X-ray Measurements of the Intercluster Medium and Interferometric Observations of the Sunyaev-Zeldovich Effect in Abell 2218

Session 116 - Galaxy Clusters & Evolution.
Oral session, Saturday, January 10
Lincoln,

[116.02] X-ray Measurements of the Intercluster Medium and Interferometric Observations of the Sunyaev-Zeldovich Effect in Abell 2218

S. K. Patel (U. Alabama in Huntsville), M. Joy (NASA/MSFC), J. E. Carlstrom (U. Chicago), J. P. Hughes (Rutgers Univ.), L. Grego (CalTech), W. L. Holzapfel, A. R. Cooray (U. Chicago)

We present the results and analysis of our interferometric imaging of the Sunyaev Zel'dovich effect in A2218, as observed by the Hat Creek and Owens Valley millimeter interferometers, outfitted with 30GHz receivers. The SZ image will be fit with an isothermal Beta model for the intracluster medium and compared to the ROSAT X-ray image. The x-ray data can be described by an isothermal Beta model with Beta =0.64 and core radius =1.0'. The SZ decrement and x-ray observations towards a given galaxy cluster can be used to obtain a distance to the cluster, allowing for a measurement of the Hubble constant. We will present the distance determined from the x-ray and S-Z data and compare with earlier results of other researchers. Also limitations of this technique will be discussed and compared with other methods of determining the Hubble constant.

Program listing for Saturday