X-ray and Optical Filaments in M87

Details X-ray and Optical Filaments in M87 X-ray and Optical Filaments in M87

2004-02-09

arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0402204v1

Astrophys.J. 607 (2004) 294-301

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrophysics

18 pages, 6 figures, 2 tables

Scientific paper

10.1086/383189

We compare a very deep X-ray image of M87, at the center of the Virgo Cluster, to high-quality optical images of the low excitation emission-line gas in the same region. There are striking coincidences of detail between the two. We explore the possiblity that this represents a thermal interaction between hot gas at 10^7 K and warm gas at 10^4 K. We find two temperatures are present in the X-ray gas, with the lower more prevelant in the vicinity of the optical filaments. Electron conduction from the hot phase to the cooler one provides a quantitatively acceptable energy source for the optical filaments, and we show additionally that it can do so for the brightest X-ray cluster, Perseus. If operative, conduction in the presence of gas-rich galaxy mergers, may explain the presence of "cool cores" in clusters of galaxies.

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