English

The cool wake around 4C 34.16 as seen by XMM-Newton

Astrophysics 2009-11-11 v1

Abstract

We present XMM-Newton observations of the wake-radiogalaxy system 4C34.16, which shows a cool and dense wake trailing behind 4C34.16's host galaxy. A comparison with numerical simulations is enlightening, as they demonstrate that the wake is produced mainly by ram pressure stripping during the galactic motion though the surrounding cluster. The mass of the wake is a substantial fraction of the mass of an elliptical galaxy's X-ray halo. This observational fact supports a wake formation scenario similar to the one demonstrated numerically by Acreman et al (2003): the host galaxy of 4C34.16 has fallen into its cluster, and is currently crossing its central regions. A substantial fraction of its X-ray halo has been stripped by ram pressure, and remains behind to form the galaxy wake.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.astro-ph/0504420,
  title  = {The cool wake around 4C 34.16 as seen by XMM-Newton},
  author = {I. Sakelliou and D. M. Acreman and M. J. Hardcastle and M. R. Merrifield and T. J. Ponman and I. R. Stevens},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:astro-ph/0504420},
  year   = {2009}
}

Comments

9 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS