Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect

Hot Electrons in galaxy clusters scatter photons of the cosmic microwave background, producing a characteristic spectral distortion. The thermal contribution measures a line-of-sight integral of Electron pressure, whereas X-ray emission depends approximately on the integral of Electron density squared times a temperature-dependent emissivity. Combining the two with a geometrical model can constrain a cluster's physical size and hence its angular diameter distance. Temperature structure and departures from the assumed geometry introduce systematic uncertainty.

For a uniform spherical cluster of depth $\ell \propto \theta d_A$, thermal bremsstrahlung gives received bolometric flux $S_X\propto n_e^2{T}_e^{1/2}{\ell }^3/d_L^2$, while the Rayleigh-Jeans law limit of the thermal Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect gives $|\Delta T|\propto n_e{T}_e\ell$. Eliminating $n_e$ and using $d_L=(1+z{)}^2{d}_A$ yields the displayed angular diameter distance. A model for the density profile fixes its numerical coefficient. Clumping, nonsphericity and temperature structure can bias this distance because the two observables weight the gas differently.

Bulk motion of a scattering electron cloud relative to the cosmic microwave background gives a first-order Doppler temperature shift. With positive $v_{\parallel }$ directed away from the observer, the displayed sign applies, and $\tau$ is the Thomson scattering optical depth. In the nonrelativistic, single-scattering limit it has the spectrum of a small blackbody temperature change, unlike the thermal Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect.

For a Planck photon distribution, the hot-electron Kompaneets equation gives $\Delta n=yx{e}^x(e^x-1{)}^{-2}[x\coth (x/2)-4]$, where $x=h\nu /(k_B{T}_{\gamma })$. The equivalent thermodynamic temperature perturbation has the displayed form, while the Rayleigh-Jeans law gives $\Delta T/T=-2y$. The distortion changes sign at $x\simeq 3.830$. This first-order expression assumes a small Compton y parameter and nonrelativistic thermal Electrons.