Merger scenario of PLCKG287 remains unclear

Ascertain the detailed merger configuration of the galaxy cluster PSZ2 G286.98+32.90 (PLCKG287), including the number, masses, and trajectories of its substructures and the three-dimensional merger geometry, which remains unclear despite evidence of dynamical activity from radio relics and a radio halo.

Background

Although the cluster exhibits clear signs of dynamical disturbance—such as a giant radio halo and two radio relics—X-ray morphology appears only moderately disturbed and weak-lensing analyses reveal multiple mass peaks, indicating a complex, ongoing or recent merger.

The authors identify and analyze a shock front and a cold front but emphasize that the overall merger scenario is not yet established; resolving it is central to interpreting the origin of the shock, the core heating, and the broader thermodynamic state of the system.