A soft X-ray map of the Perseus cluster of galaxies

Journal Article · Mon Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1976 · Astrophys. J., Lett.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/182279· OSTI ID:7245335

Cash, W; Malina, R F; Wolff, R S

We present a 0.5--3 keV X-ray map of the Perseus cluster of galaxies. The map, combining profiles obtained by the Columbia and Berkeley groups, was derived using the ART mapping algorithm. The map shows a region (9' x 15') of strong emission centered near NGC 1275 plus a new feature: a highly elongated emission region which lies along the line of bright galaxies that dominates the core of the cluster. The data are compared with various models that include point and diffuse sources. One model which adequately represents the data is the superposition of a point source at NGC 1275 and an isothermal ellipsoid resulting from the bremsstrahlung emission of cluster gas. The ellipsoid has a major core radius of 20'.5 and a minor core radius of 5'.5 consistent with the values obtained from galaxy counts. All acceptable models provide evidence for a compact source (<3' FMHM) at NGC 1275 containing 25 ( +- 10) percent of the total emission. Since the diffuse X-ray and radio components have radically different morphologies, it is unlikely that the emissions arise from a common source as proposed in inverse Compton models. (AIP)

• Research Organization: Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley
• OSTI ID: 7245335
• Journal Information: Astrophys. J., Lett.; (United States), Journal Name: Astrophys. J., Lett.; (United States) Vol. 209:3; ISSN AJLEA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640105* -- Astrophysics &amp; Cosmology-- Galaxies
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
BREMSSTRAHLUNG
COSMIC RAY SOURCES
COSMIC X-RAY SOURCES
COSMOLOGICAL MODELS
DISTRIBUTION
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
GALAXY CLUSTERS
MASS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
RADIATIONS
SPECTRA
X-RAY SPECTRA