A measurement of the Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect in the coma cluster of galaxies

Citation

Herbig, Thomas (1994) A measurement of the Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect in the coma cluster of galaxies. Dissertation (Ph.D.), California Institute of Technology. doi:10.7907/3wd8-xa84. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechETD:etd-09102008-151722

Abstract

This thesis presents a measurement of the Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect in the Coma cluster of galaxies. The observed effect is ΔT[subscript 0,obs] = -302.1±48μK, and was measured at a frequency of 32GHz with the 5.5m telescope at the Owens Valley Radio Observatory. Interpreted in the context of existing X-ray models, I derive a peak central SZ effect of ΔT[subscript 0,peak] = -495.3±78.7µK. With this interpretation, I also calculate a value of H[subscript 0] = 74.2±27.9kms[superscript -1]Mpc[superscript -1] for the Hubble constant. This is the first successful measurement of the SZ effect in a nearby cluster, an important advance because of the much better potential for its astronomical and cosmological interpretation.

Thesis Files