arXiv subjects

A. Simionescu

Publications and source records attributed to A. Simionescu.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

arXiv2017

A uniform metallicity in the outskirts of massive, nearby galaxy clusters

Suzaku measurements of a homogeneous metal distribution of $Z\sim0.3$ Solar in the outskirts of the nearby Perseus cluster suggest that chemical elements were deposited and mixed into the intergalactic medium before clusters formed, likely over 10 billion years ago. A key prediction of this early enrichment scenario is that the intracluster medium in all massive clusters should be uniformly enriched to a similar level. Here, we confirm this prediction by determining the iron abundances in the outskirts ($r>0.25r_{200}$) of a sample of ten other nearby galaxy clusters observed with Suzaku for which robust measurements based on the Fe-K lines can be made. Across our sample the iron abundances are consistent with a constant value, $Z_{\rm Fe}=0.316\pm0.012$ Solar ($χ^2=28.85$ for 25 degrees of freedom). This is remarkably similar to the measurements for the Perseus cluster of $Z_{\rm Fe}=0.314\pm0.012$ Solar, using the Solar abundance scale of Asplund et al. (2009).

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2017

Witnessing the Growth of the Nearest Galaxy Cluster: Thermodynamics of the Virgo Cluster Outskirts

We present results from Suzaku Key Project observations of the Virgo Cluster, the nearest galaxy cluster to us, mapping its X-ray properties along four long `arms' extending beyond the virial radius. The entropy profiles along all four azimuths increase with radius, then level out beyond $0.5r_{200}$, while the average pressure at large radii exceeds Planck Sunyaev-Zel'dovich measurements. These results can be explained by enhanced gas density fluctuations (clumping) in the cluster's outskirts. Using a standard Navarro, Frenk and White (1997) model, we estimate a virial mass, radius, and concentration parameter of $M_{200}=1.05\pm0.02\times10^{14}$ M$_\odot$, $r_{200}=974.1\pm5.7$ kpc, and $c = 8.8 \pm0.2$, respectively. The inferred cumulative baryon fraction exceeds the cosmic mean at $r\sim r_{200}$ along the major axis, suggesting enhanced gas clumping possibly sourced by a candidate large-scale structure filament along the north-south direction. The Suzaku data reveal a large-scale sloshing pattern, with two new cold fronts detected at radii of 233 kpc and 280 kpc along the western and southern arms, respectively. Two high-temperature regions are also identified 1 Mpc towards the south and 605 kpc towards the west of M87, likely representing shocks associated with the ongoing cluster growth. Although systematic uncertainties in measuring the metallicity for low temperature plasma remain, the data at large radii appear consistent with a uniform metal distribution on scales of $\sim 90\times180$ kpc and larger, providing additional support for the early chemical enrichment scenario driven by galactic winds at redshifts of 2-3.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2017

An azimuthally resolved study of the cold front in Abell 3667

The microphysical properties, such as effective viscosity and conductivity, of the weakly magnetized intergalactic plasma are not yet well known. We investigate the constraints that can be placed by an azimuthally resolved study of the cold front in Abell 3667 using $\sim$500 ksec archival Chandra data. We find that the radius of the interface fluctuates with position angle and the morphology of the interface is strikingly similar to recent numerical simulations of inviscid gas-stripping. We find multiple edges in the surface brightness profiles across the cold front as well as azimuthal variations, which are consistent with the presence of Kelvin-Helmholtz Instabilities (KHI) developing along the cold front. They indicate that the characteristic length scale of KHI rolls is around 20-80 kpc. This is the first observational indication of developing KHIs along a merger cold front in a galaxy cluster. Based on the KHI scenario, we estimated the upper limit of the ICM effective viscosity. The estimated value of $μ\lesssim200~\mathrm{g/cm/s}$ is at most 5% of the isotropic Spitzer-like viscosity. The observed apparent mixing towards the outer edges away from the tip of the front provides an additional evidence for suppressed viscosity.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2016

Deep Chandra study of the truncated cool core of the Ophiuchus cluster

We present the results of a deep (280 ks) Chandra observation of the Ophiuchus cluster, the second-brightest galaxy cluster in the X-ray sky. The cluster hosts a truncated cool core, with a temperature increasing from kT~1 keV in the core to kT~9 keV at r~30 kpc. Beyond r~30 kpc the intra-cluster medium (ICM) appears remarkably isothermal. The core is dynamically disturbed with multiple sloshing induced cold fronts, with indications for both Rayleigh-Taylor and Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities. The sloshing is the result of the strongly perturbed gravitational potential in the cluster core, with the central brightest cluster galaxy (BCG) being displaced southward from the global center of mass. The residual image reveals a likely subcluster south of the core at the projected distance of r~280 kpc. The cluster also harbors a likely radio phoenix, a source revived by adiabatic compression by gas motions in the ICM. Even though the Ophiuchus cluster is strongly dynamically active, the amplitude of density fluctuations outside of the cooling core is low, indicating velocities smaller than ~100 km/s. The density fluctuations might be damped by thermal conduction in the hot and remarkably isothermal ICM, resulting in our underestimate of gas velocities. We find a surprising, sharp surface brightness discontinuity, that is curved away from the core, at r~120 kpc to the southeast of the cluster center. We conclude that this feature is most likely due to gas dynamics associated with a merger and not a result of an extraordinary active galactic nucleus (AGN) outburst. The cooling core lacks any observable X-ray cavities and the AGN only displays weak, point-like radio emission, lacking lobes or jets, indicating that currently it may be largely dormant. The lack of strong AGN activity may be due to the bulk of the cooling taking place offset from the central supermassive black hole.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2016

LOFAR, VLA, and Chandra observations of the Toothbrush galaxy cluster

We present deep LOFAR observations between 120-181 MHz of the "Toothbrush" (RX J0603.3+4214), a cluster that contains one of the brightest radio relic sources known. Our LOFAR observations exploit a new and novel calibration scheme to probe 10 times deeper than any previous study in this relatively unexplored part of the spectrum. The LOFAR observations, when combined with VLA, GMRT, and Chandra X-ray data, provide new information about the nature of cluster merger shocks and their role in re-accelerating relativistic particles. We derive a spectral index of $α= -0.8 \pm 0.1$ at the northern edge of the main radio relic, steepening towards the south to $α\approx - 2$. The spectral index of the radio halo is remarkably uniform ($α= -1.16$, with an intrinsic scatter of $\leq 0.04$). The observed radio relic spectral index gives a Mach number of $\mathcal{M} = 2.8^{+0.5}_{-0.3}$, assuming diffusive shock acceleration (DSA). However, the gas density jump at the northern edge of the large radio relic implies a much weaker shock ($\mathcal{M} \approx 1.2$, with an upper limit of $\mathcal{M} \approx 1.5$). The discrepancy between the Mach numbers calculated from the radio and X-rays can be explained if either (i) the relic traces a complex shock surface along the line of sight, or (ii) if the radio relic emission is produced by a re-accelerated population of fossil particles from a radio galaxy. Our results highlight the need for additional theoretical work and numerical simulations of particle acceleration and re-acceleration at cluster merger shocks.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2016

LOFAR facet calibration

LOFAR, the Low-Frequency Array, is a powerful new radio telescope operating between 10 and 240 MHz. LOFAR allows detailed sensitive high-resolution studies of the low-frequency radio sky. At the same time LOFAR also provides excellent short baseline coverage to map diffuse extended emission. However, producing high-quality deep images is challenging due to the presence of direction dependent calibration errors, caused by imperfect knowledge of the station beam shapes and the ionosphere. Furthermore, the large data volume and presence of station clock errors present additional difficulties. In this paper we present a new calibration scheme, which we name facet calibration, to obtain deep high-resolution LOFAR High Band Antenna images using the Dutch part of the array. This scheme solves and corrects the direction dependent errors in a number of facets that cover the observed field of view. Facet calibration provides close to thermal noise limited images for a typical 8 hr observing run at $\sim$ 5arcsec resolution, meeting the specifications of the LOFAR Tier-1 northern survey.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2016

The nature and energetics of AGN-driven perturbations in the hot gas in the Perseus Cluster

Cores of relaxed galaxy clusters are often disturbed by AGN. Their Chandra observations revealed a wealth of structures induced by shocks, subsonic gas motions, bubbles of relativistic plasma, etc. In this paper, we determine the nature and energy content of gas fluctuations in the Perseus core by probing statistical properties of emissivity fluctuations imprinted in the soft- and hard-band X-ray images. About 80 per cent of the total variance of perturbations on ~ 8-70 kpc scales in the inner region have an isobaric nature, i.e., are consistent with slow displacements of the gas in pressure equilibrium with ambient medium. Observed variance translates to the ratio of non-thermal to thermal energy of ~13 per cent. In the region dominated by weak "ripples", about half of the total variance is also associated with isobaric perturbations on scales ~ a few tens of kpc. If these isobaric perturbations are induced by buoyantly rising bubbles, then these results suggest that most of the AGN-injected energy should first go into bubbles rather than into shocks. Using simulations of a shock propagating through the Perseus atmosphere, we found that models reproducing the observed features of a central shock have more than 50 per cent of the AGN-injected energy associated with the bubble enthalpy and only about 20 per cent is carried away with the shock. Such energy partition is consistent with the AGN-feedback model, mediated by bubbles of relativistic plasma, and supports the importance of turbulence in the balance between gas heating and radiative cooling.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2016

Serendipitous discovery of an extended X-ray jet without a radio counterpart in a high-redshift quasar

A recent Chandra observation of the nearby galaxy cluster Abell 585 has led to the discovery of an extended X-ray jet associated with the high-redshift background quasar B3 0727+409, a luminous radio source at redshift z=2.5. This is one of only few examples of high-redshift X-ray jets known to date. It has a clear extension of about 12", corresponding to a projected length of ~100 kpc, with a possible hot spot located 35" from the quasar. The archival high resolution VLA maps surprisingly reveal no extended jet emission, except for one knot about 1.4" from the quasar. The high X-ray to radio luminosity ratio for this source appears consistent with the $\propto (1+z)^{4}$ amplification expected from the inverse Compton radiative model. This serendipitous discovery may signal the existence of an entire population of similar systems with bright X-ray and faint radio jets at high redshift, a selection bias which must be accounted for when drawing any conclusions about the redshift evolution of jet properties and indeed about the cosmological evolution of supermassive black holes and active galactic nuclei in general.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2015

Suzaku observations of a shock front tracing the western edge of the giant radio halo in the Coma Cluster

We present the results of new Suzaku observations of the Coma Cluster, the X-ray brightest, nearby, merging system hosting a well studied, typical giant radio halo. It has been previously shown that, on the western side of the cluster, the radio brightness shows a much steeper gradient compared to other azimuths. XMM-Newton and Planck revealed a shock front along the southern half of the region associated with this steep radio gradient, suggesting that the radio emission is enhanced by particle acceleration associated with the shock passage. Suzaku demonstrates for the first time that this shock front extends northwards, tracing the entire length of the western edge of the Coma radio halo. The shock is detected both in the temperature and X-ray surface brightness distributions and has a Mach number of around $\mathcal{M}\sim1.5$. The locations of the surface brightness edges align well with the edge of the radio emission, while the obtained temperature profiles seem to suggest shocks located 125-185 kpc further out in radius. In addition, the shock strengths derived from the temperature and density jumps are in agreement when using extraction regions parallel to the radio halo edge, but become inconsistent with each other when derived from radial profiles centred on the Coma Cluster core. It is likely that, beyond mere projection effects, the geometry of the shock is more complex than a front with a single, uniform Mach number and an approximately spherically symmetric shape.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2015

Deep Chandra observation and numerical studies of the nearest cluster cold front in the sky

We present the results of a very deep (500 ks) Chandra observation, along with tailored numerical simulations, of the nearest, best resolved cluster cold front in the sky, which lies 90 kpc (19 arcmin) to the north-west of M 87. The northern part of the front appears the sharpest, with a width smaller than 2.5 kpc (1.5 Coulomb mean free paths; at 99 per cent confidence). Everywhere along the front, the temperature discontinuity is narrower than 4-8 kpc and the metallicity gradient is narrower than 6 kpc, indicating that diffusion, conduction and mixing are suppressed across the interface. Such transport processes can be naturally suppressed by magnetic fields aligned with the cold front. Interestingly, comparison to magnetohydrodynamic simulations indicates that in order to maintain the observed sharp density and temperature discontinuities, conduction must also be suppressed along the magnetic field lines. However, the northwestern part of the cold front is observed to have a non-zero width. While other explanations are possible, the broadening is consistent with the presence of Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities (KHI) on length-scales of a few kpc. Based on comparison with simulations, the presence of KHI would imply that the effective viscosity of the intracluster medium is suppressed by more than an order of magnitude with respect to the isotropic Spitzer-like temperature dependent viscosity. Underneath the cold front, we observe quasi-linear features that are ~10 per cent brighter than the surrounding gas and are separated by ~15 kpc from each other in projection. Comparison to tailored numerical simulations suggests that the observed phenomena may be due to the amplification of magnetic fields by gas sloshing in wide layers below the cold front, where the magnetic pressure reaches ~5-10 per cent of the thermal pressure, reducing the gas density between the bright features.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2015

A Uniform Contribution of Core-Collapse and Type Ia Supernovae to the Chemical Enrichment Pattern in the Outskirts of the Virgo Cluster

We present the first measurements of the abundances of $α$-elements (Mg, Si, and S) extending out to beyond the virial radius of a cluster of galaxies. Our results, based on Suzaku Key Project observations of the Virgo Cluster, show that the chemical composition of the intra-cluster medium is consistent with being constant on large scales, with a flat distribution of the Si/Fe, S/Fe, and Mg/Fe ratios as a function of radius and azimuth out to 1.4 Mpc (1.3 $r_{200}$). Chemical enrichment of the intergalactic medium due solely to core collapse supernovae (SNcc) is excluded with very high significance; instead, the measured metal abundance ratios are generally consistent with the Solar value. The uniform metal abundance ratios observed today are likely the result of an early phase of enrichment and mixing, with both SNcc and type Ia supernovae (SNIa) contributing to the metal budget during the period of peak star formation activity at redshifts of 2-3. We estimate the ratio between the number of SNIa and the total number of supernovae enriching the intergalactic medium to be between 12-37%, broadly consistent with the metal abundance patterns in our own Galaxy or with the SNIa contribution estimated for the cluster cores.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2015

Simulating Astro-H Observations of Sloshing Gas Motions in the Cores of Galaxy Clusters

Astro-H will be the first X-ray observatory to employ a high-resolution microcalorimeter, capable of measuring the shift and width of individual spectral lines to the precision necessary for estimating the velocity of the diffuse plasma in galaxy clusters. This new capability is expected to bring significant progress in understanding the dynamics, and therefore the physics, of the intracluster medium. However, because this plasma is optically thin, projection effects will be an important complicating factor in interpreting future Astro-H measurements. To study these effects in detail, we performed an analysis of the velocity field from simulations of a galaxy cluster experiencing gas sloshing, and generated synthetic X-ray spectra, convolved with model Astro-H Soft X-ray Spectrometer (SXS) responses. We find that the sloshing motions produce velocity signatures that will be observable by Astro-H in nearby clusters: the shifting of the line centroid produced by the fast-moving cold gas underneath the front surface, and line broadening produced by the smooth variation of this motion along the line of sight. The line shapes arising from inviscid or strongly viscous simulations are very similar, indicating that placing constraints on the gas viscosity from these measurements will be difficult. Our spectroscopic analysis demonstrates that, for adequate exposures, Astro-H will be able to recover the first two moments of the velocity distribution of these motions accurately, and in some cases multiple velocity components may be discerned. The simulations also confirm the importance of accurate treatment of PSF scattering in the interpretation of Astro-H/SXS spectra of cluster plasmas.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2015

A Very Deep Chandra Observation of the Galaxy Group NGC 5813: AGN Shocks, Feedback, and Outburst History

We present results from a very deep (650 ks) Chandra X-ray observation of the galaxy group NGC~5813, the deepest Chandra observation of a galaxy group to date. Earlier observations showed two pairs of cavities distributed roughly collinearly, with each pair associated with an elliptical shock front. The new observations confirm a third pair of outer cavities, collinear with the other pairs, and reveal an associated outer outburst shock at ~30 kpc. This system is therefore unique in exhibiting three cavity pairs, each associated with an unambiguous AGN outburst shock front. The implied mean kinetic power is roughly the same for each outburst, demonstrating that the average AGN kinetic luminosity can remain stable over long timescales (~50 Myr). The two older outbursts have larger, roughly equal total energies as compared with the youngest outburst, implying that the youngest outburst is ongoing. We find that the radiative cooling rate and the mean shock heating rate of the gas are well balanced at each shock front, suggesting that AGN outburst shock heating alone is sufficient to offset cooling and establish AGN/ICM feedback within at least the central 30 kpc. This heating takes place roughly isotropically and most strongly at small radii, as is required for feedback to operate. We suggest that shock heating may play a significant role in AGN feedback at smaller radii in other systems, where weak shocks are more difficult to detect. We find non-zero shock front widths that are too large to be explained by particle diffusion. Instead, all measured widths are consistent with shock broadening due to propagation through a turbulent ICM with a mean turbulent speed of ~70 km/s. Finally, we place lower limits on the temperature of any volume-filling thermal gas within the cavities that would balance the internal cavity pressure with the external ICM.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2015

On the Merging Cluster Abell 578 and Its Central Radio Galaxy 4C +67.13

Here we analyze radio, optical, and X-ray data for a peculiar cluster Abell 578. This cluster is not fully relaxed and consists of two merging sub-systems. The brightest cluster galaxy, CGPG 0719.8+6704, is a pair of interacting ellipticals with projected separation $\sim$10 kpc, the brighter of which hosts the radio source 4C +67.13. The Fanaroff-Riley type-II radio morphology of 4C +67.13 is unusual for central radio galaxies in local Abell clusters. Our new optical spectroscopy revealed that both nuclei of the CGPG 0719.8+6704 pair are active, albeit at low accretion rates corresponding to the Eddington ratio $\sim10^{-4}$ (for the estimated black hole masses of $\sim 3 \times 10^8\,M_\odot$ and $\sim 10^9 \, M_\odot$). The gathered X-ray ({\it Chandra}) data allowed us to confirm and to quantify robustly the previously noted elongation of the gaseous atmosphere in the dominant sub-cluster, as well as a large spatial offset ($\sim 60$\,kpc projected) between the position of the brightest cluster galaxy and the cluster center inferred from the modeling of the X-ray surface brightness distribution. Detailed analysis of the brightness profiles and temperature revealed also that the cluster gas in the vicinity of 4C\,+67.13 is compressed (by a factor of about $\sim 1.4$) and heated (from $\simeq 2.0$\,keV up to 2.7\,keV), consistent with the presence of a weak shock (Mach number $\sim 1.3$) driven by the expanding jet cocoon. This would then require the jet kinetic power of the order of $\sim 10^{45}$\,erg\,s$^{-1}$, implying either a very high efficiency of the jet production for the current accretion rate, or a highly modulated jet/accretion activity in the system.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2015

The growth of the galaxy cluster Abell 85: mergers, shocks, stripping and seeding of clumping

We present the results of deep Chandra, XMM-Newton and Suzaku observations of the nearby galaxy cluster Abell 85, which is currently undergoing at least two mergers, and in addition shows evidence for gas sloshing which extends out to r ~ 600 kpc. One of the two infalling subclusters, to the south of the main cluster center, has a dense, X-ray bright cool core and a tail extending to the southeast. The northern edge of this tail is strikingly smooth and sharp (narrower than the Coulomb mean free path of the ambient gas) over a length of 200 kpc, while toward the southwest the boundary of the tail is blurred and bent, indicating a difference in the plasma transport properties between these two edges. The thermodynamic structure of the tail strongly supports an overall northwestward motion. We propose, that a sloshing-induced tangential, ambient, coherent gas flow is bending the tail eastward. The brightest galaxy of this subcluster is at the leading edge of the dense core, and is trailed by the tail of stripped gas, suggesting that the cool core of the subcluster has been almost completely destroyed by the time it reached its current radius of r ~ 500 kpc. The surface-brightness excess, likely associated with gas stripped from the infalling southern subcluster, extends toward the southeast out to at least r_500 of the main cluster, indicating that the stripping of infalling subclusters may seed gas inhomogeneities. The second merging subcluster appears to be a diffuse non-cool core system. Its merger is likely supersonic with a Mach number of ~ 1.4.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2015

Gas Density Fluctuations in the Perseus Cluster: Clumping Factor and Velocity Power Spectrum

X-ray surface brightness fluctuations in the core of the Perseus Cluster are analyzed, using deep observations with the Chandra observatory. The amplitude of gas density fluctuations on different scales is measured in a set of radial annuli. It varies from 8 to 12 per cent on scales of ~10-30 kpc within radii of 30-160 kpc from the cluster center and from 9 to 7 per cent on scales of ~20-30 kpc in an outer, 60-220 kpc annulus. Using a statistical linear relation between the observed amplitude of density fluctuations and predicted velocity, the characteristic velocity of gas motions on each scale is calculated. The typical amplitudes of the velocity outside the central 30 kpc region are 90-140 km/s on ~20-30 kpc scales and 70-100 km/s on smaller scales ~7-10 kpc. The velocity power spectrum is consistent with cascade of turbulence and its slope is in a broad agreement with the slope for canonical Kolmogorov turbulence. The gas clumping factor estimated from the power spectrum of the density fluctuations is lower than 7-8 per cent for radii ~30-220 kpc from the center, leading to a density bias of less than 3-4 per cent in the cluster core. Uncertainties of the analysis are examined and discussed. Future measurements of the gas velocities with the Astro-H, Athena and Smart-X observatories will directly measure the gas density-velocity perturbation relation and further reduce systematic uncertainties in these quantities.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2014

Abell 1033: birth of a radio phoenix

Extended steep-spectrum radio emission in a galaxy cluster is usually associated with a recent merger. However, given the complex scenario of galaxy cluster mergers, many of the discovered sources hardly fit into the strict boundaries of a precise taxonomy. This is especially true for radio phoenixes that do not have very well defined observational criteria. Radio phoenixes are aged radio galaxy lobes whose emission is reactivated by compression or other mechanisms. Here, we present the detection of a radio phoenix close to the moment of its formation. The source is located in Abell 1033, a peculiar galaxy cluster which underwent a recent merger. To support our claim, we present unpublished Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope and Chandra observations together with archival data from the Very Large Array and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We discover the presence of two sub-clusters displaced along the N-S direction. The two sub-clusters probably underwent a recent merger which is the cause of a moderately perturbed X-ray brightness distribution. A steep-spectrum extended radio source very close to an AGN is proposed to be a newly born radio phoenix: the AGN lobes have been displaced/compressed by shocks formed during the merger event. This scenario explains the source location, morphology, spectral index, and brightness. Finally, we show evidence of a density discontinuity close to the radio phoenix and discuss the consequences of its presence.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2014

ASTRO-H White Paper - Clusters of Galaxies and Related Science

The next generation X-ray observatory ASTRO-H will open up a new dimension in the study of galaxy clusters by achieving for the first time the spectral resolution required to measure velocities of the intracluster plasma, and extending at the same time the spectral coverage to energies well beyond 10 keV. This white paper provides an overview of the capabilities of ASTRO-H for exploring gas motions in galaxy clusters including their cosmological implications, the physics of AGN feedback, dynamics of cluster mergers as well as associated high-energy processes, chemical enrichment of the intracluster medium, and the nature of missing baryons and unidentified dark matter.

astro-ph.HE↗