Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
May 1995
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1995apj...444..582d&link_type=abstract
Astrophysical Journal, Part 1 (ISSN 0004-637X), vol. 444, no. 2, p. 582-589
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
26
Astronomical Models, Galactic Clusters, Gaseous Diffusion, Intergalactic Media, Spiral Galaxies, X Ray Astronomy, Abundance, Baryons, Morphology, Proportional Counters, Rosat Mission, Shock Waves, Stellar Luminosity
Scientific paper
We have found diffuse X-ray gas in the group of galaxies containing the elliptical galaxy NGC 4261. This galaxy along with its associated companions are behind the Virgo cluster in the W-cloud. A recent analysis of the velocity structure in the Virgo region indicates that the W-cloud has approximately 30 members, most of which are low luminosity dwarfs. The hot X-ray emitting gas is centered about halfway between NGC 4261 and NGC 4264 and extends out to a radius of approximately 40 min(620 kpc). The spectral data for the diffuse component are well fitted with a Raymond-Smith plasma model with a temperature of 0.85+0.21-0.16 keV and abundance less than 0.08 times the solar value. Under the assumption that the diffuse gas is in hydrostatic equilibrium the total mass within 40 min is 1.9 x 1013 solar mass. We estimate that the total baryonic mass of the hot gas and the galaxies is 20%-34% of the total mass in the central 40 min radius of this group. This group of galaxies contains NGC 4273 which exhibits a 'bow shock' morphology similar to that of NGC 2276. This is thought to occur when the ram pressure from the intragroup gas significantly perturbs the interstellar medium in a late-type galaxy. We show that this is unlikely in this group.
Birkinshaw Mark
Burstein David
Davis David S.
Mulchaey John S.
Mushotzky Richard F.
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