Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Dec 1994
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1994aas...18511403b&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, 185th AAS Meeting, #114.03; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 26, p.1511
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
Scientific paper
New X-ray, radio, and optical observations of the rich cluster Abell 2255 will be presented. These new observations have revealed interesting and unusual characteristics at each wavelength band that are inconsistent with a simple, relaxed cluster. Surprisingly, ROSAT all-sky survey (RASS) and CCD r-band images show that the cluster X-ray centroid does not coincide with any bright cluster galaxies or subgroup of galaxies. Furthermore, RASS spectra indicate cool (2 keV) gas within 5 arcmin of the X-ray centroid whereas previous X-ray satellites measured a temperature of 7 keV for the cluster as a whole. At 1240 km/s, A2255 has one of the highest known cluster velocity dispersions. In addition, the two brightest cluster galaxies are separated by an unusually large 2635 km/s. Our new VLA 20-cm imaging has revealed a distorted, off-center, steep-spectrum diffuse radio source, previously labeled a radio halo, and a peculiar ridge of radio emission about 0.6 Mpc north of the X-ray centroid. We believe that these cluster properties can be understood if A2255 is in the process of merging with a galaxy group. We will present a numerical Hydro/N-body simulation of such a merger which nicely reproduces the X-ray and galaxy velocity properties, and the merger has sufficient energy to power the diffuse cluster radio emission.
Burns O. Jr. J.
Owen Frazer N.
Perley Richard A.
Pinkney Jason
Roettiger Kurt
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