258 research outputs found
X-Ray Evidence for Multiphase Hot Gas with Nearly Solar Fe Abundances in the Brightest Groups of Galaxies
We analyze the ASCA spectra accumulated within ~100 kpc radii of 12 of the
brightest groups of galaxies. Upon fitting isothermal models (1T) jointly to
the ASCA SIS and GIS spectra we obtain fits for most groups that are of poor or
at best marginal quality and give very sub-solar metallicities similar to
previous studies, = 0.29 +/- 0.12 Z_sun. Two-temperature models (2T)
provide significantly better fits for 11 out of the 12 groups and in every case
have metallicities that are substantially larger than obtained for the 1T
models, = 0.75 +/- 0.24 Z_sun. Although not very well constrained, for most
of the groups absorption in excess of the Galactic value is indicated for the
cooler temperature component of the 2T models. A simple multiphase cooling flow
model gives results analogous to the 2T models including large metallicities,
= 0.65 +/- 0.17 Z_sun. The nearly solar Fe abundances and also solar
alpha/Fe ratios indicated by the 2T and cooling flow models are consistent with
models of the chemical enrichment of ellipticals, groups, and clusters which
assume ratios of Type Ia to Type II supernova and an IMF similar to those of
the Milky Way.
Thus, we have shown that the very sub-solar Fe abundances and Si/Fe
enhancements obtained from most previous studies within r ~100 kpc of galaxy
groups are an artifact of their fitting isothermal models to the X-ray spectra
which also has been recently demonstrated for the brightest elliptical
galaxies. Owing to the importance of these results for interpreting X-ray
spectra, in an appendix we use simulated ASCA observations to examine in detail
the ``Fe bias'' and ``Si bias'' associated with the spectral fitting of
ellipticals, groups, and clusters of galaxies.Comment: 26 pages (6 figures), To Appear in MNRAS. Revised version contains
more discussion of abundance gradients (see new section 4.1
Omega_0 and Substructure in Galaxy Clusters
(Abridged) We examine the theoretical relationship between Omega_0 and
substructure in galaxy clusters which are formed by the collapse of high
density peaks in a gaussian random field. The radial mass distributions of the
clusters are computed from the spherical accretion model using the adiabatic
approximation following Ryden & Gunn. For a cluster of mass, M(r,t), we compute
the quantity dM/M_bar at a cosmic time t and within a radius r, where dM is the
accreted mass and M_bar is the average mass of the cluster during the previous
relaxation time, which is computed individually for each cluster. For a real
cluster in three dimensions we argue that dM/M_bar should be strongly
correlated with the low order multipole ratios, Phi^{int}_l/Phi^{int}_0, of the
potential due to matter interior to r. It is shown that the expected
correlation between dM/M_bar and Phi^{int}_l/Phi^{int}_0 extends to the
two-dimensional multipole ratios, Psi^{int}_m/Psi^{int}_0, which are well
defined observables of the cluster density distribution.
The strongest dependence of dM/M_bar on Omega_0 (lambda_0=0) occurs at z=0
where dM/M_bar propto Omega_0^{1/2} for relaxation times ~1-2 crossing times
and only very weakly depends on mass and radius. The fractional accreted mass
in CDM models with Omega_0+lambda_0=1 depends very weakly on Omega_0 and has a
magnitude similar to the Omega_0=1 value. dM/M_bar evolves more rapidly with
redshift in low-density universes and decreases significantly with radius for
Omega_0=1 models for z > ~0.5. We discuss how to optimize constraints on
Omega_0 and lambda_0 using cluster morphologies.Comment: 18 pages (11 figures), Accepted for publication in MNRAS. In revised
version a new section 2.2 describes how to infer the fractional accreted mass
(and hence Omega_0) from observation
X-ray Constraints on the Intrinsic Shape of the Lenticular Galaxy NGC 1332
We have analyzed ROSAT PSPC X-ray data of the optically elongated S0 galaxy
NGC 1332 with the purposes of constraining the intrinsic shape of its
underlying mass and presenting a detailed investigation of the uncertainties
resulting from the assumptions underlying this type of analysis. The X-ray
isophotes are elongated with ellipticity (90% confidence) for
semi-major axes 75\arcsec -90\arcsec and have orientations consistent with
the optical isophotes (ellipticity ). The spectrum is poorly
constrained by the PSPC data and cannot rule out sizeable radial temperature
gradients or an emission component due to discrete sources equal in magnitude
to the hot gas. Using (and clarifying) the "geometric test" for dark matter, we
determined that the hypothesis that mass-traces-light is not consistent with
the X-ray data at 68% confidence and marginally consistent at 90% confidence
independent of the gas temperature profile. Detailed modeling gives constraints
on the ellipticity of the underlying mass of \epsilon_{mass} = 0.47 - 0.72
(0.31 - 0.83) at 68% (90%) confidence for isothermal and polytropic models. The
total mass of the isothermal models within a=43.6 kpc (D = 20h^{-1}_{80} Mpc)
is M_{tot} = (0.38 - 1.7) \times 10^{12}M_{\sun} (90% confidence) corresponding
to total blue mass-to-light ratio \Upsilon_B = (31.9 - 143) \Upsilon_{\sun}.
Similar results are obtained when the dark matter is fit directly using the
known distributions of the stars and gas. When possible rotation of the gas and
emission from discrete sources are included flattened mass distributions are
still required, although the constraints on \epsilon_{mass}$, but not the
total mass, are substantially weakened.Comment: 45 pages (figures missing), PostScript, to appear in ApJ on January
20, 199
X-ray Isophote Shapes and the Mass of NGC 3923
We present analysis of the shape and radial mass distribution of the E4
galaxy NGC 3923 using archival X-ray data from the ROSAT PSPC and HRI. The
X-ray isophotes are significantly elongated with ellipticity e_x=0.15
(0.09-0.21) (90% confidence) for semi-major axis a\sim 10h^{-1}_70 kpc and have
position angles aligned with the optical isophotes within the estimated
uncertainties. Applying the Geometric Test for dark matter, which is
independent of the gas temperature profile, we find that the ellipticities of
the PSPC isophotes exceed those predicted if M propto L at a marginal
significance level of 85% (80%) for oblate (prolate) symmetry. Detailed
hydrostatic models of an isothermal gas yield ellipticities for the gravitating
matter, e_mass=0.35-0.66 (90% confidence), which exceed the intensity weighted
ellipticity of the R-band optical light, = 0.30 (e_R^max=0.39).
We conclude that mass density profiles with rho\sim r^{-2} are favored over
steeper profiles if the gas is essentially isothermal (which is suggested by
the PSPC spectrum) and the surface brightness in the central regions (r<~15")
is not modified substantially by a multi-phase cooling flow, magnetic fields,
or discrete sources. We argue that these effects are unlikely to be important
for NGC 3923. (The derived e_{mass} range is very insensitive to these issues.)
Our spatial analysis also indicates that the allowed contribution to the ROSAT
emission from a population of discrete sources with Sigma_x propto Sigma_R is
significantly less than that indicated by the hard spectral component measured
by ASCA.Comment: 14 pages (6 figures), To Appear in MNRA
Narrow Band X-ray Photometry as a Tool for Studying Galaxy and Cluster Mass Distributions
We explore the utility of narrow band X-ray surface photometry as a tool for
making fully Bayesian, hydrostatic mass measurements of clusters of galaxies,
groups and early-type galaxies. We demonstrate that it is sufficient to measure
the surface photometry with the Chandra X-ray observatory in only three (rest
frame) bands (0.5--0.9 keV, 0.9--2.0 keV and 2.0--7.0 keV) in order to
constrain the temperature, density and abundance of the hot interstellar medium
(ISM). Adopting parametrized models for the mass distribution and radial
entropy profile and assuming spherical symmetry, we show that the constraints
on the mass and thermodynamic properties of the ISM that are obtained by
fitting data from all three bands simultaneously are comparable to those
obtained by fitting similar models to the temperature and density profiles
derived from spatially resolved spectroscopy, as is typically done. We
demonstrate that the constraints can be significantly tightened when exploiting
a recently derived, empirical relationship between the gas fraction and the
entropy profile at large scales, eliminating arbitrary extrapolations at large
radii. This "Scaled Adiabatic Model" (ScAM) is well suited to modest
signal-to-noise data, and we show that accurate, precise measurements of the
global system properties are inferred when employing it to fit data from even
very shallow, snapshot X-ray observations. The well-defined asymptotic
behaviour of the model also makes it ideally suited for use in
Sunyaev-Zeldovich studies of galaxy clusters.Comment: 15 pages, 6 figures. Accepted for Publication in MNRA
Quantifying the Morphologies and Dynamical Evolution of Galaxy Clusters. I. The Method
We describe and test a method to quantitatively classify clusters of galaxies
according to their projected morphologies. This method will be subsequently
used to place constraints on cosmological parameters ( and the power
spectrum of primordial fluctuations on scales at or slightly smaller than that
of clusters) and to test theories of cluster formation. We specifically address
structure that is easily discernible in projection and dynamically important to
the cluster. The method is derived from the two-dimensional multipole expansion
of the projected gravitational potential and yields dimensionless {\it power
ratios} as morphological statistics. If the projected mass profile is used to
characterize the cluster morphology, the power ratios are directly related to
the cluster potential. However, since detailed mass profiles currently exist
for only a few clusters, we use the X-ray--emitting gas as an alternative
tracer of cluster morphology. In this case, the relation of the power ratios to
the potential is qualitatively preserved. We demonstrate the feasibility of the
method by analyzing simulated observations of simple models of X-ray clusters
using the instrument parameters of the ROSAT PSPC. For illustrative purposes,
we apply the method to ROSAT PSPC images of A85, A514, A1750, and A2029. These
clusters, which differ substantially in their X-ray morphologies, are easily
distinguished by their respective power ratios. We discuss the suitability of
this method to address the connection between cluster morphology and cosmology
and to assess whether an individual cluster is sufficiently relaxed for
analysis of its intrinsic shape using hydrostatic methods. Approximately 50
X-ray observations of Abell clusters with the PSPC will be amenable to
morphological analysis using the method of this paper.Comment: To appear in ApJ October 20, 1995. 29 pages (7 figures missing),
PostScrip
- âŠ