The connection between X-ray Clusters and Star Formation

The properties of X-ray clusters of galaxies can be well understood in terms of a competition between shock heating and adiabatic compression. Strong shocks are expected to be important for massive clusters, while adiabatic compression is dominant for small clusters and groups. The scale of the shock/adiabatic transition is marked by a change of slope of the L-T relation and in the global properties of the emitting plasma. This scale is connected to star formation processes. Two quantities are crucial: the average energy injected in the IGM from stars and SNe, and the epoch of the energy injection. We show how these quantities can be synthesized in terms of specific entropy, which ultimately determines the X-ray emission from groups and clusters.Comment: 4 pages, including 2 figures, LaTex2e. To be published in the Proceedings of the ``VLT Opening Symposium'', Antofagasta (Chile), 1-4 March 1999. Typos changed in eq. (3

Emission Lines in X-ray Spectra of Clusters of Galaxies

Emission lines in X-ray spectra of clusters of galaxies reveal the presence of heavy elements in the diffuse hot plasma (the Intra Cluster Medium, or ICM) in virial equilibrium in the dark matter potential well. The relatively simple physical state of the ICM allows us to estimate, with good accuracy, its thermodynamical properties and chemical abundances. These measures put strong constraints on the interaction processes between the galaxies and the surrounding medium, and have significant impact on models of galaxy formation as well. This field is rapidly evolving thanks to the X-ray satellites Chandra and XMM-Newton. Among the most relevant progresses in the last years, we briefly discuss the nature of cool cores and the measure of the Iron abundance in high redshift clusters. Future X-ray missions with bolometers promise to provide a substantial step forward to a more comprehensive understanding of the complex physics of the ICM.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, Proceedings of the VI Serbian Conference on Spectral Line Shapes in Astrophysics, Sremski Karlovci, Serbia June 11-15 200

Searching for bulk motions in the ICM of massive, merging clusters with Chandra CCD data

We search for bulk motions in the intracluster medium (ICM) of massive clusters showing evidence of an ongoing or recent major merger with spatially resolved spectroscopy in {\sl Chandra} CCD data. We identify a sample of 6 merging clusters with $>$150 ks {\sl Chandra} exposure in the redshift range $0.1 < z < 0.3$. By performing X-ray spectral analysis of projected ICM regions selected according to their surface brightness, we obtain the projected redshift maps for all of these clusters. After performing a robust analysis of the statistical and systematic uncertainties in the measured X-ray redshift $z_{\rm X}$, we check whether or not the global $z_{\rm X}$ distribution differs from that expected when the ICM is at rest. We find evidence of significant bulk motions at more than 3$\sigma$ in A2142 and A115, and less than 2$\sigma$ in A2034 and A520. Focusing on single regions, we identify significant localized velocity differences in all of the merging clusters. We also perform the same analysis on two relaxed clusters with no signatures of recent mergers, finding no signs of bulk motions, as expected. Our results indicate that deep {\sl Chandra} CCD data enable us to identify the presence of bulk motions at the level of $v_{\rm BM} >$ 1000\ ${\rm km\ s^{-1}}$ in the ICM of massive merging clusters at $0.1<z<0.3$. Although the CCD spectral resolution is not sufficient for a detailed analysis of the ICM dynamics, {\sl Chandra} CCD data constitute a key diagnostic tool complementing X-ray bolometers on board future X-ray missions