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X-ray triple rings around the M87 jets in the central Virgo cluster

Hua Feng·Shuang-Nan Zhang·Yu-Qing Lou·Ti-Pei Li
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Abstract

The Chandra X-ray data of the central Virgo cluster are re-examined to reveal a triple-ring structure around the galaxy M87, reminiscent of the spectacular triple-ring pattern of the SN1987A in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). In the sky plane, the two apparent smaller ellipses are roughly aligned along the M87 jets; the larger ring centers at the M87 nucleus and is likely a circle roughly perpendicular to the M87 jet. Certain similarities of these two triple-ring structures might hint at similar processes that operate in these two systems with entirely different sizes and mass scales. We suspect that a major merging event of two galaxies with nuclear supermassive black holes (SMBHs) might create such a triple-ring structure and drove acoustic and internal gravity waves far and near. The M87 jets are perhaps powered by a spinning SMBH resulting from this catastrophic merging event.

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Hua Feng, Shuang-Nan Zhang, Yu-Qing Lou, Ti-Pei Li. 2004-04-20. X-ray triple rings around the M87 jets in the central Virgo cluster. https://doi.org/10.1086/422096

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