Hitomi observations of Perseus support heating by mixing

Shlomi Hillel, Noam Soker

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

We compare the velocity dispersion of the intracluster medium (ICM) of the Perseus cluster of galaxies as observed by the Hitomi X-ray telescope to our three-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations of jet-inflated bubbles in cluster cooling flows and conclude that the observations support the mixing-heating mechanism of the ICM. In the mixing-heating mechanism, the ICM is heated by mixing of hot bubble gas with the ICM. This mixing is caused by vortices that are formed during the inflation process of the bubble. Sound waves and turbulence are also excited by the vortices, but they contribute less than 20 per cent to the heating of the ICM. Shocks that are excited by the jets contribute even less.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)L39-L42
JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
Volume466
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 21 Mar 2017

Keywords

  • Galaxies: clusters: individual: Perseus
  • Galaxies: clusters: intracluster medium
  • Galaxies: jets

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
  • Space and Planetary Science

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