MAssive Cluster Survey
Galaxy cluster survey
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The MAssive Cluster Survey (MACS)[1][2] compiled and characterized a sample of very X-ray luminous (and thus, by inference, massive), distant clusters of galaxies. The sample comprises 124 spectroscopically confirmed clusters at 0.3 < z < 0.7. Candidates were selected from the ROSAT All-Sky Survey data.[3]
| Alternative names | MACS |
|---|---|
| Website | www |
 Related media on Commons | |
Cluster candidates that are south of declination -40° cannot be observed from Mauna Kea and fit into the Southern MACS (SMACS) extension. They are also being investigated when facilities are available.[4]
History
One of the galaxy clusters, MACS J0647+7015 was found to have gravitationally lensed the most distant galaxy (MACS0647-JD) then ever imaged, in 2012, by CLASH. The first statistical study of X-ray cavities in distant clusters of galaxies was performed by analyzing the Chandra X-ray observations of MACS. Out of 76 clusters representing a sample of the most luminous X-ray clusters, observers found 13 cut and clear cavities and 7 possible cavities. A new radio halo, as well as a relic applicant, were found in MACS, with the help of the Giant Meterwave Radio Telescope and the Karoo Array Telescope-7. The discovered radio halo has a largest linear scale of about 0.9Mpc. X-ray chosen clusters are almost free of projection effects because they are composed of intrinsically massive, gravitationally collapsed systems.
MACS team
The MACS team consists of:
- Harald Ebeling, University of Hawaii, USA
- Alastair Edge, University of Durham, UK
- J. Patrick Henry, University of Hawaii, USA
Survey notation
Objects are labelled as JHHMM.m+DDMM where HHMM+DDMM are the coordinates in the J2000 system. Here H, D, and M refer to hours, degrees, and minutes, respectively, and m refers to tenths of minutes of time.
- HH Hours of right ascension
- MM.m Minutes of right ascension or declination
- DD.d Degrees in declination
Southern MAssive Cluster Survey
The Southern MAssive Cluster Survey (SMACS) involved the Hubble Space Telescope.
Notable surveyed objects
| Survey object | Right ascension | Declination | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| MACS J0025.4-1222 | 00h 25.4m | −12° 22′ | |
| MACS J0358.8-2955 | 03h 58.8m | −29.5° | Part of Abell 3192[5] |
| MACS J0416.1-2403 | 04h 16m 9.9s | −24° 03′ 58″ | |
| MACS J0647+7015 | 06h 47m | +70° 15′ | |
| MACS J0717.5+3745 | 07h 17.5m | +37° 45′ | |
| SMACS J0723.3–7327 | 07h 23m | −73° 27′ | Subject of first JWST deep field |
| MACS J1149 Lensed Star 1 | 11h 49m 35.59s | 22° 23′ 47.4″ | Blue supergiant star observed through a gravitational lens |
| MACS 1423-z7p64 | 14h 23m | 24° 04′ | Most distant galaxy known as of April 2017 |
| MACS 2129-1 | 21h 29m | −1° | |
