Evidence for x-ray emission from superclusters of galaxies determined from UHURU

Journal Article · Wed Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1978 · Astrophys. J., Lett.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/182613· OSTI ID:5035538

Murray, S S; Forman, W; Jones, C; Giacconi, R

We detect X-ray emission from three class 2 clusters of rich clusters of galaxies. Using a definition for these objects based in part on Abell's description, we find 12 candidate superclusters of distance class 5 and six clusters within the area of sky covered by the 4U catalog. The probability that these three X-ray sources accidentally coincide with the superclusters is less than 0.003. We find equally low probabilities that the X-ray emission is due to either a single luminous cluster or to the combined emission of all members of the supercluster. A possible explanation of these sources is thermal bremsstrahlung emission from a hot tenuous gas pervading the supercluster. The mass of the gas can be as much as 10 times the mass of the galaxies in the supercluster and comparable to the virial mass necessary to gravitationally bind the supercluster. Should such regions of enhanced gas density be found to be associated with all groups of clusters (multiplicity> or =2), then this gas may provide a significant fraction of the mass required to close the universe.

• Research Organization: Center for Astrophysics
• OSTI ID: 5035538
• Journal Information: Astrophys. J., Lett.; (United States), Journal Name: Astrophys. J., Lett.; (United States) Vol. 219:3; ISSN AJLEA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640103 -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Quasi-Stellar
Radio
& X-Ray Sources-- (-1987)
640105* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Galaxies
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
BREMSSTRAHLUNG
COSMIC GASES
COSMIC RAY SOURCES
COSMIC X-RAY SOURCES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
FLUIDS
GALAXY CLUSTERS
GASES
INTERGALACTIC SPACE
RADIATIONS
SPACE
SPECTRA
UNIVERSE
X-RAY SPECTRA