Filaments, Bubbles, and Weak Shocks in the Gaseous Atmosphere of M87

Details Filaments, Bubbles, and Weak Shocks in the Gaseous Atmosphere of M87 Filaments, Bubbles, and Weak Shocks in the Gaseous Atmosphere of M87

2006-04-27

arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0604583v2

Astrophys.J.665:1057-1066,2007

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrophysics

Extensively revised and expanded with 10 pages and 10 figures. Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal

Scientific paper

10.1086/519480

We present the first results from a 500 ksec Chandra ACIS-I observation of M87. At soft energies (0.5-1.0 keV), we detect filamentary structures associated with the eastern and southwestern X-ray and radio arms. Many filaments are spatially resolved with widths of ~300 pc. This filamentary structure is particularly striking in the eastern arm where we suggest the filaments are outer edges of a series of plasma-filled, buoyant bubbles whose ages differ by ~6 x 10^6 years. These X-ray structures may be influenced by magnetic filamentation. At hard energies (3.5-7.5 keV), we detect a nearly circular ring of outer radius 2.8' (13 kpc) which provides an unambiguous signature of a weak shock, driven by an outburst from the SMBH. The density rise in the shock is ~1.3 (Mach number, M~1.2). The observed spectral hardening in the ring corresponds to a temperature rise T_shock / T_0 ~ 1.2, or M~1.2, in agreement with the Mach number derived independently from the gas density. Thus, for the first time, we detect gas temperature and density jumps associated with a classical shock in the atmosphere around a supermassive black hole. We also detect two additional surface brightness edges and pressure enhancements at radii of ~0.6' and ~1'. The ~0.6' feature may be over-pressurized thermal gas surrounding the relativistic plasma in the radio cocoon, the ``piston'', produced by the current episode of AGN activity. The over-pressurized gas is surrounded by a cool gas shell. The ~1' feature may be an additional weak shock from a secondary outburst. In an earlier episode, the ``piston'' was responsible for driving the 2.8' shock.

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