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The Heavy Element Abundance in Groups of GalaxiesOver the past few years we have analyzed a sample of clusters observed by the Advanced Spacecraft for Cosmology Astrophysics (ASCA) X-ray satellite. We performed spatially resolved X-ray spectroscopy of a sample of 18 relaxed clusters of galaxies with gas temperatures below 4 keV. The spectral analysis was done using ASCA/SIS (Solid state Imaging Spectrometer) data combined with imaging data from ROSAT/PSPC (German acronym for X-ray satellite/Position Sensitive Proportional Counter) and Einstein/IPC (Imaging Proportional Counter) observations. We derived temperature profiles using single-temperature fits for all of the clusters in the sample, and also corrected for the presence of cold gas in the center of so-called 'cooling flow' clusters. For all of the clusters in the sample we derived Si and Fe abundance profiles. For a few of the clusters we also were able to derive Ne and S abundance profiles. We compared the elemental abundances derived at similar overdensities in all of the clusters in the sample. We also compared element mass-to-light ratios for the entire sample. We concluded that the preferential accretion of low entropy, low abundance gas into the potentials of groups and cold clusters can explain most of the observed trends in metallicity. In addition, we discussed the importance of preheating of the intracluster medium by Type II supernovae on the cluster scaling relations.
Document ID
20010011076
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Contractor or Grantee Report
Authors
David, Laurence
(Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory Cambridge, MA United States)
Date Acquired
August 20, 2013
Publication Date
December 1, 2000
Subject Category
Astrophysics
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAG5-2745
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.
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