8,363 research outputs found
The luminosity function of cluster galaxies. II. Data reduction procedures applied to the cluster Abell 496
We initiated a large project aimed to estimate the Luminosity Function of
galaxies in clusters and to evaluate its relation to cluster morphology. With
this paper we deem necessary to outline the general procedures of the data
reduction and details of the data analysis. The cluster sample includes the
brightest southern ROSAT all-sky survey clusters with z < 0.1. These have been
observed in three colours g, r, i, and mapped up to a few core radii using a
mosaic of CCD frames. E/S0 galaxies in the cluster core are singled out both by
morphology (for the brightest galaxies), and by colour. The details of the data
reduction procedure are illustrated via the analysis of the cluster Abell 496,
which has been used as a pilot cluster for the whole program. The related
photometric catalogue consists of 2355 objects. The limiting magnitudes (the
reference Surface Brightness is given in parenthesis) in the various colours
are respectively g(25.5) = 24.14, r(25.5) = 24.46, i(25.0) = 23.75$. These
correspond to the limiting absolute magnitudes -12.28, -11.96 and -12.67
(H_0=50 km/sec/Mpc).Comment: 17 pages, 19 ps figures, aa.cl
Cluster mergers, core oscillations, and cold fronts
We use numerical simulations with hydrodynamics to demonstrate that a class
of cold fronts in galaxy clusters can be attributed to oscillations of the dark
matter distribution. The oscillations are initiated by the off-axis passage of
a low-mass substructure. From the simulations, we derive three observable
morphological features indicative of oscillations: 1) The existence of
compressed isophotes; 2) The regions of compression must be alternate (opposite
and staggered) and lie on an axis passing through the center of the cluster; 3)
The gradient of each compression region must pass through the center of the
cluster. Four of six clusters reported in the literature to have cold fronts
have morphologies consistent with the presence of oscillations. The clusters
with oscillations are A496, A1795, A2142, and RX J1720.1+2638. Galaxy clusters
A2256 and A3667 are not consistent so the cold fronts are interpreted as group
remnants. The oscillations may be able to provide sufficient energy to solve
the cooling-flow problem and, importantly, provide it over an extended
duration.Comment: Submitted to ApJ. 11 pages, 9 figure
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
A Chandra archival study of the temperature and metal abundance profiles in hot Galaxy Clusters at 0.1 < z < 0.3
We present the analysis of the temperature and metallicity profiles of 12
galaxy clusters in the redshift range 0.1--0.3 selected from the Chandra
archive with at least ~20,000 net ACIS counts and kT>6 keV. We divide the
sample between 7 Cooling-Core (CC) and 5 Non-Cooling-Core (NCC) clusters
according to their central cooling time. We find that single power-laws can
describe properly both the temperature and metallicity profiles at radii larger
than 0.1 r_180 in both CC and NCC systems, showing the NCC objects steeper
profiles outwards. A significant deviation is only present in the inner 0.1
r_180. We perform a comparison of our sample with the De Grandi & Molendi
BeppoSAX sample of local CC and NCC clusters, finding a complete agreement in
the CC cluster profile and a marginally higher value (at ~1sigma) in the inner
regions of the NCC clusters. The slope of the power-law describing kT(r) within
0.1 r_180 correlates strongly with the ratio between the cooling time and the
age of the Universe at the cluster redshift, being the slope >0 and
tau_c/tau_age<=0.6 in CC systems.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures, Accepted for publication by the Astrophysical
Journa
A Chandra Study of the Effects of a Major Merger on the Structure of Abell 2319
We present an analysis of a Chandra observation of the massive, nearby galaxy
cluster Abell 2319. A sharp surface brightness discontinuity--suggested by
previous, lower angular resolution X-ray imaging--is clearly visible in the
ACIS image. This roughly 300kpc feature suggests that a major merger is taking
place with a significant velocity component perpendicular to the line of sight.
The cluster emission-weighted mean temperature is 11.8+/-0.6kev, somewhat
higher than previous temperature measurements. The Chandra temperature map of
A2319 reveals substructure resembling that anticipated based on hydrodynamic
simulations of cluster mergers. The merger feature shows a pressure change
across the surface brightness discontinuity by a factor of <=2.5. The higher
density side of the front has a lower temperature, suggesting the presence of a
cold front similar to those in many other merging clusters. The velocity of the
front is roughly sonic.
We compare bulk properties of the ICM and galaxies in A2319 to the same
properties in a large sample of clusters as a way of gauging the effects of the
major merger. Interestingly, by comparing A2319 to a sample of 44 clusters
studied with the ROSAT PSPC we find that the X-ray luminosity, isophotal size,
and ICM mass are consistent with the expected values for a cluster of its
temperature; in addition, the K-band galaxy light is consistent with the
light--temperature scaling relation derived from a sample of about 100 clusters
studied with 2MASS. Together, these results indicate either that the merger in
A2319 has not been effective at altering the bulk properties of the cluster, or
that there are large but correlated displacements in these quantities.Comment: 11 pages, 8 figures, ApJ Submitte
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