Morphological redshift estimates for galaxy clusters in a Sunyaev–Zel'dovich effect survey

We develop a new method to estimate the redshift of galaxy clusters through resolved images of the Sunyaev–Zel'dovich effect (SZE). Our method is based on morphological observables which can be measured by actual and future SZE experiments. We test the method with a set of high-resolution hydrodynamical simulations of galaxy clusters at different redshifts. Our method combines the observables in a principal component analysis. After calibrating the method with an independent redshift estimation for some of the clusters, we show – using a Bayesian approach – how the method can give an estimate of the redshift of the galaxy clusters. Although the error bars given by the morphological redshift estimation are large, it should be useful for future SZE surveys where thousands of clusters are expected to be detected; a first preselection of the high-redshift candidates could be done using our proposed morphological redshift estimator. Although not considered in this work, our method should also be useful to give an estimate of the redshift of clusters in X-ray and optical surveys.     

The X-ray properties of optically selected z > 0.6 clusters in the European Southern Observatory Distant Cluster Survey

We present XMM–Newton observations of three optically selected   z > 0.6  clusters from the European Southern Observatory (ESO) Distant Cluster Survey (EDisCS), comprising the first results of a planned X-ray survey of the full EDisCS high-redshift sample. The EDisCS clusters were identified in the Las Campanas Distant Cluster Survey as surface brightness fluctuations in the optical sky and their masses and galaxy populations are well described by extensive photometric and spectroscopic observations. We detect two of the three clusters in the X-ray and place a firm upper limit on diffuse emission in the third cluster field. We are able to constrain the X-ray luminosity and temperature of the detected clusters and estimate their masses. We find that the X-ray properties of the detected EDisCS clusters are similar to those of X-ray-selected clusters of comparable mass and – unlike other high-redshift, optically selected clusters – are consistent with the T –σ and   L _X–σ  relations determined from X-ray-selected clusters at low redshift. The X-ray determined mass estimates are generally consistent with those derived from weak-lensing and spectroscopic analyses. These preliminary results suggest that the novel method of optical selection used to construct the EDisCS catalogue may, like selection by X-ray luminosity, be well suited for identification of relaxed, high-redshift clusters whose intracluster medium is in place and stable by   z ∼ 0.8  .     

Using bright ellipticals as dark energy cosmic clocks

The age of the Universe has been increasingly constrained by different techniques, such as the observations of type Ia supernovae (SNIa) at high redshift or dating the stellar populations of globular clusters. In this paper, we present a complementary approach using the colours of the brightest elliptical galaxies in clusters over a wide redshift range  ( z ≲ 1)  . We put new and independent bounds on the dark energy equation of state parametrized by a constant pressure-to-density ratio   w _Q  and by a parameter (ξ) which determines the scaling between the matter and dark energy densities. We find that accurate estimates of the metallicities of the stellar populations in moderate and high-redshift cluster galaxies can pose stringent constraints on the parameters that describe dark energy. Our results are in good agreement with the analysis of dark energy models using SNIa data as a constraint. Accurate estimates of the metallicities of stellar populations in cluster galaxies at   z ≲ 2  will make this approach a powerful complement to studies of cosmological parameters using high-redshift SNIa.     

SDSS J120923.7+264047: a new massive galaxy cluster with a bright giant arc

Highly magnified lensed galaxies allow us to probe the morphological and spectroscopic properties of high-redshift stellar systems in great detail. However, such objects are rare, and there are only a handful of lensed galaxies that are bright enough for a high-resolution spectroscopic study with current instrumentation. We report the discovery of a new massive lensing cluster, SDSS J120923.7+264047, at z = 0.558. Present around the cluster core, at angular distances of up to ∼40 arcsec, are many arcs and arc candidates, presumably due to lensing of background galaxies by the cluster gravitational potential. One of the arcs, 21 arcsec long, has an r -band magnitude of 20, making it one of the brightest known lensed galaxies. We obtained a low-resolution spectrum of this galaxy, using the Keck-I telescope, and found it is at redshift of z = 1.018.     

Evolution of the mass function of dark matter haloes

We use a high-resolution ΛCDM numerical simulation to calculate the mass function of dark matter haloes down to the scale of dwarf galaxies, back to a redshift of 15, in a  50 h ⁻¹ Mpc  volume containing 80 million particles. Our low-redshift results allow us to probe low-σ density fluctuations significantly beyond the range of previous cosmological simulations. The Sheth & Tormen mass function provides an excellent match to all of our data except for redshifts of 10 and higher, where it overpredicts halo numbers increasingly with redshift, reaching roughly 50 per cent for the  10¹⁰–10¹¹ M_⊙  haloes sampled at redshift 15. Our results confirm previous findings that the simulated halo mass function can be described solely by the variance of the mass distribution, and thus has no explicit redshift dependence. We provide an empirical fit to our data that corrects for the overprediction of extremely rare objects by the Sheth & Tormen mass function. This overprediction has implications for studies that use the number densities of similarly rare objects as cosmological probes. For example, the number density of high-redshift  ( z ≃ 6) QSOs  , which are thought to be hosted by haloes at 5σ peaks in the fluctuation field, are likely to be overpredicted by at least a factor of 50 per cent. We test the sensitivity of our results to force accuracy, starting redshift and halo-finding algorithm.     

Tracing the nature of dark energy with galaxy distribution

Dynamical dark energy (DE) is a viable alternative to the cosmological constant. Constructing tests to discriminate between Λ and dynamical DE models is difficult, however, because the differences are not large. In this paper we explore tests based on the galaxy mass function, the void probability function (VPF), and the number of galaxy clusters. At high z , the number density of clusters shows large differences between DE models, but geometrical factors reduce the differences substantially. We find that detecting a model dependence in the cluster redshift distribution is a significant challenge. We show that the galaxy redshift distribution is potentially a more sensitive characteristic. We do this by populating dark matter haloes in N -body simulations with galaxies using well-tested halo occupation distributions. We also estimate the VPF and find that samples with the same angular surface density of galaxies, in different models, exhibition almost model-independent VPF which therefore cannot be used as a test for DE. Once again, geometry and cosmic evolution compensate each other. By comparing VPFs for samples with fixed galaxy mass limits, we find measurable differences.     

Strong lensing of submillimetre galaxies: a tracer of foreground structure?

The steep source counts and negative K -corrections of bright submillimetre galaxies (SMGs) suggest that a significant fraction of those observed at high flux densities may be gravitationally lensed, and that the lensing objects may often lie at redshifts above 1, where clusters of galaxies are difficult to detect through other means. In this case, follow-up of bright SMGs may be used to identify dense structures along the line-of-sight. Here, we investigate the probability for SMGs to experience strong lensing, using the latest N -body simulations and observed source flux and redshift distributions. We find that almost all high-redshift sources with a flux density above 100 mJy will be lensed if they are not relatively local galaxies. We also give estimates of the fraction of sources experiencing strong lensing as a function of observed flux density. This has implications for planning follow-up observations for bright SMGs discovered in future surveys with the Submillimetre Common-User Bolometer Array 2 and other instruments. The largest uncertainty in these calculations is the maximum allowed lensing amplification, which is dominated by the presently unknown spatial extent of SMGs.     

Simulating the formation of a protocluster at z∼ 2

We present results from two high-resolution hydrodynamical simulations of protocluster regions at   z ≃ 2.1  . The simulations have been compared to observational results for the so-called Spiderweb galaxy system, the core of a putative protocluster region at   z = 2.16  , found around a radio galaxy. The simulated regions have been chosen so as to form a poor cluster with   M ₂₀₀≃ 10¹⁴  h ⁻¹ M_⊙  (C1) and a rich cluster with   M ₂₀₀≃ 2 × 10¹⁵  h ⁻¹ M_⊙  (C2) at   z = 0  . The simulated protoclusters show evidence of ongoing assembly of a dominating central galaxy. The stellar mass of the brightest cluster galaxy of the C2 system is in excess with respect to observational estimates for the Spiderweb galaxy, with a total star formation rate which is also larger than indicated by observations. We find that the projected velocities of galaxies in the C2 cluster are consistent with observations, while those measured for the poorer cluster C1 are too low compared with the observed velocities. We argue that the Spiderweb complex resembles the high-redshift progenitor of a rich galaxy cluster. Our results indicate that the included supernovae feedback is not enough to suppress star formation in these systems, supporting the need of introducing active galactic nuclei feedback. According to our simulations, a diffuse atmosphere of hot gas in hydrostatic equilibrium should already be present at this redshift, and enriched at a level comparable to that of nearby galaxy clusters. The presence of this gas should be detectable with future deep X-ray observations.     

Dynamic evolution of nearby galaxy clusters

A study of the evolution of 377 rich ACO clusters with redshift z < 0.2 is presented. The data concerning galaxies in the investigated clusters were obtained using FOCAS packages applied to Digital Sky Survey I. The 377 galaxy clusters constitute a statistically uniform sample to which visual galaxy/star reclassifications were applied. Cluster shape within 2.0 h^–1 Mpc from the adopted cluster centre (the mean and the median of all galaxy coordinates, the position of the brightest and of the third brightest galaxy in the cluster) was determined through its ellipticity calculated using two methods: the covariance ellipse method (hereafter CEM) and the method based on Minkowski functionals (hereafter MFM). We investigated ellipticity dependence on the radius of circular annuli, in which ellipticity was calculated. This was realized by varying the radius from 0.5 to 2 Mpc in steps of 0.25 Mpc. By performing Monte Carlo simulations, we generated clusters to which the two ellipticity methods were applied. We found that the covariance ellipse method works better than the method based on Minkowski functionals. We also found that ellipticity distributions are different for different methods used. Using the ellipticity‐redshift relation, we investigated the possibility of cluster evolution in the low‐redshift Universe. The correlation of cluster ellipticities with redshifts is undoubtly an indicator of structural evolution. Using the t‐Student statistics, we found a statistically significant correlation between ellipticity and redshift at the significance level of α = 0.95. In one of the two shape determination methods we found that ellipticity grew with redshift, while the other method gave opposite results. Monte Carlo simulations showed that only ellipticities calculated at the distance of 1.5 Mpc from cluster centre in the Minkowski functional method are robust enough to be taken into account, but for that radius we did not find any relation between e and z. Since CEM pointed towards the existence of the e (z) relation, we conclude that such an effect is real though rather weak. A detailed study of the e (z) relation showed that the observed relation is nonlinear, and the number of elongated structures grows rapidly for z > 0.14 (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

The evolution of the cluster X-ray scaling relations in the Wide Angle ROSAT Pointed Survey sample at 0.6 < z < 1.0

The X-ray properties of a sample of 11 high-redshift  (0.6 < z < 1.0)  clusters observed with Chandra and/or XMM–Newton are used to investigate the evolution of the cluster scaling relations. The observed evolution in the normalization of the   L – T , M – T , M _g– T   and M – L relations is consistent with simple self-similar predictions, in which the properties of clusters reflect the properties of the Universe at their redshift of observation. Under the assumption that the model of self-similar evolution is correct and that the local systems formed via a single spherical collapse, the high-redshift L – T relation is consistent with the high- z clusters having virialized at a significantly higher redshift than the local systems. The data are also consistent with the more realistic scenario of clusters forming via the continuous accretion of material.
The slope of the L – T relation at high redshift  ( B = 3.32 ± 0.37)  is consistent with the local relation, and significantly steeper than the self-similar prediction of   B = 2  . This suggests that the same non-gravitational processes are responsible for steepening the local and high- z relations, possibly occurring universally at   z ≳ 1  or in the early stages of the cluster formation, prior to their observation.
The properties of the intracluster medium at high redshift are found to be similar to those in the local Universe. The mean surface-brightness profile slope for the sample is  β= 0.66 ± 0.05  , the mean gas mass fractions within   R _{2500( z )}  and   R _{200( z )}  are  0.069 ± 0.012  and  0.11 ± 0.02  , respectively, and the mean metallicity of the sample is  0.28 ± 0.11 Z_⊙  .     

Apparent and actual galaxy cluster temperatures

The redshift evolution of the galaxy cluster temperature function is a powerful probe of cosmology. However, its determination requires the measurement of redshifts for all clusters in a catalogue, which is likely to prove challenging for large catalogues expected from XMM-Newton , which may contain of the order of 2000 clusters with measurable temperatures, distributed around the sky. In this paper we study the apparent cluster temperature, which can be obtained without cluster redshifts. We show that the apparent temperature function itself is of limited use in constraining cosmology, and so concentrate our focus on studying how apparent temperatures can be combined with other X-ray information to constrain the cluster redshift. We also briefly study the circumstances under which the non-thermal spectral features can provide redshift information.     

Surveying the sky with the Arcminute MicroKelvin Imager: expected constraints on galaxy cluster evolution and cosmology

We discuss prospects for cluster detection via the Sunyaev–Zel'dovich (SZ) effect in a blank field survey with the interferometer array, the Arcminute MicroKelvin Imager (AMI). Clusters of galaxies selected in the SZ effect probe cosmology and structure formation with little observational bias, because the effect measures integrated gas pressure directly, and does so independently of cluster redshift.
We use hydrodynamical simulations in combination with the Press–Schechter expression to simulate SZ cluster sky maps. These are used with simulations of the observation process to gauge the expected SZ cluster counts. Even with a very conservative choice of parameters we find that AMI will discover at least several tens of clusters every year with     the numbers depend on factors such as the mean matter density, the density fluctuation power spectrum and cluster gas evolution. The AMI survey itself can distinguish between these to some degree, and parameter degeneracies are largely eliminated given optical and X-ray follow-up of these clusters; this will also permit direct investigation of cluster physics and what drives the evolution.     

Gravitational lensing of type Ia supernovae by galaxy clusters

We propose a method to remove the mass-sheet degeneracy that arises when the mass of galaxy clusters is inferred from gravitational shear. The method utilizes high-redshift standard candles that undergo weak lensing. Natural candidates for such standard candles are type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia).
When corrected with the light-curve shape (LCS), the peak magnitude of SNe Ia provides a standard candle with an uncertainty in apparent magnitude of Δ m ≃0.1–0.2. Gravitational magnification of a background SN Ia by an intervening cluster would cause a mismatch between the observed SN Ia peak magnitude compared with that expected from its LCS and redshift. The average detection rate for SNe Ia with a significant mismatch of ≥2Δ m behind a cluster at z ≃0.05–0.15 is about 1–2 supernovae per cluster per year at J , I , R ≲25–26.
Since SNe are point-like sources for a limited period, they can experience significant microlensing by massive compact halo objects (MACHOs) in the intracluster medium. Microlensing events caused by MACHOs of ∼10⁻⁴ M⊙ are expected to have time-scales similar to that of the SN light curve. Both the magnification curve by a MACHO and the light curve of a SN Ia have characteristic shapes that allow us to separate them. Microlensing events caused by MACHOs of smaller mass can unambiguously be identified in the SN light curve if the latter is continuously monitored. The average number of identifiable microlensing events per nearby cluster ( z ≲0.05) per year is ∼0.02 ( f /0.01), where f is the fraction of the cluster mass in MACHOs of masses 10⁻⁷< M _macho/M⊙<10⁻⁴.     

Cosmic dynamics in the era of Extremely Large Telescopes

The redshifts of all cosmologically distant sources are expected to experience a small, systematic drift as a function of time due to the evolution of the Universe's expansion rate. A measurement of this effect would represent a direct and entirely model-independent determination of the expansion history of the Universe over a redshift range that is inaccessible to other methods. Here we investigate the impact of the next generation of Extremely Large Telescopes on the feasibility of detecting and characterizing the cosmological redshift drift. We consider the Lyα forest in the redshift range  2 < z < 5  and other absorption lines in the spectra of high-redshift QSOs as the most suitable targets for a redshift drift experiment. Assuming photon-noise-limited observations and using extensive Monte Carlo simulations we determine the accuracy to which the redshift drift can be measured from the Lyα forest as a function of signal-to-noise ratio and redshift. Based on this relation and using the brightness and redshift distributions of known QSOs we find that a 42-m telescope is capable of unambiguously detecting the redshift drift over a period of ∼20 yr using 4000 h of observing time. Such an experiment would provide independent evidence for the existence of dark energy without assuming spatial flatness, using any other cosmological constraints or making any other astrophysical assumption.     

The nature of high-redshift galaxies

Using semi-analytic models of galaxy formation set within the cold dark matter (CDM) merging hierarchy, we investigate several scenarios for the nature of the high-redshift     ) Lyman-break galaxies (LBGs). We consider a 'collisional starburst' model in which bursts of star formation are triggered by galaxy–galaxy mergers, and find that a significant fraction of LBGs are predicted to be starbursts. This model reproduces the observed comoving number density of bright LBGs as a function of redshift and the observed luminosity function at     and     with a reasonable amount of dust extinction. Model galaxies at     have star formation rates, half-light radii,     colours and internal velocity dispersions that are in good agreement with the data. Global quantities such as the star formation rate density and cold gas and metal content of the Universe as a function of redshift also agree well. Two 'quiescent' models without starbursts are also investigated. In one, the star formation efficiency in galaxies remains constant with redshift, while in the other, it scales inversely with disc dynamical time, and thus increases rapidly with redshift. The first quiescent model is strongly ruled out, as it does not produce enough high-redshift galaxies once realistic dust extinction is accounted for. The second quiescent model fits marginally, but underproduces cold gas and very bright galaxies at high redshift. A general conclusion is that star formation at high redshift must be more efficient than locally. The collisional starburst model appears to accomplish this naturally without violating other observational constraints.     

First results from the Isaac Newton Telescope Wide Angle Survey: the quasar survey

We report the first results of an observational programme designed to determine the luminosity density of high-redshift quasars     quasars) using deep multicolour CCD data. We report the discovery and spectra of three     high-redshift     quasars, including one with     . At     , this is the fourth highest redshift quasar currently published. Using these preliminary results we derive an estimate of the         quasar space density in the redshift range     of     . When completed, the survey will provide a firm constraint on the contribution to the ionizing UV background in the redshift range     from quasars by determining the faint-end slope of the quasar luminosity function. The survey uses imaging data taken with the 2.5-m Isaac Newton Telescope as part of the Public Isaac Newton Group Wide Field Survey (WFS). This initial sample of objects is taken from two fields of effective area ∼12.5 deg² from the final ∼100 deg².     

Batch discovery of nine z∼ 1 clusters using X-ray and K or R, z' images

We present the results of an initial search for clusters of galaxies at z ∼ 1 and above, using data from 2.9 square degrees of XMM–Newton images. By selecting weak potentially extended X-ray sources with faint or no identifications in deep, ground-based optical imaging, we have constructed a starting sample of 19 high-redshift cluster candidates. Near-IR and R , z ' imaging of these fields identified nine of them as high-redshift systems. Six of these were confirmed spectroscopically, three at z ∼ 1.0 and the other three in the  0.8 < z < 0.92  range. The remaining three systems have solid photometric evidence to be at   z _phot∼ 0.8, 1.0  and 1.3. The present sample significantly increases the number of such clusters. The measured density of z ≳ 1 clusters, after discarding 'low'-redshift systems at z ≲ 0.92 is about 1.7 deg⁻² (with 68 per cent confidence interval equal to [1.0, 2.9]) for   f_X ≳ 2.5  10⁻¹⁵ erg cm⁻² s⁻¹  ([0.5–2] keV) and this is a lower limit, having screened not all potential z ∼ 1 candidate clusters. Coordinates, X-ray measures and evidence for nine X-ray-selected high-redshift clusters is given.     

Sunyaev–Zel'dovich predictions for the Planck Surveyor satellite using the Hubble Volume simulations

We use the billion-particle Hubble Volume simulations to make statistical predictions for the distribution of galaxy clusters that will be observed by the Planck Surveyor satellite through their effect on the cosmic microwave background – the Sunyaev–Zel'dovich (SZ) effect. We utilize the lightcone data sets for both critical density ( τ CDM) and flat low-density (ΛCDM) cosmologies: a 'full-sky' survey out to z ∼0.5 , two 'octant' data sets out to beyond z =1 , and a 100 square degree data set extending to z ∼4 . Making simple, but robust, assumptions regarding both the thermodynamic state of the gas and the detection of objects against an unresolved background, we present the expected number of SZ sources as a function of redshift and angular size, and also as a function of flux (for both the thermal and kinetic effects) for three of the relevant High Frequency Instrument frequency channels. We confirm the expectation that the Planck Surveyor will detect around 5×10⁴ clusters, though the exact number is sensitive to the choice of several parameters including the baryon fraction, and also to the cluster density profile, so that either cosmology may predict more clusters. We also find that the majority of detected sources should be at z <1.5 , and we estimate that around 1 per cent of clusters will be spatially resolved by the Planck Surveyor , though this has a large uncertainty.     

The evolution of [O ii] emission from cluster galaxies

We investigate the evolution of the star formation rate in cluster galaxies. We complement data from the Canadian Network for Observational Cosmology 1 (CNOC1) cluster survey  (0.15 < z < 0.6)  with measurements from galaxy clusters in the Two-degree Field (2dF) galaxy redshift survey  (0.05 < z < 0.1)  and measurements from recently published work on higher-redshift clusters, up to almost   z = 1  . We focus our attention on galaxies in the cluster core, i.e. galaxies with   r < 0.7  h ⁻¹₇₀ Mpc  . Averaging over clusters in redshift bins, we find that the fraction of galaxies with strong [O  ii ] emission is ≲20 per cent in cluster cores, and the fraction evolves little with redshift. In contrast, field galaxies from the survey show a very strong increase over the same redshift range. It thus appears that the environment in the cores of rich clusters is hostile to star formation at all the redshifts studied. We compare this result with the evolution of the colours of galaxies in cluster cores, first reported by Butcher and Oemler. Using the same galaxies for our analysis of the [O  ii ] emission, we confirm that the fraction of blue galaxies, which are defined as galaxies 0.2 mag bluer in the rest-frame B – V than the red sequence of each cluster, increases strongly with redshift. Because the colours of galaxies retain a memory of their recent star formation history, while emission from the [O  ii ] line does not, we suggest that these two results can best be reconciled if the rate at which the clusters are being assembled is higher in the past, and the galaxies from which it is being assembled are typically bluer.