lies very close or above the upper limits from the FERMI data on nearby clusters. This suggests that the relative acceleration efficiency of electrons and protons is at odds with predictions from DSA. The inclusion of re-accelerated "fossil" particles does not seem to solve the problem. Our study highlights a possible tension of the commonly assumed scenario for the formation of radio relics and we discuss possible solutions to the problem.

Giant radio relics in galaxy clusters: reacceleration of fossil relativistic electrons?

Many bright radio relics in the outskirts of galaxy clusters have low inferred Mach numbers, defying expectations from shock acceleration theory and heliospheric observations that the injection efficiency of relativistic particles plummets at low Mach numbers. With a suite of cosmological simulations, we follow the diffusive shock acceleration as well as radiative and Coulomb cooling of cosmic ray electrons during the assembly of a cluster. We find a substantial population of fossil electrons. When reaccelerated at a shock (through diffusive shock acceleration), they are competitive with direct injection at strong shocks and overwhelmingly dominate by many orders of magnitude at weak shocks, Mach < 3, which are the vast majority at the cluster periphery. Their relative importance depends on cooling physics and is robust to the shock acceleration model used. While the abundance of fossils can vary by a factor of ~10, the typical reaccelerated fossil population has radio brightness in excellent agreement with observations. Fossil electrons with 1 < gamma < 100 (10 < gamma < 10^4) provide the main seeds for reacceleration at strong (weak) shocks; we show that these are well-resolved by our simulation. We construct a simple self-similar analytic model which assumes steady recent injection and cooling. It agrees well with our simulations, allowing rapid estimates and physical insight into the shape of the distribution function. We predict that LOFAR should find many more bright steep-spectrum radio relics, which are inconsistent with direct injection. A failure to take fossil cosmic ray electrons into account will lead to erroneous conclusions about the nature of particle acceleration at weak shocks; they arise from well-understood physical processes and cannot be ignored.

CONSTRAINTS ON COSMIC RAYS, MAGNETIC FIELDS, AND DARK MATTER FROM GAMMA-RAY OBSERVATIONS OF THE COMA CLUSTER OF GALAXIES WITH VERITAS ANDFERMI

Observations of radio halos and relics in galaxy clusters indicate efficient electron acceleration. Protons should likewise be accelerated, suggesting that clusters may also be sources of very high-energy (VHE; E>100 GeV) gamma-ray emission. We report here on VHE gamma-ray observations of the Coma galaxy cluster with the VERITAS array of imaging Cherenkov telescopes, with complementing Fermi-LAT observations at GeV energies. No significant gamma-ray emission from the Coma cluster was detected. Integral flux upper limits at the 99% confidence level were measured to be on the order of (2-5)*10^-8\ ph. m^-2 s^-1 (VERITAS, >220 GeV} and ~2*10^-6 ph. m^-2 s^-1 (Fermi, 1-3 GeV), respectively. We use the gamma-ray upper limits to constrain CRs and magnetic fields in Coma. Using an analytical approach, the CR-to-thermal pressure ratio is constrained to be < 16% from VERITAS data and < 1.7% from Fermi data (averaged within the virial radius). These upper limits are starting to constrain the CR physics in self-consistent cosmological cluster simulations and cap the maximum CR acceleration efficiency at structure formation shocks to be <50%. Assuming that the radio-emitting electrons of the Coma halo result from hadronic CR interactions, the observations imply a lower limit on the central magnetic field in Coma of (2 - 5.5) muG, depending on the radial magnetic-field profile and on the gamma-ray spectral index. Since these values are below those inferred by Faraday rotation measurements in Coma (for most of the parameter space), this {renders} the hadronic model a very plausible explanation of the Coma radio halo. Finally, since galaxy clusters are dark-matter (DM) dominated, the VERITAS upper limits have been used to place constraints on the thermally-averaged product of the total self-annihilation cross section and the relative velocity of the DM particles, <\sigma v>. (abr.)

Spectral and polarization study of the double relics in Abell 3376 using the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope and the Very Large Array

Double radio relics in galaxy clusters are rare phenomena that trace shocks in the outskirts of merging galaxy clusters. We have carried out a spectral and polarization study of the spectacular double relics in the galaxy cluster A3376 using the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope at 150 and 325 MHz and the Very Large Array at 1400 MHz. The polarization study at 1400 MHz reveals a high degree of polarization (~30%) and aligned magnetic field vectors (not corrected for Faraday rotation) in the eastern relic. A highly polarized (>60%) filamentary radio source of size ~300 kpc near the eastern relic and north of the bent-jet radio galaxy is detected for the first time. The western relic is less polarized and does not show aligned magnetic field vectors. The distribution of spectral indices between 325 and 1400 MHz over the radio relics show steepening from the outer to the inner edges of the relics. The spectral indices of the eastern and the western relics imply Mach numbers in the range 2.2 to 3.3. Remarkable features such as the inward filament extending from the eastern relic, the highly polarized filament, the complex polarization properties of the western relic and the separation of the BCG from the ICM by a distance >900 kpc are noticed in the cluster. A comparison with simulated cluster mergers is required to understand the complex properties of the double relics in the context of the merger in A3376. An upper limit (log(P(1.4GHz) W/Hz < 23.0) on the strength of a Mpc size radio halo in A3376 is estimated.

A Zoo of Radio Relics: Cluster Cores to Filaments

Radio relics in galaxy clusters can be electrons accelerated at cluster merger shocks or adiabatically compressed fossil radio cocoons or dying radio galaxies. The spectral evolution of radio relics is affected by the surrounding thermal plasma. We present a low frequency study of three radio relics representing environments of dense cluster core (A4038), cluster outskirts (A1664) and filaments (A786). The properties of the relics are found to be consistent with the effect of confinement by external medium if the effects of projection are ignored.

Deep low-frequency observations with the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope: a search for relic radio emission

We present deep multifrequency observations using the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope at 153, 244, 610 and 1260 MHz of a field centered on J0916+6348, to search for evidence of fossil radio lobes which could be due to an earlier cycle of episodic activity of the parent galaxy, as well as halos and relics in clusters of galaxies. We do not find any unambiguous evidence of episodic activity in a list of 374 sources, suggesting that such activity is rare even in relatively deep low-frequency observations. We examine the spectra of all the sources by combining our observations with those from the Westerbork Northern Sky Survey, NRAO VLA Sky Survey and the Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-centimeters survey. Considering only those which have measurements at a minimum of three different frequencies, we find that almost all sources are consistent with a straight spectrum with a median spectral index, $\alpha\sim$0.8 (S$(\nu)\propto\nu^{-\alpha}$), which appears steeper than theoretical expectations of the injection spectral index. We identify 14 very steep-spectrum sources with $\alpha\geq$1.3. We examine their optical fields and discuss the nature of some of these sources.

New radio halos and relics in clusters of galaxies

AbstractWe present here new images of relics and halo sources in rich cluster of galaxies and the correlation between the halo radio surface brightness versus the cluster bolometric X‐ray luminosity. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &amp; Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Radio Halos and Relics in Clusters of Galaxies and Detection Statistics

New sensitive VLA observations confirm the existence of halo and relic sources in 6 Abell clusters where a diffuse emission was found in the NVSS.We find evidence that the frequency of clusters with halos and relics is larger in clusters with high X-ray luminosity. The evidence that the occurrence of a halo source is larger at high redshifts is marginal.