5,436 research outputs found
Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities at the sloshing cold fronts in the Virgo cluster as a measure for the effective ICM viscosity
Sloshing cold fronts (CFs) arise from minor merger triggered gas sloshing.
Their detailed structure depends on the properties of the intra-cluster medium
(ICM): hydrodynamical simulations predict the CFs to be distorted by
Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities (KHIs), but aligned magnetic fields, viscosity,
or thermal conduction can suppress the KHIs. Thus, observing the detailed
structure of sloshing CFs can be used to constrain these ICM properties. Both
smooth and distorted sloshing CFs have been observed, indicating that the KHI
is suppressed in some clusters, but not in all. Consequently, we need to
address at least some sloshing clusters individually before drawing general
conclusions about the ICM properties. We present the first detailed attempt to
constrain the ICM properties in a specific cluster from the structure of its
sloshing CF. Proximity and brightness make the Virgo cluster an ideal target.
We combine observations and Virgo-specific hydrodynamical sloshing simulations.
Here we focus on a Spitzer-like temperature dependent viscosity as a mechanism
to suppress the KHI, but discuss the alternative mechanisms in detail. We
identify the CF at 90 kpc north and north-east of the Virgo center as the best
location in the cluster to observe a possible KHI suppression. For viscosities
10% of the Spitzer value KHIs at this CF are suppressed. We describe
in detail the observable signatures at low and high viscosities, i.e. in the
presence or absence of KHIs. We find indications for a low ICM viscosity in
archival XMM-Newton data and demonstrate the detectability of the predicted
features in deep Chandra observations.Comment: Accepted for ApJ; 15 pages, 11 figures. A movie can be found here:
http://www.hs.uni-hamburg.de/DE/Ins/Per/Roediger/research.html#Virgo-viscou
Ion sputter textured graphite electrode plates
A specially textured surface of pyrolytic graphite exhibits extremely low yields of secondary electrons and reduced numbers of reflected primary electrons after impingement of high energy primary electrons. Electrode plates of this material are used in multistage depressed collectors. An ion flux having an energy between 500 iV and 1000 iV and a current density between 1.0 mA/sq cm and 6.0 mA/sq cm produces surface roughening or texturing which is in the form of needles or spires. Such textured surfaces are especially useful as anode collector plates in high tube devices
Ion sputter textured graphite
A specially textured surface of pyrolytic graphite exhibits extremely low yields of secondary electrons and reduced numbers of reflected primary electrons after impingement of high energy primary electrons. An ion flux having an energy between 500 eV and 1000 eV and a current density between 1.0 mA/sq cm and 6.0 mA/sq cm produces surface roughening or texturing which is in the form of needles or spines. Such textured surfaces are especially useful as anode collector plates in high efficiency electron tube devices
The Disturbed 17 keV Cluster Associated with the Radio Galaxy 3C 438
We present results from a {\em Chandra} observation of the cluster gas
associated with the FR II radio galaxy 3C 438. This radio galaxy is embedded
within a massive cluster with gas temperature 17 keV and bolometric
luminosity of 6 ergs s. It is unclear if this high
temperature represents the gravitational mass of the cluster, or if this is an
already high ( 11 keV) temperature cluster that has been heated
transiently. We detect a surface brightness discontinuity in the gas that
extends 600 kpc through the cluster. The radio galaxy 3C 438 is too small
(110 kpc across) and too weak to have created this large disturbance in
the gas. The discontinuity must be the result of either an extremely powerful
nuclear outburst or the major merger of two massive clusters. If the observed
features are the result of a nuclear outburst, it must be from an earlier epoch
of unusually energetic nuclear activity. However, the energy required
( ergs) to move the gas on the observed spatial scales strongly
supports the merger hypothesis. In either scenario, this is one of the most
extreme events in the local Universe.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figures, 1 table - accepted for publication in the
Astrophysical Journal Letter
Interstellar extinction and the distribution of stellar populations in the direction of the ultra-deep Chandra Galactic field
We studied the stellar population in the central 6.6x6.6arcmin,region of the
ultra-deep (1Msec) Chandra Galactic field - the "Chandra bulge field" (CBF)
approximately 1.5 degrees away from the Galactic Center - using the Hubble
Space Telescope ACS/WFC blue (F435W) and red (F625W) images. We mainly focus on
the behavior of red clump giants - a distinct stellar population, which is
known to have an essentially constant intrinsic luminosity and color. By
studying the variation in the position of the red clump giants on a spatially
resolved color-magnitude diagram, we confirm the anomalous total-to-selective
extinction ratio, as reported in previous work for other Galactic bulge fields.
We show that the interstellar extinction in this area is = 4 on
average, but varies significantly between ~3-5 on angular scales as small as 1
arcminute. Using the distribution of red clump giants in an
extinction-corrected color-magnitude diagram, we constrain the shape of a
stellar-mass distribution model in the direction of this ultra-deep Chandra
field, which will be used in a future analysis of the population of X-ray
sources. We also show that the adopted model for the stellar density
distribution predicts an infrared surface brightness in the direction of the
"Chandra bulge field" in good agreement (i.e. within ~15%) with the actual
measurements derived from the Spitzer/IRAC observations.Comment: 9 pages, 9 figures. Accepted for publication in A&
Stripped elliptical galaxies as probes of ICM physics: I. Tails, wakes, and flow patterns in and around stripped ellipticals
Elliptical cluster galaxies are progressively stripped of their atmospheres
due to their motion through the intra-cluster medium (ICM). Deep X-ray
observations reveal the fine-structure of the galaxy's remnant atmosphere and
its gas tail and wake. This fine-structure depends on dynamic conditions
(galaxy potential, initial gas contents, orbit through the host cluster),
orbital stage (early infall, pre-/post-pericenter passage), and ICM plasma
properties (thermal conductivity, viscosity, magnetic field structure). We aim
to disentangle dynamic and plasma effects in order to use stripped ellipticals
as probes of ICM plasma properties. This first paper of a series investigates
the hydrodynamics of progressive gas stripping by means of inviscid
hydrodynamical simulations. We distinguish a long-lasting initial relaxation
phase and a quasi-steady stripping phase. During quasi-steady stripping, the
ICM flow around the remnant atmosphere resembles the flow around solid bodies,
including a `deadwater' region in the near wake. Gas is stripped from the
remnant atmosphere predominantly at its sides via Kelvin-Helmholtz
instabilities. The downstream atmosphere is largely shielded from the ICM wind
and thus shaped into a tail. Observationally, both, this `remnant tail' and the
stripped gas in the wake can appear as a `tail', but only in the wake can
galactic gas mix with the ambient ICM. While the qualitative results are
generic, the simulations presented here are tailored to the Virgo elliptical
galaxy M89 (NGC 4552) for the most direct comparison to observations. Papers II
and III of this series describe the effect of viscosity and compare to Chandra
and XMM-Newton observations, respectively.Comment: ApJ, in press. 19 pages, 13 figures. Clarifications added, text
restructured. Conclusions unchange
Stripped elliptical galaxies as probes of ICM physics: II. Stirred, but mixed? Viscous and inviscid gas stripping of the Virgo elliptical M89
Elliptical galaxies moving through the intra-cluster medium (ICM) are
progressively stripped of their gaseous atmospheres. X-ray observations reveal
the structure of galactic tails, wakes, and the interface between the galactic
gas and the ICM. This fine-structure depends on dynamic conditions (galaxy
potential, initial gas contents, orbit in the host cluster), orbital stage
(early infall, pre-/post-pericenter passage), as well as on the still
ill-constrained ICM plasma properties (thermal conductivity, viscosity,
magnetic field structure). Paper I describes flow patterns and stages of
inviscid gas stripping. Here we study the effect of a Spitzer-like temperature
dependent viscosity corresponding to Reynolds numbers, Re, of 50 to 5000 with
respect to the ICM flow around the remnant atmosphere. Global flow patterns are
independent of viscosity in this Reynolds number range. Viscosity influences
two aspects: In inviscid stripping, Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities (KHIs) at
the sides of the remnant atmosphere lead to observable horns or wings.
Increasing viscosity suppresses KHIs of increasing length scale, and thus
observable horns and wings. Furthermore, in inviscid stripping, stripped
galactic gas can mix with the ambient ICM in the galaxy's wake. This mixing is
suppressed increasingly with increasing viscosity, such that viscously stripped
galaxies have long X-ray bright, cool wakes. We provide mock X-ray images for
different stripping stages and conditions. While these qualitative results are
generic, we tailor our simulations to the Virgo galaxy M89 (NGC 4552), where
Re~ 50 corresponds to a viscosity of 10% of the Spitzer level. Paper III
compares new deep Chandra and archival XMM-Newton data to our simulations.Comment: ApJ in press. 16 pages, 16 figures. Text clarified, conclusions
unchange
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