Hot Gas in Clusters of Galaxies

Open Access
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
We present a series of models which describe adiabatic, hydrostatic atmospheres of hot gas in the gravitational potential wells of clusters of galaxies. The models can account for the observed X-ray spectra and surface brightness distributions of clusters. For a given X-ray luminosity, the adiabatic models can accommodate much more intergalactic gas than can isothermal models and we therefore re-open the possibility that the outer regions of clusters are bound by hot gas. We show how adiabatic atmospheres arise naturally from the infall of primordial matter into the cluster and we consider their temporal evolution as cooling begins.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: