Publications (62)5.91 Total impact
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Article: Polarization of cluster radio halos with upcoming radio interferometers
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ABSTRACT: Synchrotron radio halos at the center of merging galaxy clusters provide the most spectacular and direct evidence of the presence of relativistic particles and magnetic fields associated with the intracluster medium. The study of polarized emission from radio halos has been shown to be extremely important to constrain the properties of intracluster magnetic fields. However, detecting this polarized signal is a very hard task with the current radio facilities.We investigate whether future radio observatories, such as the Square Kilometer Array (SKA) and its precursors and pathfinders, will be able to detect the polarized emission of radio halos in galaxy clusters.On the basis of cosmological magnetohydrodynamical simulations with initial magnetic fields injected by active galactic nuclei, we predict the expected radio halo polarized signal at 1.4 GHz. We compare these expectations with the limits of current radio facilities and explore the potential of the forthcoming radio interferometers to investigate intracluster magnetic fields through the detection of polarized emission from radio halos.The resolution and sensitivity values that are expected to be obtained in future sky surveys performed at 1.4 GHz using the SKA precursors and pathfinders (like APERTIF and ASKAP) are very promising for the detection of the polarized emission of the most powerful (L1.4GHz>10e25 Watt/Hz) radio halos. Furthermore, the JVLA have the potential to already detect polarized emission from strong radio halos, at a relatively low resolution.However, the possibility of detecting the polarized signal in fainter radio halos (L1.4GHz~10e24 Watt/Hz) at high resolution requires a sensitivity reachable only with SKA.04/2013; -
Article: Chandra observations of dying radio sources in galaxy clusters
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ABSTRACT: The dying radio sources represent a very interesting and largely unexplored stage of the active galactic nucleus (AGN) evolution. They are considered to be very rare, and almost all of the few known ones were found in galaxy clusters. However, considering the small number detected so far, it has not been possible to draw any firm conclusions about their X-ray environment. We present X-ray observations performed with the Chandra satellite of the three galaxy clusters Abell 2276, ZwCl 1829.3+6912, and RX J1852.1+5711, which harbor at their center a dying radio source with an ultra-steep spectrum that we recently discovered. We analyzed the physical properties of the X-ray emitting gas surrounding these elusive radio sources. We determined the global X-ray properties of the clusters, derived the azimuthally averaged profiles of metal abundance, gas temperature, density, and pressure. Furthermore, we estimated the total mass profiles. The large-scale X-ray emission is regular and spherical, suggesting a relaxed state for these systems. Indeed, we found that the three clusters are also characterized by significant enhancements in the metal abundance and declining temperature profiles toward the central region. For all these reasons, we classified RX J1852.1+5711, Abell 2276, and ZwCl 1829.3+6912 as cool-core galaxy clusters.10/2012; -
Article: Detection of diffuse radio emission in the galaxy clusters A800, A910, A1550, and CL1446+26
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ABSTRACT: Radio halos are elusive sources located at the center of merging galaxy clusters. To date, only about 40 radio halos are known, thus the discovery of new halos provide important insights on this class of sources. To improve the statistics of radio halos, we investigated the radio continuum emission in a sample of galaxy clusters. We analyzed archival Very Large Array observations at 1.4 GHz, with a resolution of about 1 arcmin. These observations complemented by X-ray, optical, and higher resolution radio data allowed to detect a new radio halo in the central region of A800 and A1550. We discovered a radio relic in the periphery of A910, and finally we revealed both a halo and a relic in CL1446+26.Clusters hosting these new halos show an offset between the radio and the X-ray peak. By analyzing this offset statistically we found that radio halos can be quite asymmetric with respect to the X-ray gas distribution, with an average radio - X-ray displacement of about 180 kpc. When the offsets are normalized by the halo size, there is a tendency for smaller halos to show larger displacements.07/2012; -
Article: The intracluster magnetic field power spectrum in A2199
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ABSTRACT: We investigate the magnetic field power spectrum in the cool core galaxy cluster A2199 by analyzing the polarized emission of the central radio source 3C338. The polarized radiation from the radio emitting plasma is modified by the Faraday rotation as it passes through the magneto-ionic intracluster medium. We use Very Large Array observations between 1665 and 8415 MHz to produce detailed Faraday rotation measure and fractional polarization images of the radio galaxy. We simulate Gaussian random three-dimensional magnetic field models with different power-law power spectra and we assume that the field strength decreases radially with the thermal gas density as n_e^{\eta}. By comparing the synthetic and the observed images with a Bayesian approach, we constrain the strength and structure of the magnetic field associated with the intracluster medium. We find that the Faraday rotation toward 3C338 in A2199 is consistent with a magnetic field power law power spectrum characterized by an index n=(2.8 \pm 1.3) between a maximum and a minimum scale of fluctuation of \Lambda_{max}=(35 \pm 28) kpc and \Lambda_{min}=(0.7 \pm 0.1) kpc, respectively. By including in the modeling X-ray cavities coincident with the radio galaxy lobes, we find a magnetic field strength of =(11.7 \pm 9.0) \mu G at the cluster center. Further out, the field decreases with the radius following the gas density to the power of \eta=(0.9 \pm 0.5).01/2012; -
Article: Discovery of the correspondence between intra-cluster radio emission and a high pressure region detected through the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect
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ABSTRACT: We analyzed new 237 MHz and 614 MHz GMRT data of the most X-ray luminous galaxy cluster, RX J1347-1145. Our radio results are compared with the MUSTANG 90 GHz Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect map and with re-processed Chandra and XMM-Newton archival data of this cluster. We point out for the first time in an unambiguous way the correspondence between a radio excess in a diffuse intra-cluster radio source and a hot region detected through both Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect and X-ray observations. Our result indicates that electron re-acceleration in the excess emission of the radio mini-halo at the center of RX J1347-1145 is most likely related to a shock front propagating into the intra-cluster medium.07/2011; -
Article: Discovery of diffuse emission in the galaxy cluster A1689
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ABSTRACT: The aim of this work is to investigate the possible presence of extended diffuse synchrotron radio emission associated with the intracluster medium of the complex galaxy cluster A1689. The radio continuum emission of A1689 has been investigated by analyzing archival observations at 1.2 and 1.4 GHz obtained with the Very Large Array in different configurations. We report the detection of an extended, diffuse, low-surface brightness radio emission located in the central region of A1689. The surface brightness profile of the diffuse emission at 1.2 GHz indicates a central radio brightness of ~1.7 \mu Jy/arcsec^2 and the 3\sigma radio isophothes reveal the largest linear size to be 730 kpc. Given its central location, the low-level surface brightness, and the comparatively large extension, we classify the diffuse cluster-wide emission in A1689 as a small radio halo.06/2011; -
Article: A giant radio halo in the low luminosity X-ray cluster Abell 523
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ABSTRACT: Radio halos are extended and diffuse non-thermal radio sources present at the cluster center, not obviously associated with any individual galaxy. A strong correlation has been found between the cluster X-ray luminosity and the halo radio power. We observe and analyze the diffuse radio emission present in the complex merging structure Abell 523, classified as a low luminosity X-ray cluster, to discuss its properties in the context of the halo total radio power versus X-ray luminosity correlation. We reduced VLA archive observations at 1.4 GHz to derive a deep radio image of the diffuse emission, and compared radio, optical, and X-ray data. Low-resolution VLA images detect a giant radio halo associated with a complex merging region. The properties of this new halo agree with those of radio halos in general discussed in the literature, but its radio power is about a factor of ten higher than expected on the basis of the cluster X-ray luminosity. Our study of this giant radio source demonstrates that radio halos can also be present in clusters with a low X-ray luminosity. Only a few similar cases have so far been found . This result suggests that this source represent a new class of objects, that cannot be explained by classical radio halo models. We suggest that the particle reacceleration related to merging processes is very efficient and/or the X-ray luminosity is not a good indicator of the past merging activity of a cluster.04/2011; -
Article: Fractional polarization and magnetic fields in the ICM
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ABSTRACT: The aim of this work is to investigate the average properties of the intra-cluster medium (ICM) magnetic fields, and to search for possible correlations with the ICM thermal properties and cluster radio emission. We have selected a sample of 39 massive galaxy clusters from the HIghest X-ray FLUx Galaxy Cluster Sample, and used Northern VLA Sky Survey data to analyze the fractional polarization of radio sources out to 10 core radii from the cluster centers. Following Murgia et al (2004), we have investigated how different magnetic field strengths affect the observed polarized emission of sources lying at different projected distances from the cluster center. In addition, statistical tests are performed to investigate the fractional polarization trends in clusters with different thermal and non-thermal properties. We find a trend of the fractional polarization with the cluster impact parameter, with fractional polarization increasing at the cluster periphery and decreasing toward the cluster center. Such trend can be reproduced by a magnetic field model with central value of few $\mu$G. The logrank statistical test indicates that there are no differences in the depolarization trend observed in cluster with and without radio halo, while the same test indicates significant differences when the depolarization trend of sources in clusters with and without cool core are compared. The comparison between clusters with high and low temperatures does not yields significant differences. Although therole of the gas density should be better accounted for, these results give important indications for models that require a role of the ICM magnetic field to explain the presence of cool core and radio halos in galaxy clusters.03/2011; -
Article: The large-scale diffuse radio emission in A781
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ABSTRACT: A781 belongs to a complex system characterized by extended X-ray emissions that may form part of line of clusters of galaxies along a filament. The aim of this work is to investigate the possible presence of extended, diffuse synchrotron radio emission connected to the intra-cluster medium of A781. We studied the radio continuum emission and the spectral index properties in proximity of the A781 by analyzing archival Very Large Array observations at 1400 and 325 MHz. The main cluster of the system is permeated by diffuse low-surface brightness radio emission which is classified, being located close to the center, as a radio halo. The diffuse emission presents the typical extension and radio power of the other halos known in the literature. Interestingly, the radio halo appears to be linked to a peripheral patch previously found in the literature. The spectrum of this peripheral emission shows a radial steepening which may confirm that this source is indeed a cluster relic.02/2011; -
Article: Relativistic plasma and ICM/radio source interaction
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ABSTRACT: The first detection of a diffuse radio source in a cluster of galaxies, dates back to the 1959 (Coma Cluster, Large et al. 1959). Since then, synchrotron radiating radio sources have been found in several clusters, and represent an important cluster component which is linked to the thermal gas. Such sources indicate the existence of large scale magnetic fields and of a population of relativistic electrons in the cluster volume. The observational results provide evidence that these phenomena are related to turbulence and shock-structures in the intergalactic medium, thus playing a major role in the evolution of the large scale structure in the Universe. The interaction between radio sources and cluster gas is well established in particular at the center of cooling core clusters, where feedback from AGN is a necessary ingredient to adequately describe the formation and evolution of galaxies and host clusters.Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union 01/2011; 6. -
Article: Dying Radio Sources in Clusters
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ABSTRACT: We present the study of five `dying' nearby radio galaxies belonging to the WENSS minisurvey and to the B2 bright catalogs: WNB1734+6407, WNB1829+6911, WNB1851+5707, B2 0120+33, and B2 1610+29. These sources have been selected on the basis of their extremely steep broad-band radio spectra. The modeling of the integrated spectra and the deep spectral index images obtained with the VLA confirmed that in these sources the central engine has ceased to be active for a significant fraction of their lifetime although their extended lobes have not yet completely faded away. We found that WNB1851+5707 is in reality composed by two distinct dying galaxies, which appear blend together as a single source in the WENSS. In the cases of WNB1829+6911 and B2 0120+33, the fossil radio lobes are seen in conjunction with a currently active core. A very faint core is detected also in a MERLIN image of WNB1851+5707a, one of the two dying sources composing WNB1851+5707. We found that all sources of our sample are located (at least in projection) at the center of an X-ray emitting cluster. Our results suggest that the duration of the dying phase for a radio source in cluster can be significantly higher with respect to that of a radio galaxy in the field. The simplest interpretation is that the low-frequency emission from the fading radio lobes last longer if their expansion is somewhat reduced or even stopped. Another possibility is that the occurrence of dying sources is higher in galaxy clusters. Radio sources in dense environment, like e.g. the center of cooling core clusters, may have a peculiar accretion mode which results in a bursting duty cycle sequence of active and quiescent periods. This result could have important implications for theories of the life cycles of radio sources and AGN feedback in clusters of galaxies but awaits confirmation from future observations of larger samples of objects. Comment: 21 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics. For a version with high-quality figures see http://erg.ca.astro.it/preprints/dying2010/11/2010; -
Article: Galaxy cluster magnetic fields from radio polarized emission
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ABSTRACT: The presence of magnetic fields in the intra-cluster medium of galaxy clusters is now well estabilished. It is directly revealed by the presence of cluster-wide radio sources: radio halos and radio relics. In the last years increasing attention has been devoted to the intra cluster magnetic field through the study of polarized radio emission of radio galaxies, radio halos and radio relics. Recent radio observations have revealed important features of the intra-cluster magnetic field, allowing us to constrain its main properties and to understand the physical processes taking place in the intra-cluster medium. I will review the newest results on galaxy cluster magnetic fields, both focusing on single objects and aimed at describing the magnetic field general properties. The up-coming generation of radio telescopes, EVLA and LOFAR, will shed light on several problematics regarding the cluster magnetic fields and the related non-thermal emission. Comment: 12 pag., 4 Fig. Invited talk at ISKAF2010 Science Meeting "A Golden Age for radio astronomy", June 10 -14 2010. Assen, the Netherlands09/2010; -
Article: Rotation Measures of Radio Sources in Hot Galaxy Clusters
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ABSTRACT: The goal of this work is to investigate the Faraday rotation measure (RM) of radio galaxies in hot galaxy clusters in order to establish a possible connection between the magnetic field strength and the gas temperature of the intracluster medium. We performed Very Large Array observations at 3.6 cm and 6 cm of two radio galaxies located in A401 and Ophiuchus, a radio galaxy in A2142, and a radio galaxy located in the background of A2065. All these galaxy clusters are characterized by high temperatures. We obtained detailed RM images at an angular resolution of 3'' for most of the observed radio galaxies. The RM images are patchy and reveal fine substructures of a few kpc in size. Under the assumption that the radio galaxies themselves have no effect on the measured RMs, these structures indicate that the intracluster magnetic fields fluctuate down to such small scales. These new data are compared with RM information present in the literature for cooler galaxy clusters. For a fixed projected distance from the cluster center, clusters with higher temperature show a higher dispersion of the RM distributions (sigmaRM), mostly because of the higher gas density in these clusters. Although the previously known relation between the clusters X-ray surface brightness (Sx) at the radio galaxy location and sigmaRM is confirmed, a possible connection between the sigmaRM-Sx relation and the cluster temperature, if present, is very weak. Therefore, in view of the current data, it is impossible to establish a strict link between the magnetic field strength and the gas temperature of the intracluster medium. Comment: Accepted by Astronomy and Astrophysics, 26 pages, 19 figures07/2010; -
Article: Low-frequency study of two giant radio galaxies: 3C35 and 3C223
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ABSTRACT: Radio galaxies with a projected linear size > 1 Mpc are classified as giant radio sources. According to the current interpretation these are old sources which have evolved in a low-density ambient medium. Since radiative losses are negligible at low frequency, extending spectral ageing studies in this frequency range will allow to determine the zero-age electron spectrum injected and then to improve the estimate of the synchrotron age of the source. We present Very Large Array images at 74 MHz and 327 MHz of two giant radio sources: 3C35 and 3C223. We performed a spectral study using 74, 327, 608 and 1400 GHz images. The spectral shape is estimated in different positions along the source. The radio spectrum follows a power-law in the hot-spots, while in the inner region of the lobe the shape of the spectrum shows a curvature at high frequencies. This steepening is in agreement with synchrotron aging of the emitting relativistic electrons. In order to estimate the synchrotron age of the sources, the spectra have been fitted with a synchrotron model of emission. Using the models, we find that 3C35 is an old source of about 143 Myr, while 3C223 is a younger source of 72 Myr. Comment: 14 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication on A&A03/2010; -
Article: Structure of the magnetoionic medium around the FR Class I radio galaxy 3C 449
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ABSTRACT: The goal of this work is to constrain the strength and structure of the magnetic field associated with the environment of the radio source 3C 449, using observations of Faraday rotation, which we model with a structure function technique and by comparison with numerical simulations. We assume that the magnetic field is a Gaussian, isotropic random variable and that it is embedded in the hot intra-group plasma surrounding the radio source. For this purpose, we present detailed rotation measure images for the polarized radio source 3C 449, previously observed with the Very Large Array at seven frequencies between 1.365 and 8.385 GHz. We quantify the statistics of the magnetic-field fluctuations by deriving rotation measure structure functions, which we fit using models derived from theoretical power spectra. We quantify the errors due to sampling by making multiple two-dimensional realizations of the best-fitting power spectrum.We also use depolarization measurements to estimate the minimum scale of the field variations. We then make three-dimensional models with a gas density distribution derived from X-ray observations and a random magnetic field with this power spectrum. Under these assumptions we find that both rotation measure and depolarization data are consistent with a broken power-law magnetic-field power spectrum, with a break at about 11 kpc and slopes of 2.98 and 2.07 at smaller and larger scales respectively. The maximum and minimum scales of the fluctuations are around 65 and 0.2 kpc, respectively. The average magnetic field strength at the cluster centre is 3.5 +/-1.2 micro-G, decreasing linearly with the gas density within about 16 kpc of the nucleus. Comment: 19 pages; 14 figures; accepted for publication on A&A. For a high quality version use ftp://ftp.eso.org/pub/general/guidetti/02/2010; -
Article: The Coma cluster magnetic field from Faraday rotation measures
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ABSTRACT: The aim of the present work is to constrain the Coma cluster magnetic field strength, its radial profile and power spectrum by comparing Faraday Rotation Measure (RM) images with numerical simulations of the magnetic field. We have analyzed polarization data for seven radio sources in the Coma cluster field observed with the Very Large Array at 3.6, 6 and 20 cm, and derived Faraday Rotation Measures with kiloparsec scale resolution. Random three dimensional magnetic field models have been simulated for various values of the central intensity B_0 and radial power-law slope eta, where eta indicates how the field scales with respect to the gas density profile. We derive the central magnetic field strength, and radial profile values that best reproduce the RM observations. We find that the magnetic field power spectrum is well represented by a Kolmogorov power spectrum with minimum scale ~ 2 kpc and maximum scale ~ 34 kpc. The central magnetic field strength and radial slope are constrained to be in the range (B_0=3.9 microG; eta=0.4) and (B_0=5.4 microG; eta=0.7) within 1sigma. The best agreement between observations and simulations is achieved for B_0=4.7 microG; eta=0.5. Values of B_0>7 microG and <3 microG as well as eta < 0.2 and eta > 1.0 are incompatible with RM data at 99 % confidence level. Comment: 23 pages, 21 figures. Higher resolution available at http://www.ira.inaf.it/~bonafede/paper.pdf. A&A accepted02/2010; -
Article: The diffuse radio filament in the merging system ZwCl 2341.1+0000
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ABSTRACT: In some clusters of galaxies, a diffuse non-thermal emission is present, not obviously associated with any individual galaxy. These sources have been identified as relics, mini-halos, and halos according to their properties and position with respect to the cluster center. Moreover in a few cases have been reported the existence of a diffuse radio emission not identified with a cluster, but with a large scale filamentary region. The aim of this work is to observe and discuss the diffuse radio emission present in the complex merging structure of galaxies ZwCl 2341.1+0000. We have obtained VLA observations at 1.4 GHz to derive a deep radio image of the diffuse emission. Low resolution VLA images show a diffuse radio emission associated to the complex merging region with a largest size = 2.2 Mpc. In addition to the previously reported peripheral radio emission, classified as a double relic, diffuse emission is detected along the optical filament of galaxies. The giant radio source discussed here shows that magnetic fields and relativistic particles are present also in filamentary structures. Possible alternate scenarios are: a giant radio halo in between two symmetric relics, or the merging of two clusters both hosting a central radio halo. Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication as a Letter in Astronomy and Astrophysics01/2010; -
Article: A double radio halo in the close pair of galaxy clusters Abell 399 and Abell 401
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ABSTRACT: Radio halos are faint radio sources usually located at the center of merging clusters of galaxies. These diffuse radio sources are rare, having so far been found only in about 30 clusters of galaxies, suggesting that particular conditions are needed to form and maintain them. It is interesting to investigate the presence of radio halos in close pairs of interacting clusters in order to possibly clarify their origin in relation to the evolutionary state of the merger. In this work, we study the case of the close pair of galaxy clusters A399 and A401. A401 is already known to contain a faint radio halo, while a hint of diffuse emission in A399 has been suggested based on the NVSS. To confirm this possibility, we analyzed deeper Very Large Array observations at 1.4 GHz of this cluster. We find that the central region of A399 is permeated by a diffuse low-surface brightness radio emission that we classify as a radio halo with a linear size of about 570 kpc and a central brightness of 0.3 micro-Jy/arcsec^2. Indeed, given their comparatively small projected distance of about 3 Mpc, the pair of galaxy clusters A401 and A399 can be considered as the first example of double radio halo system. The discovery of this double halo is extraordinary given the rarity of these radio sources in general and given that current X-ray data seem to suggest that the two clusters are still in a pre-merger state. Therefore, the origin of the double radio halo is likely to be attributed to the individual merging histories of each cluster separately, rather than to the result of a close encounter between the two systems. Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in A&A11/2009; -
Article: The last breath of the young gigahertz-peaked spectrum radio source PKS 1518+047
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ABSTRACT: We present the results from multi-frequency VLBA observations from 327 MHz to 8.4 GHz of the gigahertz-peaked spectrum radio source PKS 1518+047 (4C 04.51) aimed at studying the spectral index distribution across the source. Further multi-frequency archival VLA data were analysed to constrain the spectral shape of the whole source. The pc-scale resolution provided by the VLBA data allows us to resolve the source structure in several sub-components. The analysis of their synchrotron spectra showed that the source components have steep spectral indices, suggesting that no supply/re-acceleration of fresh particles is currently taking place in any region of the source. By assuming the equipartition magnetic field of 4 mG, we found that only electrons with $\gamma$ < 600, are still contributing to the radio spectrum, while electrons with higher energies have been almost completed depleted. The source radiative lifetime we derived is 2700+/-600 years. Considering the best fit to the overall spectrum, we find that the time in which the nucleus has not been active represents almost 20% of the whole source lifetime, indicating that the source was 2150+/-500 years old when the radio emission switched off. Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures; accepted for publication in MNRAS11/2009; -
Article: Cosmic rays in magnetized intracluster plasma
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ABSTRACT: Recent results are reported on Magnetic Fields in Clusters of Galaxies, Diffuse Radio Emission, and Radio - X-ray connection in Radio Halos. Comment: 2 pages, 1 figure, Invited talk at the JD15 "Magnetic Fields in Diffuse Media", IAU XXVII General Assembly, Rio de Janeiro10/2009;
