Forming One of the Most Massive Objects in the Universe: The Quadruple Merger in Abell 1758
Date Issued
2019
Author(s)
Schellenberger, G.
David, L.
O'Sullivan, E.
Vrtilek, J. M.
Haines, C. P.
DOI
http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ab35e4
Abstract
The system A1758 is made up of two galaxy clusters, a more massive, northern cluster and a southern cluster. Both parts are undergoing major merger events at different stages. Although the mass of the merger constituents provides enough energy to produce visible shock fronts in the X-ray, none have been found to date. We present detailed temperature and abundance maps based on Chandra ACIS data and identify several candidates for shocks and cold fronts from a smoothed gradient map of the surface brightness. One candidate can be confirmed as the missing shock front in the northern cluster through X-ray spectroscopy. Nonthermal radio emission observed with the GMRT confirms the presence of radio halos in the northern and southern clusters and shows evidence for a relic in the periphery of the southern cluster. We do not find evidence for shocked gas between A1758 N and A1758 S.


