학술논문

Multiple Shock Fronts in RBS 797: The Chandra Window on Shock Heating in Galaxy Clusters
Document Type
article
Source
The Astrophysical Journal, Vol 944, Iss 2, p 216 (2023)
Subject
Intracluster medium
Galaxy clusters
Fanaroff-Riley radio galaxies
Radio galaxies
Cooling flows
Active galactic nuclei
Astrophysics
QB460-466
Language
English
ISSN
1538-4357
Abstract
Using ∼427 ks of Chandra observations, we present a study of shock heating and intracluster medium (ICM) cooling in the galaxy cluster RBS 797. We discover three nested pairs of weak shocks at roughly 50, 80, and 130 kpc from the center. The total energy associated with the shocks is ∼6 × 10 ^61 erg, with the central active galactic nucleus (AGN) driving a pair of weak shocks every 20–30 Myr with a power P _sh ≈ 10 ^46 erg s ^−1 . Based on its morphology and age (∼30 Myr), the inner cocoon shock is associated with the four equidistant X-ray cavities previously discovered. From the thermodynamic analysis of the inner 30 kpc, we find evidence for ICM condensation into colder gas between and behind the X-ray cavities. The total AGN mechanical power (cavities and shocks) of 3.4 × 10 ^46 erg s ^−1 can balance the ICM radiative losses, estimated as L _cool = 2.3 × 10 ^45 erg s ^−1 . By building plots of P _cav versus L _cool , P _shock versus L _cool , and P _tot versus L _cool for RBS 797 and 14 other galaxy clusters, galaxy groups, and elliptical galaxies where both cavities and shocks are detected, we verify that the most powerful outbursts are found in the strongest cooling systems. Ultimately, we observe that the mechanical power of the AGN exceeds the gas radiative losses by a factor that is different for FR I and FR II radio galaxies, being less than a few tens for FR Is (as RBS 797) and more than roughly 100 for FR IIs.