G. Brunetti et al., Particle injection and reacceleration in clusters of galaxies and the EUV excess: the case of Coma, NEW ASTRON, 6(1), 2001, pp. 1-15
We calculate the energy distribution of the relativistic particles injected
in the ICM during a phase of reacceleration of the relativistic particles
in the cluster volume. We apply our results to the case of the Coma cluster
in which recent merging activity and the presence of a radio halo may sugg
est that reacceleration processes are efficient. We find that the electron
population injected in the central part of the cluster by the head tail rad
io galaxy NGC 4869 may account for a large fraction, if not all, of the det
ected EUV excess via inverse Compton scattering of the cosmic microwave bac
kground (CMB) photons. If radio haloes are powered by reacceleration mechan
isms active in the cluster volume, moderate non-thermal EUV excesses (of th
e order similar to1-5.10(42) erg s(-1)) should be a common feature of clust
ers containing powerful head tail radio galaxies and/or AGNs. (C) 2001 Else
vier Science B.V. All rights reserved.