Radio halos in mass selected clusters

The study of large samples of clusters with adequate radio and X-ray data is necessary to investigate the origin of radio halos and their connection with the cluster dynamics and formation history. The aim of this paper is to compile a well-selected sample of galaxy clusters with deep radio observations to perform an unbiased statistical study of the properties of radio halos.

We selected 75 clusters with M>=6x10^14^M_{sun}_ at z=0.08-0.33 from the Planck Sunyaev-Zel'dovich catalogue. Clusters without suitable radio data were observed with the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope and/or the Jansky Very Large Array to complete the information about the possible presence of diffuse emission. We used archival Chandra X-ray data to derive information on the clusters' dynamical states.