AGN-selected clusters as revealed by weak lensing

Abstract

As a pilot study to investigate the distribution of matter in the fields of powerful AGN, we present weak lensing observations of deep fields centered on the radio-quiet quasar E1821 + 643, the radio galaxy 3C295, and the two radio-loud quasars, 3C334 and 3C254. The host clusters of E1821 + 643 and 3C295 are comfortably detected via their weak lensing signal, and we report the detection of a cluster-sized mass concentration in the field of the z=0.734 quasar 3C254. The data for the 3C334 field are so far inconclusive. We find that the clusters are massive and have smooth mass distributions, although one shows some evidence of past merger activity. The mass-to-light ratios are found to be moderately high. We discuss the results in light of the cooling flow and the merger/interaction scenarios for triggering and fuelling AGN in clusters, but find that the data do not point unambiguously to neither of the two. Instead, we speculate that sub-cluster mergers may be responsible for generating close encounters or mergers of galaxies with the central cluster member, which could trigger the AGN.

Accepted for publication in MNRAS

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• High redshift FRII radio sources: large-scale X-ray environment
• A New Independent Limit on the Cosmological Constant/Dark Energy from the Relativistic Bending of Light by Galaxies and Clusters of Galaxies
• The Vacuole Model: New Terms in the Second Order Deflection of Light
• The environments of hyperluminous infrared galaxies at 0.44<z<1.55
• Weak lensing density profiles and mass reconstructions of the galaxy clusters Abell 1351 and Abell 1995
• Multi-object spectroscopy of CL1821+643: a dynamically relaxed cluster with a giant radio halo?