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Paper: Radio Properties of the Merging Cluster Complex A3128/A3125
Volume: 395, Frontiers of Astrophysics: A Celebration of NRAO's 50th Anniversary
Page: 367
Authors: Fleenor, M.C.; Johnston-Hollitt, M.; Rose, J.A.; Christiansen, W.A.; Hunstead, R.W.
Abstract: We present high-resolution radio imaging at 20 cm (1.4 GHz) of the Horologium-Reticulum Supercluster (HRS) obtained from the Australia Telescope Compact Array. Covering over four square degrees, we examine the continuum radio emission as it relates to the merging galaxy-cluster complex of Abell 3128/3125. Previous optical spectroscopy in the region reveals 55 radio-optical counterparts, with over half falling within the kinematic core of the HRS (16000 – 22500 km s-1). From this multi-wavelength synthesis, we construct the bi-variate radio luminosity function (RLF) for early-type (E/S0) cluster galaxies in this complex. Although two powerful head-tail sources exist within the cluster A3125 (> 5×1024W), the core of A3128 is mostly consistent with the composite cluster RLF in Ledlow & Owen (1996: AJ, 112, 9). Therefore, with the current optical data, we find the early-type RLF supports the post-passage, near-turnaround stage of the A3128/A3125 complex concluded by Rose et al. (2002: AJ, 123, 3).

The Australia Telescope Compact Array is part of the Australia Telescope, which is funded by the Commonwealth of Australia for operation as a National Facility managed by CSIRO. MCF acknowledges the support of a NASA Space Grant Graduate Fellowship at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. RWH acknowledges grant support from the Australian Research Council. MJH acknowledges support through IRGS Grant J0014369 administered by the University of Tasmania. A portion of this work was supported by NSF grants AST-9900720 and AST-0406443 to the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

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