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Centro de Astrofísica da Universidade do Porto

The XMM Cluster Survey: Present status and latest results

P. T. P. Viana, N. Mehrtens, C. D. Harrison, A. K. Romer, C. A. Collins, M. Hilton, B. Hoyle, S. T. Kay, A. R. Liddle, J. A. Mayers, C. J. Miller, P. J. Rooney, M. Sahlén, J. P. Stott

Abstract
The XMM Cluster Survey (XCS) is a serendipitous search for galaxy clusters using all publicly available data in the XMM-Newton Science Archive. Our recent first data release (XCS-DR1) contains 503 optically confirmed groups and clusters, among which 256 new to the literature and 357 whose X-ray emission was detected for the first time. We discuss their properties and provide an update on the work being done. As examples of the applications of XCS-DR1, we mention the 17 fossil groups/clusters identified with the help of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Their brightest galaxies have stellar populations and star-formation histories which are similar to normal brightest cluster galaxies, but their stellar masses are significantly larger and correspond to a much bigger fraction of the total group/cluster optical luminosity. We also highlight the 15 clusters expected to be also detected by the Planck satellite, and characterize the expected overlap between the final XCS and Planck cluster catalogues.

Keywords
galaxies: clusters: general – X-rays: galaxies: clusters – surveys

Astronomische Nachrichten
Volume 334, Page 462
April 2013

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Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences

Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences (IA) is a new but long anticipated research infrastructure with a national dimension. It embodies a bold but feasible vision for the development of Astronomy, Astrophysics and Space Sciences in Portugal, taking full advantage and fully realizing the potential created by the national membership of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Southern Observatory (ESO). IA resulted from the merging the two most prominent research units in the field in Portugal: the Centre for Astrophysics of the University of Porto (CAUP) and the Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics of the University of Lisbon (CAAUL). It currently hosts more than two-thirds of all active researchers working in Space Sciences in Portugal, and is responsible for an even greater fraction of the national productivity in international ISI journals in the area of Space Sciences. This is the scientific area with the highest relative impact factor (1.65 times above the international average) and the field with the highest average number of citations per article for Portugal.

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