Paper detail

Challenges to our understanding of radio relics: X-ray observations of the Toothbrush cluster

The cluster 1RXS J0603.3+4214 is a merging galaxy cluster that hosts three radio relics and a giant radio halo. The northern relic, the Toothbrush, is 1.9-Mpc long and has an unusual linear morphology. According to simple diffusive shock acceleration theory, its radio spectral index indicates a Mach number of 3.3-4.6. Here, we present results from a deep XMM-Newton observation of the cluster. We observe two distinct cluster cores that have survived the merger. The presence of three shocks at or near the locations of the radio relics is confirmed by density and temperature discontinuities. However, the observation poses several puzzles that challenge our understanding of radio relics: (i) at the Toothbrush, the shock Mach number is not larger than 2, in apparent conflict with the shock strength predicted from the radio spectrum; (ii) at the Toothbrush, the shock front is, in part, spatially offset from the radio emission; (iii) at the eastern relic, we detect a temperature jump corresponding to a Mach number of approximately 2.5, but there is no associated surface brightness discontinuity. We discuss possible explanations for these findings.