956 research outputs found
X-ray Isophotes in a Rapidly Rotating Elliptical Galaxy: Evidence of Inflowing Gas
We describe two-dimensional gasdynamical computations of the X-ray emitting
gas in the rotating elliptical galaxy NGC 4649 that indicate an inflow of about
one solar mass per year at every radius. Such a large instantaneous inflow
cannot have persisted over a Hubble time. The central constant-entropy
temperature peak recently observed in the innermost 150 parsecs is explained by
compressive heating as gas flows toward the central massive black hole. Since
the cooling time of this gas is only a few million years, NGC 4649 provides the
most acutely concentrated known example of the cooling flow problem in which
the time-integrated apparent mass that has flowed into the galactic core
exceeds the total mass observed there. This paradox can be resolved by
intermittent outflows of energy or mass driven by accretion energy released
near the black hole. Inflowing gas is also required at intermediate kpc radii
to explain the ellipticity of X-ray isophotes due to spin-up by mass ejected by
stars that rotate with the galaxy and to explain local density and temperature
profiles. We provide evidence that many luminous elliptical galaxies undergo
similar inflow spin-up. A small turbulent viscosity is required in NGC 4649 to
avoid forming large X-ray luminous disks that are not observed, but the
turbulent pressure is small and does not interfere with mass determinations
that assume hydrostatic equilibrium.Comment: 21 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication by Ap
Time-dependent Circulation Flows: Iron Enrichment in Cooling Flows with Heated Return Flows
We describe a new type of dynamical model for hot gas in galaxy groups and
clusters in which gas moves simultaneously in both radial directions.
Circulation flows are consistent with (1) the failure to observe cooling gas in
X-ray spectra, (2) multiphase gas observed near the centers of these flows and
(3) the accumulation of iron in the hot gas from Type Ia supernovae in the
central galaxy. Dense inflowing gas cools, producing a positive central
temperature gradient, as in normal cooling flows. Bubbles of hot, buoyant gas
flow outward. Circulation flows eventually cool catastrophically if the outward
flowing gas transports mass but no heat; to maintain the circulation both mass
and energy must be supplied to the inflowing gas over a large volume, extending
to the cooling radius. The rapid radial recirculation of gas produces a flat
central core in the gas iron abundance, similar to many observations. We
believe the circulation flows described here are the first gasdynamic,
long-term evolutionary models that are in good agreement with all essential
features observed in the hot gas: little or no gas cools as required by XMM
spectra, the gas temperature increases outward near the center, and the gaseous
iron abundance is about solar near the center and decreases outward.Comment: 17 pages (emulateapj5) with 6 figures; accepted by The Astrophysical
Journa
Hot gaseous atmospheres in galaxy groups and clusters are both heated and cooled by X-ray cavities
Expanding X-ray cavities observed in hot gas atmospheres of many galaxy
groups and clusters generate shock waves and turbulence that are primary
heating mechanisms required to avoid uninhibited radiatively cooling flows
which are not observed. However, we show here that the evolution of buoyant
cavities also stimulates radiative cooling of observable masses of
low-temperature gas. During their early evolution, radiative cooling occurs in
the wakes of buoyant cavities in two locations: in thin radial filaments
parallel to the buoyant velocity and more broadly in gas compressed beneath
rising cavities. Radiation from these sustained compressions removes entropy
from the hot gas. Gas experiencing the largest entropy loss cools first,
followed by gas with progressively less entropy loss. Most cooling occurs at
late times, yrs, long after the X-ray cavities have disrupted
and are impossible to detect. During these late times, slightly denser low
entropy gas sinks slowly toward the centers of the hot atmospheres where it
cools intermittently, forming clouds near the cluster center. Single cavities
of energy ergs in the atmosphere of the NGC 5044 group create
of cooled gas, exceeding the mass of extended
molecular gas currently observed in that group. The cooled gas clouds we
compute share many attributes with molecular clouds recently observed in NGC
5044 with ALMA: self-gravitationally unbound, dust-free, quasi-randomly
distributed within a few kpc around the group center.Comment: 12 pages, 11 figure; accepted for publication by Ap
The Mid-Infrared Spectral Energy Distribution, Surface Brightness and Color Profiles in Elliptical Galaxies
We describe photometry at mid-infrared passbands (1.2 - 24 microns) for a
sample of 18 elliptical galaxies. All surface brightness distributions resemble
de Vaucouleurs profiles, indicating that most of the emission arises from the
photospheres or circumstellar regions of red giant stars. The spectral energy
distribution peaks near 1.6 microns, but the half-light or effective radius has
a pronounced minimum near the K band (2.15 microns). Apart from the 24 micron
passband, all sample-averaged radial color profiles have measurable slopes
within about twice the (K band) effective radius. Evidently this variation
arises because of an increase in stellar metallicity toward the galactic cores.
For example, the sampled-averaged color profile (K - 5.8 microns) has a
positive slope although no obvious absorption feature is observed in spectra of
elliptical galaxies near 5.8 microns. This, and the minimum in the effective
radius, suggests that the K band may be anomalously luminous in metal-rich
stars in galaxy cores. Unusual radial color profiles involving the 24 micron
passband may suggest that some 24 micron emission comes from interstellar not
circumstellar dust grains.Comment: 18 pages. Accepted by Ap
Stopping Cooling Flows with Jets
We describe two-dimensional gasdynamical models of jets that carry mass as well as energy to the hot gas in galaxy clusters. These flows have many attractive attributes for solving the galaxy cluster cooling flow problem: why the hot gas temperature and density profiles resemble cooling flows but show no spectral evidence of cooling to low temperatures. Using an approximate model for the cluster A1795, we show that mass-carrying jets can reduce the overall cooling rate to or below the low values implied by X-ray spectra. Biconical subrelativistic jets, described by several ad hoc parameters, are assumed to be activated when gas flows toward or cools near a central supermassive black hole. As the jets proceed out from the center, they entrain more and more ambient gas. The jets lose internal pressure by expansion and are compressed by the ambient cluster gas, becoming rather difficult to observe. For a wide variety of initial jet parameters and several feedback scenarios, the global cooling can be suppressed for many gigayears while maintaining cluster temperature profiles similar to those observed. The intermittency of the feedback generates multiple generations of X-ray cavities similar to those observed in the Perseus Cluster and elsewhere
Stellar Orbits and the Interstellar Gas Temperature in Elliptical Galaxies
We draw attention to the close relationship between the anisotropy parameter
beta(r) for stellar orbits in elliptical galaxies and the temperature profile
T(r) of the hot interstellar gas. For nearly spherical galaxies the gas density
can be accurately determined from X-ray observations and the stellar luminosity
density can be accurately found from the optical surface brightness. The Jeans
equation and hydrostatic equilibrium establish a connection between beta(r) and
T(r) that must be consistent with the observed stellar velocity dispersion.
Purely optical observations of the bright elliptical galaxy NGC 4472 indicate
beta(r) < 0.35 within the effective radius. However, the X-ray gas temperature
profile T(r) for NGC 4472 requires significantly larger anisotropy, beta = 0.6
- 0.7, about twice the optical value. This strong preference for radial stellar
orbits must be understood in terms of the formation history of massive
elliptical galaxies. Conversely, if the smaller, optically determined
anisotropy is indeed correct, we are led to the important conclusion that the
temperature profile T(r) of the hot interstellar gas in NGC 4472 must differ
from that indicated by X-ray observations, or that the hot gas is not in
hydrostatic equilibrium.Comment: 6 pages (emulateapj5) with 4 figures; accepted by The Astrophysical
Journa
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