XMM-Newton detection of two clusters of galaxies with strong SPT Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect signatures

We report on the discovery of two galaxy clusters, SPT-CL J2332-5358 and SPT-CL J2342-5411, in X-rays. These clusters were also independently detected through their Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect by the South Pole Telescope, and confirmed in the optical band by the Blanco Cosmology Survey. They are thus the first clusters detected under survey conditions by all major cluster search approaches. The X-ray detection is made within the frame of the XMM-BCS cluster survey utilizing a novel XMM-Newton mosaic mode of observations. The present study makes the first scientific use of this operation mode. We estimate the X-ray spectroscopic temperature of SPT-CL J2332-5358 (at redshift z=0.32) to T = 9.3 (+3.3/-1.9) keV, implying a high mass, M_{500} = 8.8 +/- 3.8 \times 10^{14} M_{sun}. For SPT-CL J2342-5411, at z=1.08, the available X-ray data doesn't allow us to directly estimate the temperature with good confidence. However, using our measured luminosity and scaling relations we estimate that T = 4.5 +/- 1.3 keV and M_{500} = 1.9 +/- 0.8 \times 10^{14} M_{sun}. We find a good agreement between the X-ray masses and those estimated from the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect.Comment: Submitted to A&A, 8 pages, 5 figures, 1 tabl

Analysis of Sunyaev–Zel’dovich effect mass–observable relations using South Pole Telescope observations of an X-ray selected sample of low-mass galaxy clusters and groups

We use microwave observations from the South Pole Telescope (SPT) to examine the Sunyaev–Zel'dovich effect (SZE) signatures of a sample of 46 X-ray selected groups and clusters drawn from ∼6 deg^2 of the XMM–Newton Blanco Cosmology Survey. These systems extend to redshift z = 1.02 and probe the SZE signal to the lowest X-ray luminosities (≥10^(42) erg s^(−1)) yet; these sample characteristics make this analysis complementary to previous studies. We develop an analysis tool, using X-ray luminosity as a mass proxy, to extract selection-bias-corrected constraints on the SZE significance and Y500 mass relations. The former is in good agreement with an extrapolation of the relation obtained from high-mass clusters. However, the latter, at low masses, while in good agreement with the extrapolation from the high-mass SPT clusters, is in tension at 2.8σ with the Planck constraints, indicating the low-mass systems exhibit lower SZE signatures in the SPT data. We also present an analysis of potential sources of contamination. For the radio galaxy point source population, we find 18 of our systems have 843 MHz Sydney University Molonglo Sky Survey sources within 2 arcmin of the X-ray centre, and three of these are also detected at significance >4 by SPT. Of these three, two are associated with the group brightest cluster galaxies, and the third is likely an unassociated quasar candidate. We examine the impact of these point sources on our SZE scaling relation analyses and find no evidence of biases. We also examine the impact of dusty galaxies using constraints from the 220 GHz data. The stacked sample provides 2.8σ significant evidence of dusty galaxy flux, which would correspond to an average underestimate of the SPT Y_(500) signal that is (17 ± 9) per cent in this sample of low-mass systems. Finally, we explore the impact of future data from SPTpol and XMM-XXL, showing that it will lead to a factor of 4 to 5 tighter constraints on these SZE mass–observable relations

Galaxy Clusters Discovered via the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Effect in the 2500-Square-Degree SPT-SZ Survey

We present a catalog of galaxy clusters selected via their Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) effect signature from 2500 deg^2 of South Pole Telescope (SPT) data. This work represents the complete sample of clusters detected at high significance in the 2500 deg^2 SPT-SZ survey, which was completed in 2011. A total of 677 (409) cluster candidates are identified above a signal-to-noise threshold of ξ = 4.5 (5.0). Ground- and space-based optical and near-infrared (NIR) imaging confirms overdensities of similarly colored galaxies in the direction of 516 (or 76%) of the ξ > 4.5 candidates and 387 (or 95%) of the ξ > 5 candidates; the measured purity is consistent with expectations from simulations. Of these confirmed clusters, 415 were first identified in SPT data, including 251 new discoveries reported in this work. We estimate photometric redshifts for all candidates with identified optical and/or NIR counterparts; we additionally report redshifts derived from spectroscopic observations for 141 of these systems. The mass threshold of the catalog is roughly independent of redshift above z ~ 0.25 leading to a sample of massive clusters that extends to high redshift. The median mass of the sample is M_(500c(ρcrit)) ~ 3.5 x 10^(14)M_☉ h_(70)^(-1), the median redshift is z_(med) = 0.55, and the highest-redshift systems are at z > 1.4. The combination of large redshift extent, clean selection, and high typical mass makes this cluster sample of particular interest for cosmological analyses and studies of cluster formation and evolution

Factors influencing fluffy layer suspended matter (FLSM) properties in the Odra River - Pomeranian Bay - Arkona Deep System (Baltic Sea) as derived by principal components analysis (PCA), and cluster analysis (CA)

Factors conditioning formation and properties of suspended matter resting on the sea floor (Fluffy Layer Suspended Matter - FLSM) in the Odra river mouth - Arkona Deep system (southern Baltic Sea) were investigated. <P style='line-height: 20px;'> Thirty FLSM samples were collected from four sampling stations, during nine cruises, in the period 1996-1998. Twenty six chemical properties of the fluffy material were measured (organic matter-total, humic substances, a variety of fatty acids fractions, P, N, &delta;13C, &delta;15N; Li; heavy metals- Co, Cd, Pb, Ni, Zn, Fe, Al, Mn, Cu, Cr). The so obtained data set was subjected to statistical evaluation. <P style='line-height: 20px;'> Comparison of mean values of the measured properties led to conclusion that both seasonal and spatial differences of the fluffy material collected at the stations occured. Application of Principal Component Analysis, and Cluster Analysis, to the data set amended with environmental characteristics (depth, salinity, chlorophyll <i>a</i>, distance from the river mouth), led to quantification of factors conditioning the FLSM formation. The five most important factors were: contribution of the lithogenic component (responsible for 25% of the data set variability), time dependent factors (including primary productivity, mass exchange with fine sediment fraction, atmospheric deposition, contribution of material originating from abrasion-altogether 21%), contribution of fresh autochtonous organic matter (9%), influence of microbial activity (8%), seasonality (8%)

The Redshift Evolution of the Mean Temperature, Pressure, and Entropy Profiles in 80 SPT-Selected Galaxy Clusters

We present the results of an X-ray analysis of 80 galaxy clusters selected in the 2500 deg^2 South Pole Telescope survey and observed with the Chandra X-ray Observatory. We divide the full sample into subsamples of ~20 clusters based on redshift and central density, performing a joint X-ray spectral fit to all clusters in a subsample simultaneously, assuming self-similarity of the temperature profile. This approach allows us to constrain the shape of the temperature profile over 0 R_(500)) regions than their low-z (0.3 < z < 0.6) counterparts. Combining the average temperature profile with measured gas density profiles from our earlier work, we infer the average pressure and entropy profiles for each subsample. Confirming earlier results from this data set, we find an absence of strong cool cores at high z, manifested in this analysis as a significantly lower observed pressure in the central 0.1R_(500) of the high-z cool-core subset of clusters compared to the low-z cool-core subset. Overall, our observed pressure profiles agree well with earlier lower-redshift measurements, suggesting minimal redshift evolution in the pressure profile outside of the core. We find no measurable redshift evolution in the entropy profile at r ≲ 0.7R_(500)—this may reflect a long-standing balance between cooling and feedback over long timescales and large physical scales. We observe a slight flattening of the entropy profile at r gsim R_(500) in our high-z subsample. This flattening is consistent with a temperature bias due to the enhanced (~3×) rate at which group-mass (~2 keV) halos, which would go undetected at our survey depth, are accreting onto the cluster at z ~ 1. This work demonstrates a powerful method for inferring spatially resolved cluster properties in the case where individual cluster signal-to-noise is low, but the number of observed clusters is high

ALMA Redshifts of Millimeter-selected Galaxies from the SPT Survey: The Redshift Distribution of Dusty Star-forming Galaxies

Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, we have conducted a blind redshift survey in the 3 mm atmospheric transmission window for 26 strongly lensed dusty star-forming galaxies (DSFGs) selected with the South Pole Telescope. The sources were selected to have S_(1.4mm) > 20 mJy and a dust-like spectrum and, to remove low-z sources, not have bright radio (S_843MHz) 3. We discuss the effect of gravitational lensing on the redshift distribution and compare our measured redshift distribution to that of models in the literature

Optical followup of galaxy clusters detected by the South Pole Telescope

The South Pole Telescope (SPT) is a 10 meter telescope operating at mm wavelengths. It has recently completed a three-band survey covering 2500 sq. degrees. One of the survey's main goals is to detect galaxy clusters using Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect and use these clusters for a variety of cosmological and astrophysical studies such as the dark energy equation of state, the primordial non-gaussianity and the evolution of galaxy populations. Since 2005, we have been engaged in a comprehensive optical and near-infrared followup program (at wavelengths between 0.4 and 5 {\mu}m) to image high-significance SPT clusters, to measure their photometric redshifts, and to estimate the contamination rate of the candidate lists. These clusters are then used for various cosmological and astrophysical studies.Comment: For TAUP 2011 proceeding

Lithographed spectrometers for tomographic line mapping of the Epoch of Reionization

The Tomographic Ionized carbon Mapping Experiment (TIME) is a multi-phased experiment that will topographically map [CII] emission from the Epoch of Reionization. We are developing lithographed spectrometers that couple to TES bolometers in anticipation of the second generation instrument. Our design intentionally mirrors many features of the parallel SuperSpec project, inductively coupling power from a trunk-line microstrip onto half-wave resonators. The resonators couple to a rat-race hybrids that feeds TES bolometers. Our 25 channel prototype shows spectrally positioned lines roughly matching design with a receiver optical efficiency of 15-20%, a level that is dominated by loss in components outside the spectrometer

BICEP2. II. Experiment and three-year Data Set

We report on the design and performance of the BICEP2 instrument and on its three-year data set. BICEP2 was designed to measure the polarization of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) on angular scales of 1°-5°(ℓ = 40-200), near the expected peak of the B-mode polarization signature of primordial gravitational waves from cosmic inflation. Measuring B-modes requires dramatic improvements in sensitivity combined with exquisite control of systematics. The BICEP2 telescope observed from the South Pole with a 26 cm aperture and cold, on-axis, refractive optics. BICEP2 also adopted a new detector design in which beam-defining slot antenna arrays couple to transition-edge sensor (TES) bolometers, all fabricated on a common substrate. The antenna-coupled TES detectors supported scalable fabrication and multiplexed readout that allowed BICEP2 to achieve a high detector count of 500 bolometers at 150 GHz, giving unprecedented sensitivity to B-modes at degree angular scales. After optimization of detector and readout parameters, BICEP2 achieved an instrument noise-equivalent temperature of 15.8 µK√s. The full data set reached Stokes Q and U map depths of 87.2 nK in square-degree pixels (5.'2 μK) over an effective area of 384 deg^2 within a 1000 deg^2 field. These are the deepest CMB polarization maps at degree angular scales to date. The power spectrum analysis presented in a companion paper has resulted in a significant detection of B-mode polarization at degree scales