A fast and accurate method for computing the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich signal of hot galaxy clusters

Abstract

New-generation ground- and space-based cosmic microwave background experiments have ushered in discoveries of massive galaxy clusters via the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) effect, providing a new window for studying cluster astrophysics and cosmology. Many of the newly discovered, SZ-selected clusters contain hot intracluster plasma (kTe ≳ 10keV) and exhibit disturbed morphology, indicative of frequent mergers with large peculiar velocity (v ≳ 1000kms-1). It is well known that for the interpretation of the SZ signal from hot, moving galaxy clusters, relativistic corrections must be taken into account, and in this work, we present a fast and accurate method for computing these effects. Our approach is based on an alternative derivation of the Boltzmann collision term which provides new physical insight into the sources of different kinematic corrections in the scattering problem. In contrast to previous works, this allows us to obtain a clean separation of kinematic and scattering terms. We also briefly mention additional complications connected with kinematic effects that should be considered when interpreting future SZ data for individual clusters. One of the main outcomes of this work is SZpack, a numerical library which allows very fast and precise (≲0.001 per cent at frequencies hν ≲ 20kTγ) computation of the SZ signals up to high electron temperature (kTe ≃ 25keV) and large peculiar velocity (v/c ≃ 0.01). The accuracy is well beyond the current and future precision of SZ observations and practically eliminates uncertainties which are usually overcome with more expensive numerical evaluation of the Boltzmann collision term. Our new approach should therefore be useful for analysing future high-resolution, multifrequency SZ observations as well as computing the predicted SZ effect signals from numerical simulations. © 2012 The Authors Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society © 2012 RAS.