The velocity-shape alignment of clusters and the kinetic Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect

Abstract

We use the Millennium simulation to probe the correlation between cluster velocities and their shapes and the consequences for measurements of the kinetic Sunyaev-Zeldovich (kSZ) effect. Haloes are generally prolate ellipsoids with orientations that are correlated with those of nearby haloes. We measure the mean streaming velocities of haloes along the lines that separate them, demonstrating that the peculiar velocities and the long axes of haloes tend to be somewhat aligned, especially for the most massive haloes. Since the kSZ effect is proportional to the line-of-sight velocity and the optical depth of the cluster, the alignment results in a strong enhancement of the kSZ signature in clusters moving along the line of sight. This effect has not been taken into account in many analyses of kSZ signatures. © 2009 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2009 RAS.