Deep study of A399-401: Application of a wide-field facet calibration^⋆

¹ Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, PO Box 9513 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
e-mail: jurjendejong@strw.leidenuniv.nl
² Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Università degli Studi di Bologna, via P. Gobetti 93/2, 40129 Bologna, Italy
³ INAF – Istituto di Radioastronomia, via P. Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy
⁴ SURF/SURFsara, Science Park 140, 1098 XG Amsterdam, The Netherlands
⁵ ASTRON, The Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Postbus 2, 7990 AA Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
⁶ GEPI & USN, Observatoire de Paris, Université PSL, CNRS, 5 Place Jules Janssen, 92190 Meudon, France
⁷ Department of Physics & Electronics, Rhodes University, PO Box 94 Grahamstown 6140, South Africa

Received: 24 June 2022
Accepted: 24 September 2022

Abstract

Context. Diffuse synchrotron emission pervades numerous galaxy clusters, indicating the existence of cosmic rays and magnetic fields throughout the intra-cluster medium. The general consensus is that this emission is generated by shocks and turbulence that are activated during cluster merger events and cause a (re-)acceleration of particles to highly relativistic energies. Similar emission has recently been detected in megaparsec-scale filaments connecting pairs of premerging clusters. These instances are the first in which diffuse emission has been found outside of the main cluster regions.

Aims. We aim to examine the particle acceleration mechanism in the megaparsec-scale bridge between Abell 399 and Abell 401 and assess in particular whether the synchrotron emission originates from first- or second-order Fermi reacceleration. We also consider the possible influence of active galactic nuclei (AGNs).

Methods. To examine the diffuse emission and the AGNs in Abell 399 and Abell 401, we used deep (∼40 h) LOw-Frequency ARray (LOFAR) observations with an improved direction-dependent calibration to produce radio images at 144 MHz with a sensitivity of σ = 79 μJy beam⁻¹ at a 5.9″ × 10.5″ resolution. Using a point-to-point analysis, we searched for a correlation between the radio and X-ray brightness from which we would be able to constrain the particle reacceleration mechanism.

Results. Our radio images show the radio bridge between the radio halos at high significance. We find a trend between the radio and X-ray emission in the bridge. We also measured the correlation between the radio and X-ray emission in the radio halos and find a strong correlation for Abell 401 and a weaker correlation for Abell 399. On the other hand, we measure a strong correlation for the radio halo extension from A399 in the northwest direction. With our deep images, we also find evidence for AGN particle injection and reenergized fossil plasma in the radio bridge and halos.

Conclusions. We argue that second-order Fermi reacceleration is currently the most favored process to explain the radio bridge. In addition, we find indications for a scenario in which past AGN particle injection might introduce significant scatter in the relation between the radio and X-ray emission in the bridge, but may also supply the fossil plasma needed for in situ reacceleration. The results for Abell 401 are also clearly consistent with a second-order Fermi reacceleration model. The relation between the thermal and nonthermal components in the radio halo in Abell 399 is affected by a recent merger. However, a strong correlation toward its northwest extension and the steep spectrum in the radio halo support an origin of the radio emission in a second-order Fermi reacceleration model as well. The evidence that we find for reenergized fossil plasma near Abell 399 and in the radio bridge supports the reacceleration of the fossil plasma scenario.