Probing the origin of giant radio halos through radio and gamma-ray data
  : the case of the Coma cluster
  We combine all available information about the spectral shape and morphology
of the radio halo of the Coma cluster with the gamma-ray upper limits obtained
by the Fermi-LAT and with the magnetic field strength derived from Faraday
rotation measures (RM). We explore the possibility that the radio halo is due
to synchrotron emission of secondary electrons generated via p-p collisions in
the intra-cluster-medium (ICM). First we investigate the case of pure secondary
models. We use the observed spatial distribution of the halo's radio brightness
to constrain the amount of cosmic rays (CRs) and their spatial distribution in
the cluster that are required by the model. Under the canonical assumption that
the spectrum of CRs is a power-law in momentum and that the spectrum of
secondaries is stationary, we find that the combination of the steep spectrum
of CRs necessary to explain the spectrum of the halo and their very broad
spatial distribution (and large energy density) result in a gamma-ray emission
in excess of present limits, unless the cluster magnetic field is sufficiently
large. However such a field appears inconsistent with constraints from RM.
Second we investigate more complex models based on secondary particles in which
CR protons and their secondaries are all reaccelerated by MHD turbulence. We
show that under these conditions it is possible to reproduce the radio data and
to predict gamma-rays in agreement with the Fermi-LAT limits without tension
with constraints on the cluster magnetic field. Reacceleration of secondaries
by MHD turbulence also requires a spatial distribution of CRs much flatter than
that of the ICM, if both the turbulent and magnetic field energy densities
scale with that of the ICM. However broader spatial distributions of turbulence
and field and/or the reacceleration of additional primary electrons in the ICM
greatly alleviate this requirement.
