The Effect of a Non-Thermal Tail on the Sunyaev-Zeldovich Effect in clusters of galaxies

Abstract

We study the spectral distortions of the cosmic microwave background radiation induced by the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) effect in clusters of galaxies when the target electrons have a modified Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution with a high-energy non-thermal tail. Bremsstrahlung radiation from this type of \\ electron distribution may explain the supra-thermal X-ray emission observed in some clusters such as the Coma cluster and A2199 and serve as an alternative to the classical but problematic inverse Compton scattering interpretation. We show that the SZ effect can be used as a powerful tool to probe the electron distribution in clusters of galaxies and discriminate among these different interpretations of the X-ray excess. The existence of a non-thermal tail can have important consequences for cluster based estimators of cosmological parameters.

14 pages, 3 figures, version to be published in ApJ. Lett

References in corpus (5)

• Cosmic Rays, Radio Halos and Non-Thermal X-ray Emission in Clusters of Galaxies
• High- and low energy nonthermal X-ray emission from the cluster of galaxies A 2199
• Stochastic Acceleration and Non-Thermal Radiation in Clusters of Galaxies
• The BeppoSAX view of the hot cluster Abell 2319
• On the equipartition of thermal and non-thermal energy in clusters of galaxies

Cited by in corpus (19)

• Particle reacceleration in Coma cluster: radio properties and hard X-ray emission
• Nonthermal radiation from clusters of galaxies: the role of merger shocks in particle acceleration
• A fast and accurate method for computing the Sunyaev-Zeldovich signal of hot galaxy clusters
• The Non-Thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Effect in Clusters of Galaxies
• Stochastic Acceleration and Non-Thermal Radiation in Clusters of Galaxies
• Effect of Internal Flows on Sunyaev-Zeldovich Measurements of Cluster Peculiar Velocities
• Estimating galaxy cluster magnetic fields by the classical and hadronic minimum energy criterion
• Neutralinos and the Origin of Radio Halos in Clusters of Galaxies
• The non-thermal radiation - Cluster merger connection
• Cosmological and Astrophysical Implications of the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Effect
• Modification of cluster radio halo appearance by the thermal Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect
• In-situ acceleration of subrelativistic electrons in the Coma halo and the halo's influence on the Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect
• CMB Comptonization by Energetic Nonthermal Electrons in Clusters of Galaxies
• An analysis of electron distributions in galaxy clusters by means of the flux ratio of iron lines FeXXV and XXVI
• Modifications to the Cosmic 21-cm Background Frequency Spectrum by Scattering via electrons in Galaxy Clusters
• The influence of magnetic fields on the Sunyaev Zel'dovich effect in clusters of galaxies
• Can electron distribution functions be derived through the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect?
• On the influence of high energy electron populations on metal abundance estimates in galaxy groups and clusters
• Evolution of Hard X-Ray Radiation from Clusters of Galaxies: Bremsstrahlung or Inverse Compton Scattering?