Using the ESA's XMM-Newton observatory, an international team, led by Marguerite Pierre of the Astrophysics Department of CEA-Irfu, has revealed the latest results of the XXL survey, the largest observation program X-ray produced to date by the XMM satellite. The second batch of data just published in a special issue of the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics, includes information on 365 galaxy clusters and 26,000 active galactic nuclei (AGN). By deep examination of two major regions of the sky, the XXL sounding is the first X-ray study to detect enough clusters of galaxies and AGN to trace the large-scale structure of the Universe and its evolution. in time with unprecedented details.
Read more in : Dessiner l'univers: les rayons X apportent une nouvelle lumière (in French)
X-ray images of the 365 clusters of galaxies of the XXL survey, observed by the XMM-Newton satellite. The 365 images are ordered as a calendar. Credits: ESA / XMM-Newton / XXL Survey.
[Click on the image to get the correct resolution.]
Contacts : Marguerite PIERRE
Publications
The results are presented in a series of 20 papers published by the XXL survey collaboration, in a special issue
"The XXL Survey: second series" in Astronomy & Astrophysics.
See : the European Space Agency (ESA) press release (4 October 2018)
See also : An X-ray survey in XXL dimensions (15 Decembre 2015)
This work also led to the development of an innovative method of cosmological analysis for the clusters published in: "The cosmological analysis of X-ray cluster surveys III & IV": Pierre, Valotti, Faccioli al 2017, A&A 607, A123 - Valotti, Pierre, Farahi et al 2018. A&A 617, C2
• Structure and evolution of the Universe
• Institute of Research into the Fundamental Laws of the Universe • Department of Astrophysics (DAp) // UMR AIM
