The galaxy cluster Abell 3376 is a nearby ( \bar { z } = 0.046 ) dissociative merging cluster surrounded by two prominent radio relics and showing an X-ray comet-like morphology .
The merger system is comprised of the subclusters A3376W & A3376E .
Based on new deep multi-wavelength large-field images and published redshifts , we bring new insights about the history of this merger .
Despite the difficulty of applying the weak lensing technique at such low redshift , we successfully recovered the mass distribution in the cluster field .
Moreover , with the application of a two-body model , we have addressed the dynamics of these merging system .
We have found the individual masses of M _ { 200 } ^ { W } = 3.0 _ { -1.7 } ^ { +1.3 } \times 10 ^ { 14 } M _ { \odot } and M _ { 200 } ^ { E } = 0.9 _ { -0.8 } ^ { +0.5 } \times 10 ^ { 14 } M _ { \odot } .
The cometary shaped X-ray distribution shows only one peak spatially coincident with both Eastern BCG and the A3376E mass peak whereas the gas content of A3376W seems to be stripped out .
Our data allowed us to confirm the existence of a third subcluster located at the North , 1147 \pm 62 kpc apart from the neighbour subcluster A3376E and having a mass M _ { 200 } ^ { N } = 1.4 _ { -1.0 } ^ { +0.7 } \times 10 ^ { 14 } M _ { \odot } .
From our dynamical analysis , we found the merging is taking place very close to the plane of the sky , with the merger axis just 10 ^ { \circ } \pm 11 ^ { \circ } from it .
The application of a two-body analysis code showed that the merging cluster is seen 0.9 _ { -0.3 } ^ { +0.2 } Gyr after the pericentric passage and it is currently going to the point of maximum separation between the subclusters .