Magnetic fields in the Centaurus cluster
Abstract
We present multi-frequency VLA observations of the radio galaxy PKS 1246-410 at the center of the Centaurus Cluster, and compare these results to recent Chandra observations. The unusual radio morphology of PKS 1246-410 probably results from interactions with the hot, X-ray emitting gas. This gas, along with cluster magnetic fields, also produces substantial Faraday Rotation Measures towards PKS 1246-410. We discuss these observations in the context of a sample of 14 luminous X-ray clusters with embedded radio galaxies and possible cooling flows. A correlation is found between the cooling flow rate and the maximum Faraday Rotation Measures. Magnetic fields of strength 10-40 uG are found to be common to the centers of clusters with strong cooling flows, and somewhat lower field strengths of 2-10 uG are found in the non cooling-flow clusters.
Cite
@article{arxiv.astro-ph/0109337,
title = {Magnetic fields in the Centaurus cluster},
author = {G. B. Taylor and A. C. Fabian and S. W. Allen},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:astro-ph/0109337},
year = {2009}
}
Comments
7 pages, 10 figures (3 colour), submitted to MNRAS