The life of radio galaxies in clusters: joint surveys by eROSITA and ASKAP

• Applicants: Professor Marcus Brüggen, Ph.D.; Professor Dr. Thomas H. Reiprich
• Subject Area: Astrophysics and Astronomy
• Term: from 2020 to 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 450861021

Feedback by central radio galaxies controls the dilute gas in galaxy clusters and the dilute gas in galaxy clusters shapes the evolution of radio galaxies in clusters. We wish to study this reciprocal relation using two novel surveys: the eROSITA all-sky survey, eRASS1, in X-rays and the Evolutionary Map of the Universe (EMU) survey with the Australian ASKAP telescopes in the radio band.eROSITA will discover an unprecedented number of X-ray galaxy clusters and image them with an angular resolution of 30 arc seconds.The EMU pilot survey maps 270 square degrees of sky in the Dark Energy Survey field down to a noise level of about 25 $\mu$Jy/beam at 10 arc second resolution. It is expected to image and catalog about 200,000 radio sources. These catalogs are cross-matched against multi-wavelength catalogs, and where possible contain redshifts and classifications.We would like to perform an analysis of radio galaxies in clusters detected, both, with EMU and ineRASS1. In particular, we would like to perform a morphological study and investigate the properties of radio galaxies as a function of their environment. The main scientific questions are: How do radio galaxies evolve in a non-uniform, but static ICM? How do radio galaxies evolve in a dynamic ICM? What is the internal pressure budget of lobes? To answer these questions, we will apply sophisticated machine-learning techniques to these unique new radio and X-ray data.Correlations between the radio properties of the central source and the X-ray properties of the host cluster will yield unique insights into the mechanics of radio-mode feedback. In this part of the project, we focus on the question whether the energy input from the central radio galaxy is able to offset the cooling losses of the ICM.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants