Speaker
Description
Recent LOFAR observations of massive galaxy clusters revealed the presence of a new type of large scale diffuse radio emission, known as megahalo, extending up to clusters outskirts (Cuciti et al. 2022, Nature). Megahalos span scales of ~3-4 Mpc and, due to their extension, allow us to probe cluster volumes that are 30 times larger than the ones occupied by radio halos. This means that with more sensitive studies, we will be able to study in depth the non-thermal components (cosmic rays and magnetic fields) in the peripheries of galaxy clusters. To this day, only 4 megahalos have been detected and confirmed, while their origin remains unknown. Thanks to the unprecedented sensitivity of the SKA telescopes, we will be able to detect more of these sources. In this talk, I will present the new megahalos detected with LOFAR and the first detection of a megahalo using MeerKAT, showcasing the abilities of SKA pathfinders and precursors, and highlighting the advantages that the SKA telescopes will give us in the search and study of these sources.
| Topics | Galaxy Clusters & LSS (relativistic particles and magnetic fields) |
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