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]
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]
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.
The MACS team consists of:
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.
The Southern MAssive Cluster Survey (SMACS) involved the Hubble Space Telescope.
| Survey object | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| MACS J0358.8-2955 | Part of Abell 3192[5] | ||
| Subject of first JWST deep field | |||
| Blue supergiant star observed through a gravitational lens | |||
| Most distant galaxy known as of April 2017 | |||