arXiv subjects

J. de Plaa

Publications and source records attributed to J. de Plaa.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2024

Chandra/HETG Doppler velocity measurements in stellar coronal sources

Stellar coronal sources have been observed in the past not only for their astrophysical interest in the field of binary system evolution and interaction, but also for their invaluable roles as benchmarks for plasma spectral models and as calibration sources for high resolution spectroscopic X-ray instruments. These include the gratings on-board Chandra and XMM-Newton, as well as the new generation of high resolution capable-detectors recently flown on-board XRISM and planned for the future also on-board the Athena and the LEM missions. In our previous paper exploiting Chandra/HETG observations of the prototypical coronal source Capella, it has been shown that the centroid energies of the many X-ray emission lines detected in the spectrum of this object change as a function of time due to the Doppler modulation within the binary. This is an effect that needs to be corrected while performing calibrations of high resolution X-ray instruments. In this paper, we extend our previous work on Capella to other known stellar coronal sources which have been observed with the Chandra/HETG (11 objects in total). We measure in several objects clear trends in the velocity shifts along the orbit of the primary star, meaning that in these sources one of the two star components is largely dominating the high energy emission. In a number of systems the trend in the velocity shift is not obvious. This can be ascribed to the fact that both stellar components contribute significantly to the X-ray emission.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2023

A search for the missing baryons with X--ray absorption lines towards the blazar 1ES 1553+113

This paper presents an analysis of XMM X--ray spectra of the quasar 1ES 1553+113, in search for absorption lines from the intervening warm--hot intergalactic medium. A search for OVII, OVIII and NeIX resonance absorption lines was performed at eight fixed redshifts that feature OVI or HI broad Lyman--$α$ absorption lines that were previously detected from HST data. The search yielded one possible detection of OVII at a redshift z=0.1877 with an OVI prior, with a statistical significance that is equivalent to a 2.6-$σ$ confidence level. The spectra were also stacked at the wavelengths of the expected redshifted OVII and OVIII lines, but the analysis did not reveal evidence for the presence of additional X--ray absorbing WHIM. Moreover, the spectra were used to investigate two putative OVII absorption lines that were detected serendipitously in an earlier analysis of the same data by F. Nicastro and collaborators. The paper also presents a comprehensive statistical framework for cosmological inferences from the analysis of absorption lines, which makes use of cosmological simulations for the joint probability distributions of FUV and X--ray ions. Accordingly, we conclude that the new possible OVII absorption at z=0.1877 is consistent with a contribution from the hot WHIM to the baryon density in an amount of $Ω_{WHIM,X}/Ω_b = 44\pm22$\%. However, there are large systematic uncertainties associated with the temperature and abundances of the absorbers, and only a larger sample of X-ray sources can provide an accurate determination of the cosmological density of the WHIM.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2021

Deep Chandra observations of merging galaxy cluster ZwCl 2341+0000

Knowledge of X-ray shock and radio relic connection in merging galaxy clusters has been greatly extended in terms of both observation and theory over the last decade. ZwCl 2341+0000 is a double-relic merging galaxy cluster; previous studies have shown that half of the S relic is associated with an X-ray surface brightness discontinuity, while the other half not. The discontinuity was believed to be a shock front. Therefore, it is a mysterious case of an only partial shock-relic connection. By using the 206.5 ks deep Chandra observations, we aim to investigate the nature of the S discontinuity. Meanwhile, we aim to explore new morphological and thermodynamical features. In addition, we utilize the GMRT and JVLA images to compute radio spectral index (SI) maps. In the deep observations, the previously reported S surface brightness discontinuity is better described as a sharp change in slope or as a kink, which is likely contributed by the disrupted core of the S subcluster. The radio SI maps show spectral flattening at the SE edge of the S relic, suggesting that the location of the shock front is 640 kpc away from the kink. We update the radio shock Mach number to be $2.2\pm0.1$ and $2.4\pm0.4$ for the S and N radio relics, respectively, based on the injection SI. We also put a 3 sigma lower limit on the X-ray Mach number of the S shock to be >1.6. Meanwhile, the deep observations reveal that the N subcluster is in a perfect cone shape, with a ~400 kpc linear cold front on each side. This type of conic subcluster has been predicted by simulations but is observed here for the first time. It represents a transition stage between a blunt-body cold front and a slingshot cold front. Strikingly, we found a 400 kpc long gas trail attached to the apex of the cone, which could be due to the gas stripping. In addition, an over-pressured hot region is found in the SW flank of the cluster.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2021

New radiative loss curve from updates to collisional excitation in the low-density, optically thin plasmas in SPEX

Understanding and modelling astrophysical plasmas on atomic levels while taking into account various assumptions (for example, collisional ionisation equilibrium or photoionisation equilibrium) became essential with the progress of high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy. In order to prepare for the upcoming X-ray spectroscopy missions such as XRISM or Athena, the plasma codes with their models and the atomic databases need to be up to date and accurate. One such update for the plasma code SPEX is presented in this paper where we focus on the radiative loss due to collisional excitation in the low-density, optically thin regime. We also update the atomic data for neutral hydrogen and include the contribution of the dielectronic recombination. With all these updates being implemented in SPEX we finally present the new cooling curve. We include the comparison to other plasma codes (MEKAL, APEC, Cloudy) and other atomic databases (CHIANTI, ADAS). We show how the updated cooling impacts the stability curve for photoionised plasmas and find a new stable branch.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2021

Voyage through the Hidden Physics of the Cosmic Web

The majority of the ordinary matter in the local Universe has been heated by strong structure formation shocks and resides in a largely unexplored hot, diffuse, X-ray emitting plasma that permeates the halos of galaxies, galaxy groups and clusters, and the cosmic web. We propose a next-generation "Cosmic Web Explorer" that will permit a complete and exhaustive understanding of these unseen baryons. This will be the first mission capable to reach the accretion shocks located several times farther than the virial radii of galaxy clusters, and reveal the out-of-equilibrium parts of the intra-cluster medium which are live witnesses to the physics of cosmic accretion. It will also enable a view of the thermodynamics, kinematics, and chemical composition of the circumgalactic medium in galaxies with masses similar to the Milky Way, at the same level of detail that $Athena$ will unravel for the virialized regions of massive galaxy clusters, delivering a transformative understanding of the evolution of those galaxies in which most of the stars and metals in the Universe were formed. Finally, the proposed X-ray satellite will connect the dots of the large-scale structure by mapping, at high spectral resolution, as much as 100% of the diffuse gas hotter than $10^6$ K that fills the filaments of the cosmic web at low redshifts, down to an over-density of 1, both in emission and in absorption against the ubiquitous cosmic X-ray background, surveying at least 1600 square degrees over 5 years in orbit. This requires a large effective area (~10 m$^2$ at 1 keV) over a large field of view ($\sim1$ deg$^2$), a megapixel cryogenic microcalorimeter array providing integral field spectroscopy with a resolving power $E/ΔE$ = 2000 at 0.6 keV and a spatial resolution of 5 arcsec in the soft X-ray band, and a low and stable instrumental background ensuring high sensitivity to faint, extended emission.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2020

X-ray study of the merging galaxy cluster Abell 3411-3412 with XMM-Newton and Suzaku

Context: Chandra observations of the Abell 3411-3412 merging system have revealed an outbound bullet-like sub-cluster in the northern part and many surface brightness (SB) edges at the southern periphery, where multiple diffuse sources are also reported from radio observations. Notably, a south-eastern radio relic associated with fossil plasma from a radio galaxy and with a detected X-ray edge provides direct evidence of shock re-acceleration. The properties of the reported X-ray edges have yet to be constrained from a thermodynamic view. Aims: We use the XMM-Newton and Suzaku observations to reveal the thermodynamical nature of the reported re-acceleration site and other X-ray edges. Meanwhile, we aim to investigate the temperature profile in the low-density outskirts with Suzaku data. Methods: We perform both imaging and spectral analysis to measure the density jump and the temperature jump across multiple known X-ray SB discontinuities. We present a new method to calibrate the XMM-Newton soft proton background. Archival Chandra, Suzaku, and ROSAT data are used to estimate the cosmic X-ray background and Galactic foreground levels with improved accuracy compared to standard blank sky spectra. Results: At the south-eastern edge, both XMM-Newton and Suzaku's temperature jumps point to a $\mathcal{M}\sim1.2$ shock, which agrees with result from SB fits with Chandra, and supports the re-acceleration scenario at this shock front. The southern edge shows a more complex scenario, where a shock and the presence of stripped cold material may coincide. The Suzaku temperature profiles in the southern low density regions are marginally higher than the typical relaxed cluster temperature profile. The measured value $kT_{500}=4.84\pm0.04\pm0.19$ keV with XMM-Newton and $kT_{500}=5.17\pm0.07\pm0.13$ keV with Suzaku are significantly lower than previously inferred from Chandra.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2019

Lessons learned from 19 years of high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy of galaxy clusters with RGS

The intracluster medium (ICM) contains the vast majority of the baryonic matter in galaxy clusters and is heated to X-ray radiating temperatures. X-ray spectroscopy is therefore a key to understand both the morphology and the dynamics of galaxy clusters. Here we recall crucial evolutionary problems of galaxy clusters unveiled by 19 years of high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy with the Reflection Grating Spectrometer (RGS) on board XMM-Newton. Its exquisite combination of effective area, spectral resolution and excellent performance over two decades enabled transformational science and important discoveries such as the lack of strong cooling flows, the constraints on ICM turbulence and cooling-heating balance. The ability of RGS to resolve individual ICM spectral lines reveals in great detail the chemical enrichment in clusters by supernovae and AGB stars. RGS spectra clearly showed that the ICM plasma is overall in thermal equilibrium which is unexpected given the wealth of energetic phenomena such as jets from supermassive black holes and mergers.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2019

How do atomic code uncertainties affect abundance measurements in the intracluster medium?

Accurate chemical abundance measurements of X-ray emitting atmospheres pervading massive galaxies, galaxy groups, and clusters provide essential information on the star formation and chemical enrichment histories of these large scale structures. Although the collisionally ionised nature of the intracluster medium (ICM) makes these abundance measurements relatively easy to derive, underlying spectral models can rely on different atomic codes, which brings additional uncertainties on the inferred abundances. Here, we provide a simple, yet comprehensive comparison between the codes SPEXACT v3.0.5 (cie model) and AtomDB v3.0.9 (vapec model) in the case of moderate, CCD-like resolution spectroscopy. We show that, in cool plasmas ($kT \lesssim 2$ keV), systematic differences up to $\sim$20% for the Fe abundance and $\sim$45% for the O/Fe, Mg/Fe, Si/Fe, and S/Fe ratios may still occur. Importantly, these discrepancies are also found to be instrument-dependent, at least for the absolute Fe abundance. Future improvements in these two codes will be necessary to better address questions on the ICM enrichment.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2019

Iron abundance distribution in the hot gas of merging galaxy clusters

We present XMM-Newton/EPIC observations of six merging galaxy clusters and study the distributions of their temperature, iron (Fe) abundance and pseudo-entropy along the merging axis. For the first time, we focus simultaneously, and in a comprehensive way, on the chemical and thermodynamic properties of the freshly collided intracluster medium (ICM). The Fe distribution of these clusters along the merging axis is found to be in good agreement with the azimuthally-averaged Fe abundance profile in typical non-cool-core clusters out to $r_{500}$. In addition to showing a moderate central abundance peak, though less pronounced than in relaxed systems, the Fe abundance flattens at large radii towards $\sim$0.2-0.3 $Z_\odot$. Although this shallow metal distribution is in line with the idea that disturbed, non-cool-core clusters originate from the merging of relaxed, cool-core clusters, we find that in some cases, remnants of metal-rich and low entropy cool cores can persist after major mergers. While we obtain a mild anti-correlation between the Fe abundance and the pseudo-entropy in the (lower entropy, $K$ = 200-500 keV cm$^2$) inner regions, no clear correlation is found at (higher entropy, $K$ = 500-2300 keV cm$^2$) outer radii. The apparent spatial abundance uniformity that we find at large radii is difficult to explain through an efficient mixing of freshly injected metals, particularly in systems for which the time since the merger is short. Instead, our results provide important additional evidence in favour of the early enrichment scenario - in which the bulk of the metals are released outside galaxies at $z$ > 2-3 - and extend it from cool-core and (moderate) non-cool-core clusters to a few of the most disturbed merging clusters as well. These results constitute a first step towards a deeper understanding of the chemical history of merging clusters.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2019

Enrichment of the hot intracluster medium: observations

Four decades ago, the firm detection of an Fe-K emission feature in the X-ray spectrum of the Perseus cluster revealed the presence of iron in its hot intracluster medium (ICM). With more advanced missions successfully launched over the last 20 years, this discovery has been extended to many other metals and to the hot atmospheres of many other galaxy clusters, groups, and giant elliptical galaxies, as evidence that the elemental bricks of life - synthesized by stars and supernovae - are also found at the largest scales of the Universe. Because the ICM, emitting in X-rays, is in collisional ionisation equilibrium, its elemental abundances can in principle be accurately measured. These abundance measurements, in turn, are valuable to constrain the physics and environmental conditions of the Type Ia and core-collapse supernovae that exploded and enriched the ICM over the entire cluster volume. On the other hand, the spatial distribution of metals across the ICM constitutes a remarkable signature of the chemical history and evolution of clusters, groups, and ellipticals. Here, we summarise the most significant achievements in measuring elemental abundances in the ICM, from the very first attempts up to the era of XMM-Newton, Chandra, and Suzaku and the unprecedented results obtained by Hitomi. We also discuss the current systematic limitations of these measurements and how the future missions XRISM and Athena will further improve our current knowledge of the ICM enrichment.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2018

Constraints on the Chemical Enrichment History of the Perseus Cluster of Galaxies from High-Resolution X-ray Spectroscopy

High-resolution spectroscopy of the core of the Perseus Cluster of galaxies, using the $Hitomi$ satellite above 2 keV and the $XMM$-$Newton$ Reflection Grating Spectrometer at lower energies, provides reliable constraints on the abundances of O, Ne, Mg, Si, S, Ar, Ca, Cr, Mn, Fe, and Ni. Accounting for all known systematic uncertainties, the Ar/Fe, Ca/Fe, and Ni/Fe ratios are determined with a remarkable precision of less than 10%, while the constraints on Si/Fe, S/Fe, and Cr/Fe are at the 15% level, and Mn/Fe is measured with a 20% uncertainty. The average biases in determining the chemical composition using archival CCD spectra from $XMM$-$Newton$ and $Suzaku$ range typically from 15-40%. A simple model in which the enrichment pattern in the Perseus Cluster core and the proto-solar nebula are identical gives a surprisingly good description of the high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy results, with $χ^2=10.7$ for 10 d.o.f. However, this pattern is challenging to reproduce with linear combinations of existing supernova nucleosynthesis calculations, particularly given the precise measurements of intermediate $α$-elements enabled by $Hitomi$. We discuss in detail the degeneracies between various supernova progenitor models and explosion mechanisms, and the remaining uncertainties in these theoretical models. We suggest that including neutrino physics in the core-collapse supernova yield calculations may improve the agreement with the observed pattern of $α$-elements in the Perseus Cluster core. Our results provide a complementary benchmark for testing future nucleosynthesis calculations required to understand the origin of chemical elements.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2018

Nitrogen abundance in the X-ray halos of clusters and groups of galaxies

Chemical abundances in the X-ray halos (also known as the intracluster medium, ICM) of clusters and groups of galaxies can be measured via prominent emission line features in their X-ray spectra. Elemental abundances are footprints of time-integrated yields of various stellar populations that have left their specific abundance patterns prior to and during the cluster and group evolution. We aim to constrain nitrogen abundances in the CHEmical Evolution RGS Sample (CHEERS), which contains 44 nearby groups and clusters of galaxies, in order to have a better understanding of their chemical enrichment. We examine the high-resolution spectra of the CHEERS sample carefully and take into account various systematic effects in the spectral modelling. We compare the observed abundance ratios with those in the Galactic stellar populations, as well as predictions from stellar yields (low- and intermediate-mass stars, massive stars and degenerate stars). The nitrogen abundance can only be well constrained ($\gtrsim3σ$) in one cluster of galaxies and seven groups of galaxies. The [O/Fe] -- [Fe/H] relation of the ICM is comparable to that for the Galaxy, while both [N/Fe] and [N/O] ratios of the ICM are higher than in the Galaxy. Future studies on nitrogen radial distributions are required to tell whether the obtained higher [N/Fe] and [N/O] ratios are biased due to the small extraction region ($r/r_{500}\lesssim0.05$) that we adopt here. Since abundances of odd-$Z$ elements are more sensitive to the initial metallicity of stellar populations, accurate abundance measurements of N, Na and Al are required to better constrain the chemical enrichment in the X-ray halos of clusters and groups of galaxies.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2018

X-ray study of the double radio relic Abell 3376 with Suzaku

We present an X-ray spectral analysis of the nearby double radio relic merging cluster Abell 3376 ($z$ = 0.046), observed with the $Suzaku$ XIS instrument. These deep ($\sim$360 ks) observations cover the entire double relic region in the outskirts of the cluster. These diffuse radio structures are amongst the largest and arc-shaped relics observed in combination with large-scale X-ray shocks in a merging cluster. We confirm the presence of a stronger shock (${\cal M}_{\rm{W}}$ = 2.8 $\pm~0.4$) in the western direction at $r\sim26$', derived from a temperature and surface brightness discontinuity across the radio relic. In the East, we detect a weaker shock (${\cal M}_{\rm{E}}$ = 1.5 $\pm~0.1$) at $r\sim8$', possibly associated to the 'notch' of eastern relic, and a cold front at $r\sim3$'. Based on the shock speed calculated from the Mach numbers, we estimate that the dynamical age of the shock front is $\sim$0.6 Gyr after core passage, indicating that Abell 3376 is still an evolving merging cluster and that the merger is taking place close to the plane of the sky. These results are consistent with simulations and optical and weak lensing studies from the literature.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2017

CHEERS: The chemical evolution RGS sample

The chemical yields of supernovae and the metal enrichment of the hot intra-cluster medium (ICM) are not well understood. This paper introduces the CHEmical Enrichment RGS Sample (CHEERS), which is a sample of 44 bright local giant ellipticals, groups and clusters of galaxies observed with XMM-Newton. This paper focuses on the abundance measurements of O and Fe using the reflection grating spectrometer (RGS). The deep exposures and the size of the sample allow us to quantify the intrinsic scatter and the systematic uncertainties in the abundances using spectral modeling techniques. We report the oxygen and iron abundances as measured with RGS in the core regions of all objects in the sample. We do not find a significant trend of O/Fe as a function of cluster temperature, but we do find an intrinsic scatter in the O and Fe abundances from cluster to cluster. The level of systematic uncertainties in the O/Fe ratio is estimated to be around 20-30%, while the systematic uncertainties in the absolute O and Fe abundances can be as high as 50% in extreme cases. We were able to identify and correct a systematic bias in the oxygen abundance determination, which was due to an inaccuracy in the spectral model. The lack of dependence of O/Fe on temperature suggests that the enrichment of the ICM does not depend on cluster mass and that most of the enrichment likely took place before the ICM was formed. We find that the observed scatter in the O/Fe ratio is due to a combination of intrinsic scatter in the source and systematic uncertainties in the spectral fitting, which we are unable to disentangle. The astrophysical source of intrinsic scatter could be due to differences in AGN activity and ongoing star formation in the BCG. The systematic scatter is due to uncertainties in the spatial line broadening, absorption column, multi-temperature structure and the thermal plasma models. (Abbreviated).

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2017

Science with hot astrophysical plasmas

We present some recent highlights and prospects for the study of hot astrophysical plasmas. Hot plasmas can be studied primarily through their X-ray emission and absorption. Most astrophysical objects, from solar system objects to the largest scale structures of the Universe, contain hot gas. In general we can distinguish collisionally ionised gas and photoionised gas. We introduce several examples of both classes and show where the frontiers of this research in astrophysics can be found. We put this also in the context of the current and future generation of X-ray spectroscopy satellites. The data coming from these missions challenge the models that we have for the calculation of the X-ray spectra.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2017

Improved measurements of turbulence in the hot gaseous atmospheres of nearby giant elliptical galaxies

We present significantly improved measurements of turbulent velocities in the hot gaseous halos of nearby giant elliptical galaxies. Using deep XMM-Newton Reflection Grating Spectrometer (RGS ) observations and a combination of resonance scattering and direct line broadening methods, we obtain well bounded constraints for 13 galaxies. Assuming that the turbulence is isotropic, we obtain a best fit mean 1D turbulent velocity of ~110 km/s. This implies a typical 3D Mach number ~0.45 and a typical non-thermal pressure contribution of ~6 per cent in the cores of nearby massive galaxies. The intrinsic scatter around these values is modest - consistent with zero, albeit with large statistical uncertainty - hinting at a common and quasi-continuous mechanism sourcing the velocity structure in these objects. Using conservative estimates of the spatial scales associated with the observed turbulent motions, we find that turbulent heating can be sufficient to offset radiative cooling in the inner regions of these galaxies (<10 kpc, typically 2-3 kpc). The full potential of our analysis methods will be enabled by future X-ray microcalorimeter observations.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2016

CHEERS: Future perspectives for abundance measurements in clusters with XMM-Newton

The CHEERS (CHEmical Enrichment RGS Sample) observations of clusters of galaxies with XMM-Newton have shown to be valuable to constrain the chemical evolution of the universe. The soft X-ray spectrum contains lines of the most abundant metals from N to Ni, which provide relatively accurate abundances that can be compared to supernova enrichment models. The accuracy of the abundances is currently limited by systematic uncertainties introduced by the available instruments and uncertainties in the modeling of the spectra, which are of the order of 20-30%. We discuss the possible gain of extending the current samples at low and high redshift. We conclude that expanding the samples would be expensive in terms of exposure time, but will not yield significantly improved results, because the current samples already reach the systematic limits. New instrumentation, like Astro-H2 and ATHENA, and improvements to the atomic databases are needed to make significant advances in this field.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2016

$Suzaku$ and $XMM-Newton$ observations of a newly-discovered early-stage cluster merger 1E2216.0-0401 and 1E2215.7-0404

We present the results of $Suzaku$ and $XMM-Newton$ X-ray observations of the cluster pair 1E2216.0-0401 and 1E2215.7-0404. We discover an X-ray bridge between the clusters. $Suzaku$ and $XMM-Newton$ observations revealed that each cluster hosts gas with moderate temperature of $kT_{1E2216.0-0401}=$4.8$\pm$0.1 keV and $kT_{1E2215.7-0404}=$5.8$\pm$0.2 keV, respectively. On the other hand, the bridge region shows a remarkably high temperature ({\it kT}=6.6$\pm$0.5 keV). Furthermore, at the position of the bridge, we detected an enhancement in the wavelet-decomposed soft-band (0.5-4.0 keV) $XMM-Newton$ image at 3 sigma significance, this is most likely due to a compression of the intracluster medium (ICM) as a consequence of the merging activity. This X-ray intensity and temperature enhancement are not consistent with those expected from a late phase, but are in agreement with the predictions by numerical simulations of an early phase merger. From the temperature jump at the location of the bridge, the Mach number is estimated to be ${\cal M}=1.4\pm0.1$, which corresponds to a shock propagation velocity of about 1570 km/s. From the shock properties, we estimate that core-passage will occur in 0.3-0.6 Gyr and that the age of the shock structure is 50--100 Myr. Based on the measured properties of the ICM at the bridge and estimation of timescales, we find indications for non-equilibrium ionization. We also discover possible diffuse radio emission located between the merging clusters. Combining the radio, X-ray, and optical image data, we speculate that the detected radio sources are most likely related to the merger event. Thus, 1E2216.0-0401 and 1E2215.7-0404 is a new example of an early phase cluster merger with remarkable characteristics.

astro-ph.HE↗