Speaker
Description
Observations of galaxy clusters at low radio frequencies serve as a valuable tool for studying the non-thermal intracluster medium (ICM). Diffuse radio emissions, such as radio halos and relics, assist in probing a cluster’s non-thermal physics and magnetic fields. However, radio observations lack redshift information, rendering it challenging to determine the origin of extended radio emission. In this study, we present a multiwavelength view of diffuse radio emission serendipitously discovered in one of the cluster fields from the MeerKAT Exploration of Relics, Giant Halos, and Extragalactic Radio Sources (MERGHERS) survey. Although there are no obvious signs of diffuse emission within the cluster itself, to the south of the target lies the newly detected emission, which appears morphologically similar to a pair of cluster radio relics. However, there is no known cluster at a plausible redshift at the source position. We employ a combination of MeerKAT UHF data, Dark Energy Survey (DES) imaging and photometry, and X-ray images to study the properties of the diffuse emission in order to determine its origin. In this talk, I will present our multiwavelength investigation into this intriguing puzzle.
