COSMIC RAYS IN GALAXY CLUSTERS AND THEIR NONTHERMAL EMISSION

Radio observations prove the existence of relativistic particles and magnetic field associated with the intra-cluster-medium (ICM) through the presence of extended synchrotron emission in the form of radio halos and peripheral relics. This observational evidence has fundamental implications on the physics of the ICM. Nonthermal components in galaxy clusters are indeed unique probes of very energetic processes operating within clusters that drain gravitational and electromagnetic energy into cosmic rays (CRs) and magnetic fields. These components strongly affect the (micro-)physical properties of the ICM, including viscosity and electrical conductivities, and have also potential consequences on the evolution of…