Merger Activity and Radio Emission Within A2061

Abell 2061 is a galaxy cluster located in the Corona Borealis Supercluster that boasts radio and X-ray structures indicative of a merger. A2061 is located at a redshift z = .0784, contains two brightest cluster galaxies, and has another cluster (A2067) about 2.5 Mpc to the NE, falling towards it. Within A2061, there exists an elongated structure of soft X-ray emission extending to the NE of cluster's center (referred to as the 'Plume') along with a hard X-ray shock region (the 'Shock') located just NE of the cluster's center. Previous observations in the radio have indicated the presence of a extended, central radio halo/relic accompanying the cluster's main X-ray emission but with slight NE displacement and further NE extension. Also emitting in the radio, to the SW of A2061, is a radio relic. The X-ray structures of A2061 were previously examined in 2009 by a Chandra observation. Here we present the results of an August 2013 XMM-Newton observation of the cluster. This XMM-Newton observation, imaged by three detectors, covers a greater field of view with a longer exposure (48.6 ks) than the previous Chandra observation. We will present images and spectra of various regions of the cluster. In addition, we will discuss the dynamics of the cluster, the nature of the Plume, Shock and other features, and origin of the central diffuse radio halo/relic and SW radio relic. These X-ray observations will also be compared to a numerical simulation from the Simulation Library of Astrophysics cluster Mergers (SLAM).