On the spatial distribution of heavy elements in X-ray emitting clusters of galaxies

Abstract
X-ray observations of gas in clusters of galaxies indicate that the Fe/H ratio of the gas in the central regions is approximately solar. If this ratio were constant throughout mostly primordial cluster gas, this would have far-reaching implications for processes occurring in the early stages of galaxy and cluster formation. We discuss a number of mechanisms by which abundance gradients can arise in the cluster gas and conclude that results obtained under the assumption of a constant Fe/H ratio throughout the cluster gas should be treated with caution.

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