On the origin and acceleration of cosmic rays: Cooling flow clusters and AGN hosts

Abstract

We are looking for radio `relics' and `halos' in an X-ray selected sample of clusters of galaxies. These radio features are not a product of the Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN)-mechanism, but more likely are associated with past cluster merger events. AGN hosts of cooling flow clusters contain particle bubbles that show non-thermal radio emission. These bubbles could explain the presence of radio relics and halos if they can restrict cosmic rays efficiently. Intracluster magnetic fields and cluster environments can reveal the acceleration mechanisms of cosmic rays. Using radio/X-ray data and analytical methods we examine three AGN hosts out of our 70 clusters, namely Hercules A, 3C310 and 3C388. We found that none of these clusters contain relics and/or halos.