Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
2006-07-06
Mon.Not.Roy.Astron.Soc.371:1483-1496,2006
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
15 pages, accepted by MNRAS
Scientific paper
10.1111/j.1365-2966.2006.10779.x
We perform a detailed spatially-resolved, spectroscopic, analysis of the core of the Centaurus cluster of galaxies using a deep Chandra X-ray observation and XMM-Newton data. The Centaurus cluster core has particularly high metallicity, upto twice Solar values, and we measure the abundances of Fe, O, Ne, Mg, Si, S, Ar, Ca and Ni. We map the distribution of these elements in many spatial regions,and create radial profiles to the east and west of the centre. The ratios of the most robustly determined elements to iron are consistent with Solar ratios, indicating that there has been enrichment by both Type Ia and Type II supernovae. For a normal initial stellar mass function it represents the products of about 4x10^10 solar masses of star formation. This star formation can have occured either continuously at a rate of 5 solar masses per year for the past 8 Gyr or more,or was part of the formation of the central galaxy at earlier times. Either conclusion requires that the inner core of the Centaurus cluster has not suffered a major disruption within the past 8 Gyr, or even longer.
Fabian Andrea C.
Sanders Jeffrey S.
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