Computer Science
Scientific paper
Sep 2009
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009cfdd.confe.134k&link_type=abstract
Chandra's First Decade of Discovery, Proceedings of the conference held 22-25 September, 2009 in Boston, MA. Edited by Scott Wo
Computer Science
Galaxies
Scientific paper
We present results from a deep archival XMM-Newton observation of the nearby massive early-type galaxy NGC 4472. This galaxy is in the early stages of merging with the Virgo cluster (1.35 Mpc from M87), and is the most optically luminous galaxy in the local Universe. Our earlier Chandra observations (Biller et al. 2004) showed a complex morphology in the X-ray emitting gas including cavities associated with twin radio lobes, a surface brightness discontinuity presumable due to an interaction with the Virgo cluster gas, and a filamentary arm similar to structures seen in M87. The deep XMM-Newton observation clearly demonstrates the existence of a ram pressure stripped tail anti-coincident to M87 and a surface brightness discontinuity, presumably the contact discontinuity between two moving fluids, between the core of NGC 4472 and the Virgo cluster gas. A temperature map of the NGC 4472 gas shows complex temperature variations in the core, perhaps indicative of non-azimuthally symmetric gas motions induced by the merger. Such motions have been predicted in various hydrodynamic simulations of galaxy/cluster mergers (Heinz et al. 2003). We also detect four filaments of cold gas in the temperature map extending roughly 25 kpc from the nucleus, one of which is coincident with the feature seen in the short Chandra observation. We discuss the implications of these results in terms of our understanding of group/cluster merger dynamics.
Evans Daniel A.
Forman William R.
Hardcastle Martin J.
Jones Christine
Kraft Ralph
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