arXiv subjects

R. Fusco-Femiano

Publications and source records attributed to R. Fusco-Femiano.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2017

Nonthermal Pressure in the Outskirts of Abell 2142

Clumping and turbulence are expected to affect the matter accreted onto the outskirts of galaxy clusters. To determine their impact on the thermodynamic properties of Abell 2142 we perform an analysis of the X-ray temperature data from XMM-Newton via our SuperModel, a state-of-the-art tool for investigating the astrophysics of the intracluster medium already tested on many individual clusters (since Cavaliere et al. 2009). Using the gas density profile corrected for clumpiness derived by Tchernin et al. (2016), we find evidence for the presence of a nonthermal pressure component required to sustain gravity in the cluster outskirts of Abell 2142, that amounts to about 30% of the total pressure at the virial radius. The presence of the nonthermal component implies the gas fraction to be consistent with the universal value at the virial radius and the electron thermal pressure profile to be in good agreement with that inferred from the SZ data. Our results indicate that the presence of gas clumping and of a nonthermal pressure component are both necessary to recover the observed physical properties in the cluster outskirts. Moreover, we stress that an alternative method often exploited in the literature (included Abell 2142) to determine the temperature profile k_BT = P_e/n_e basing on a combination of the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) pressure P_e and of the X-ray electron density n_e does not allow to highlight the presence of nonthermal pressure support in the cluster outskirts.

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arXiv2016

The Intragroup versus the Intracluster Medium

Galaxy groups differ from clusters primarily by way of their lower masses, M~10^14 M_sun vs. M~10^15 M_sun. We discuss how mass affects the thermal state of the intracluster or the intragroup medium, specifically as to their entropy levels and radial profiles. We show that entropy is produced in both cases by the continuing inflow of intergalactic gas across the system boundary into the gravitational potential well. The inflow is highly supersonic in clusters, but weakly so in groups. The former condition implies strong accretion shocks with substantial conversion of a large inflow kinetic into thermal energy, whereas the latter condition implies less effective conversion of lower energies. These features produce a conspicuous difference in entropy deposition at the current boundary. Thereafter, adiabatic compression of the hot gas into the potential well converts such time histories into radial profiles throughout a cluster or a group. In addition, in both cases a location of the system at low z in the accelerating universe or in a poor environment will starve out the inflow and the entropy production, and produce flattening or even bending down of the outer profile. We analyze in detail the sharp evidence provided by the two groups ESO 3060170 and RXJ1159+5531 that have been recently observed in X rays out to their virial radii, and find a close and detailed match with our expectations.

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arXiv2014

SuperModel Analysis of Abell 1246 and J255: on the Evolution of Galaxy Clusters from High to Low Entropy States

We present an analysis of high-quality X-ray data out to the virial radius for the two galaxy clusters Abell 1246 and GMBCG J255.34805+64.23661 (J255) by means of our entropy-based SuperModel. For Abell 1246 we find that the spherically-averaged entropy profile of the intracluster medium (ICM) progressively flattens outwards, and that a nonthermal pressure component amounting to ~20% of the total is required to support hydrostatic equilibrium in the outskirts; there we also estimate a modest value C~1.6 of the ICM clumping factor. These findings agree with previous analyses on other cool-core, relaxed clusters, and lend further support to the picture by Lapi et al. (2010) that relates the entropy flattening, the development of nonthermal pressure component, and the azimuthal variation of ICM properties to weakening boundary shocks. In this scenario clusters are born in a high-entropy state throughout, and are expected to develop on similar timescales a low entropy state both at the center due to cooling, and in the outskirts due to weakening shocks. However, the analysis of J255 testifies how such a typical evolutionary course can be interrupted or even reversed by merging especially at intermediate redshift, as predicted by Cavaliere et al. (2011b). In fact, a merger has rejuvenated the ICM of this cluster at z~0.45 by reestablishing a high entropy state in the outskirts, while leaving intact or erasing only partially the low-entropy, cool core at the center.

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arXiv2014

Entropy Flattening, Gas Clumping and Turbulence in Galaxy Clusters

Several physical processes and formation events are expected in cluster outskirts, a vast region up to now essentially not covered by observations. The recent Suzaku (X-ray) and Planck (Sunayev-Zeldovich effect) observations out to the virial radius have highlighted in these peripheral regions a rather sharp decline of the intracluster gas temperature, an entropy flattening in contrast with the theoretically expected power law increase, the break of the hydrostatic equilibrium even in some relaxed clusters, a derived gas mass fraction above the cosmic value measured from several CMB experiments, and a total X-ray mass lower than the weak lensing mass determinations. Here we present the analysis of four clusters (A1795, A2029, A2204 and A133) with the SuperModel that includes a nonthermal pressure component due to turbulence to sustain the hydrostatic equilibrium also in the cluster outskirts. In such way we obtain a correct determination of the total X-ray mass and of the gas mass fraction; this in turn allows to determine the level of the gas clumping that can affect the shape of the entropy profiles reported by the Suzaku observations. Our conclusion is that the role of the gas clumping is very marginal and that the observed entropy flattening is due to the rapid decrement of the temperature in the cluster outskirts caused by non gravitational effects. Moreover, we show that the X-ray/SZ joint analysis from ROSAT and Planck data, as performed in some recent investigations, is inadequate to discriminate between a power law increase and a flattening of the entropy.

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arXiv2013

Turbulence in the SuperModel: Mass Reconstruction with Nonthermal Pressure for Abell 1835

The total mass derived from X-ray emission is biased low in a large number of clusters when compared with the mass estimated via strong and weak lensing. Suzaku and Chandra observations out to the virial radius report in several relaxed clusters steep temperature gradients that on assuming pure thermal hydrostatic equilibrium imply an unphysically decreasing mass profile. Moreover, the gas mass fraction appears to be inconsistent with the cosmic value measured from the CMB. Such findings can be interpreted as an evidence for an additional nonthermal pressure in the outskirts of these clusters. This nonthermal component may be due to turbulence stirred by residual bulk motions of extragalactic gas infalling into the cluster. Here we present a SuperModel analysis of Abell 1835 observed by Chandra out to the virial radius. The SuperModel formalism can include in the equilibrium a nonthermal component whose level and distribution are derived imposing that the gas mass fraction f_{gas} equals the cosmic value at the virial radius. Including such a nonthermal component, we reconstruct from X rays an increasing mass profile consistent with the hydrostatic equilibrium also in the cluster outskirts and in agreement at the virial boundary with the weak lensing value. The increasing f_{gas} profile confirms that the baryons are not missing but located at the cluster outskirts.

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arXiv2012

The Planck Sunyaev-Zel'dovich vs. the X-ray View of the Coma Cluster

The Planck collaboration has recently published precise and resolved measurements of the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect in Abell 1656 (the Coma cluster of galaxies), so directly gauging the electron pressure profile in the intracluster plasma. On the other hand, such a quantity may be also derived from combining the density and temperature provided by X-ray observations of the thermal bremsstrahlung radiation emitted by the plasma. We find a model-independent tension between the SZ and the X-ray pressure, with the SZ one being definitely lower by 15-20%. We propose that such a challenging tension can be resolved in terms of an additional, non-thermal support to the gravitational equilibrium of the intracluster plasma. This can be straightforwardly included in our Supermodel, so as to fit in detail the Planck SZ profile while being consistent with the X-ray observables. Possible origins of the nonthermal component include cosmic-ray protons, ongoing turbulence, and relativistic electrons; given the existing observational constraints on the first two options, here we focus on the third. For this to be effective, we find that the electron population must include not only an energetic tail accelerated to gamma> 10^3 responsible for the Coma radiohalo, but also many more, lower energy electrons. The electron acceleration is to be started by merging events similar to those which provided the very high central entropy of the thermal intracluster plasma in Coma.

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arXiv2011

The Intracluster Plasma: a Universal Pressure Profile?

The pressure profiles of the Intracluster Plasma in galaxy clusters show a wide variance when observed in X rays at low redshifts z<0.2. We find the profiles to follow two main patterns, featuring either a steep or a shallow shape throughout both core and outskirts. We trace these shapes back to a physical dichotomy of clusters into two classes, marked by either low entropy (LE) or high entropy (HE) throughout. From X-ray observations and Sunyaev-Zel'dovich stacked data at higher 0.2 0.5. We submit our physical templates and converging trend for further observational tests, in view of the current and upcoming measurements of individual, stacked, and integrated Sunyaev-Zel'dovich signals.

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arXiv2011

A Grand Design for Galaxy Clusters: Connections and Predictions

We take up from a library of 12 galaxy clusters featuring extended X-ray observations of their Intra Cluster Plasma (ICP), analyzed with our entropy-based Supermodel. Its few intrinsic parameters - basically, the central level and the outer slope of the entropy profile - enable us to uniformly derive not only robust snapshots of the ICP thermal state, but also the 'concentration' parameter marking the age of the host dark matter halo. We test these profiles for consistency with numerical simulations and observations. We find the central and the outer entropy to correlate, so that these clusters split into two main classes defined on the basis of low (LE) or high (HE) entropy conditions prevailing throughout the ICP. We also find inverse correlations between the central/outer entropy and the halo concentration. We interpret these in terms of mapping the ICP progress on timescales around 5 Gyr toward higher concentrations, under the drive of the dark matter halo development. The progress proceeds from HEs to LEs, toward states of deeper entropy erosion by radiative cooling in the inner regions, and of decreasing outer entropy production as the accretion peters out. We propose these radial and time features to constitute a cluster Grand Design, that we use here to derive a number of predictions. For HE clusters we predict sustained outer temperature profiles. For LEs we expect the outer entropy ramp to bend over, hence the temperature decline to steepen at low z; this feature goes together with an increasing turbulent support, a condition that can be directly probed with the SZ effect.

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arXiv2010

Non Thermal Support for the Outer Intracluster Medium

We submit that non thermalized support for the outer intracluster medium in relaxed galaxy clusters is provided by turbulence, driven by inflows of intergalactic gas across the virial accretion shocks. We expect this component to increase briskly during the cluster development for z<1/2, due to three factors. First, the accretion rates of gas and dark matter subside, when they feed on the outer wings of the initial perturbations in the accelerating Universe. Second, the infall speeds decrease across the progressively shallower gravitational potential at the shock position. Third, the shocks eventually weaken, and leave less thermal energy to feed the intracluster entropy, but relatively more bulk energy to drive turbulence into the outskirts. The overall outcome from these factors is physically modeled and analytically computed; thus we ascertain how these concur in setting the equilibrium of the outer intracluster medium, and predict how the observables in X rays and microwaves are affected, so as to probe the development of outer turbulence over wide cluster samples. By the same token, we quantify the resulting negative bias to be expected in the total mass evaluated from X-ray measurements.

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arXiv2010

Probing the Astrophysics of Cluster Outskirts

In galaxy clusters the entropy distribution of the IntraCluster Plasma modulates the latter's equilibrium within the Dark Matter gravitational wells, as rendered by our Supermodel. We argue the entropy production at the boundary shocks to be reduced or terminated as the accretion rates of DM and intergalactic gas peter out; this behavior is enforced by the slowdown in the outskirt development at late times, when the Dark Energy dominates the cosmology while the outer wings of the initial perturbation drive the growth. In such conditions, we predict the ICP temperature profiles to steepen into the cluster outskirts. The detailed expectations from our simple formalism agree with the X-ray data concerning five clusters whose temperature profiles have been recently measured out to the virial radius. We predict steep temperature declines to prevail in clusters at low redshift, tempered only by rich environs including adjacent filamentary structures.

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arXiv2009

Supermodel Analysis of Galaxy Clusters

[abridged] We present the analysis of the X-ray brightness and temperature profiles for six clusters belonging to both the Cool Core and Non Cool Core classes, in terms of the Supermodel (SM) developed by Cavaliere, Lapi & Fusco-Femiano (2009). Based on the gravitational wells set by the dark matter halos, the SM straightforwardly expresses the equilibrium of the IntraCluster Plasma (ICP) modulated by the entropy deposited at the boundary by standing shocks from gravitational accretion, and injected at the center by outgoing blastwaves from mergers or from outbursts of Active Galactic Nuclei. The cluster set analyzed here highlights not only how simply the SM represents the main dichotomy Cool vs. Non Cool Core clusters in terms of a few ICP parameters governing the radial entropy run, but also how accurately it fits even complex brightness and temperature profiles. For Cool Core clusters like A2199 and A2597, the SM with a low level of central entropy straightforwardly yields the characteristic peaked profile of the temperature marked by a decline toward the center, without requiring currently strong radiative cooling and high mass deposition rates. Non Cool Core clusters like A1656 require instead a central entropy floor of a substantial level, and some like A2256 and even more A644 feature structured temperature profiles that also call for a definite floor extension; in such conditions the SM accurately fits the observations, and suggests that in these clusters the ICP has been just remolded by a merger event, in the way of a remnant cool core. The SM also predicts that dark matter halos with high concentration should correlate with flatter entropy profiles and steeper brightness in the outskirts; this is indeed the case with A1689.

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arXiv2009

Galaxy Clusters, a Novel Look at Diffuse Baryons Withstanding Dark Matter Gravity

[abridged] The equilibria of the intracluster plasma (ICP) and of the gravitationally dominant dark matter (DM) are governed by the hydrostatic and the Jeans equation. Jeans, with the DM `entropy' set to K ~ r^αand α~ 1.25 - 1.3 applying from groups to rich clusters, yields our radial α-profiles. In the ICP the entropy run k(r) is mainly shaped by shocks, as steadily set by supersonic accretion of gas at the cluster boundary, and intermittently driven from the center by merging events or by AGNs; the resulting equilibrium is described by the exact yet simple formalism constituting our ICP Supermodel. With a few parameters, this accurately represents the runs of density n(r) and temperature T(r) as required by recent X-ray data on surface brightness and spectroscopy for both cool core (CC) and non cool core (NCC) clusters; the former are marked by a middle temperature peak, whose location is predicted from rich clusters to groups. The Supermodel inversely links the inner runs of n(r) and T(r), and highlights their central scaling with entropy n_c ~ k_c^-1 and T_c ~ k_c^0.35, to yield radiative cooling times t_c ~ 0.3 (k_c/15 keV cm^2)^1.2 Gyr. We discuss the stability of the central values so focused either in CC and NCC clusters. From the Supermodel we derive as limiting cases the classic polytropic β-models, and the `mirror' model with T(r) ~ σ^2(r) suitable for NCC and CC clusters, respectively; these highlight how the ICP temperature T(r) tends to mirror the DM velocity dispersion σ^2(r) away from entropy injections. Finally, we discuss how the Supermodel connects information derived from X-ray and gravitational lensing observations.

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arXiv2002

Hard X-ray and radio observations of Abell 754

We present a long BeppoSAX observation of Abell 754 that reports a nonthermal excess with respect to the thermal emission at energies greater than ~45 keV. A VLA radio observation at 1.4 GHz definitely confirms the existence of diffuse radio emission in the central region of the cluster, previously suggested by images at 74 and 330 MHz (Kassim et al 2001), and reports additional features. Besides, our observation determines a steeper radio halo spectrum in the 330-1400 MHz frequency range with respect to the spectrum detected at lower frequencies, indicating the presence of a spectral cutoff. The presence of a radio halo in A754, considered the prototype of a merging cluster, reinforces the link between formation of Mpc-scale radio regions and very recent or current merger processes. The radio results combined with the hard X-ray excess detected by BeppoSAX give information on the origin of the electron population responsible for nonthermal phenomena in galaxy clusters. We discuss also the possibility that 26W20, a tailed radio galaxy with BL Lac characteristics located in the field of view of the PDS, could be responsible for the observed nonthermal hard X-ray emission.

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arXiv2002

High Energy Results from BeppoSAX

We review all the BeppoSAX results relative to the search for additional nonthermal components in the spectra of clusters of galaxies. In particular, our MECS data analysis of A2199 does not confirm the presence of the nonthermal excess reported by Kaastra et al. (1999). A new observation of A2256 seems to indicate quite definitely that the nonthermal fluxes detected in Coma and A2256 are due to a diffuse nonthermal mechanism involving the intracluster medium. We report marginal evidence (~3σ) for a nonthermal excess in A754 and A119, but the presence of point sources in the field of view of the PDS makes unlikely a diffuse interpretation.

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arXiv2001

Hard X-ray emission from the galaxy cluster A3667

We report the results of a long BeppoSAX observation of Abell 3667, one of the most spectacular galaxy cluster in the southern sky. A clear detection of hard X-ray radiation up to ~ 35 keV is reported, while a hard excess above the thermal gas emission is present at a marginal level that should be considered as an upper limit to the presence of nonthermal radiation. The strong hard excesses reported by BeppoSAX in Coma and A2256 and the only marginal detection of nonthermal emission in A3667 can be explained in the framework of the inverse Compton model. We argue that the nonthermal X-ray detections in the PDS energy range are related to the radio index structure of halos and relics present in the observed clusters of galaxie.

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arXiv2001

The giant radio halo in Abell 2163

New radio data is presented for the rich cluster Abell 2163. The cluster radio emission is characterized by the presence of a radio halo, which is one of the most powerful and extended halos known so far. In the NE peripheral cluster region, we also detect diffuse elongated emission, which we classify as a cluster relic. The cluster A2163 is very hot and luminous in X-ray. Its central region is probably in a highly non relaxed state, suggesting that this cluster is likely to be a recent merger. The existence of a radio halo in this cluster confirms that halos are associated with hot massive clusters, and confirms the connection between radio halos and cluster merger processes. The comparison between the radio emission of the halo and the cluster X-ray emission shows a close structural similarity. A power law correlation is found between the radio and X-ray brightness, with index = 0.64. We also report the upper limit to the hard X-ray emission, obtained from a BeppoSAX observation. We discuss the implications of our results.

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arXiv2000

Hard X-ray emission from the galaxy cluster A2256

After the positive detection by BeppoSAX of hard X-ray radiation up to ~80 keV in the Coma cluster spectrum, we present evidence for nonthermal emission from A2256 in excess of thermal emission at a 4.6sigma confidence level. In addition to this power law component, a second nonthermal component already detected by ASCA could be present in the X-ray spectrum of the cluster, not surprisingly given the complex radio morphology of the cluster central region. The spectral index of the hard tail detected by the PDS onboard BeppoSAX is marginally consistent with that expected by the inverse Compton model. A value of ~0.05 microG is derived for the intracluster magnetic field of the extended radio emission in the northern regions of the cluster, while a higher value of \~0.5 microG could be present in the central radio halo, likely related to the hard tail detected by ASCA.

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arXiv2000

An X-ray and optical study of the cluster A33

We report the first detailed X-ray and optical observations of the medium-distant cluster A33 obtained with the Beppo-SAX satellite and with the UH 2.2m and Keck II telescopes at Mauna Kea. The information deduced from X-ray and optical imaging and spectroscopic data allowed us to identify the X-ray source 1SAXJ0027.2-1930 as the X-ray counterpart of the A33 cluster. The faint, $F_{2-10 keV} \approx 2.4 \times 10^{-13} \ergscm2$, X-ray source 1SAXJ0027.2-1930, $\sim 2$ arcmin away from the optical position of the cluster as given in the Abell catalogue, is identified with the central region of A33. Based on six cluster galaxy redshifts, we determine the redshift of A33, $z=0.2409$; this is lower than the value derived by Leir and Van Den Bergh (1977). The source X-ray luminosity, $L_{2-10 keV} = 7.7 \times 10^{43} \ergs$, and intracluster gas temperature, $T = 2.9$ keV, make this cluster interesting for cosmological studies of the cluster $L_X-T$ relation at intermediate redshifts. Two other X-ray sources in the A33 field are identified. An AGN at z$=$0.2274, and an M-type star, whose emission are blended to form an extended X-ray emission $\sim 4$ arcmin north of the A33 cluster. A third possibly point-like X-ray source detected $\sim 3$ arcmin north-west of A33 lies close to a spiral galaxy at z$=$0.2863 and to an elliptical galaxy at the same redshift as the cluster.

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