Related papers: Astrophysics and cosmology with galaxy clusters: t…
Clusters of galaxies are massive enough to be considered representative samples of the Universe, and to retain all of the heavy elements synthesized in their constituent stars. Since most of these metals reside in hot plasma, X-ray…
This White Paper, submitted to the recent ESA call for science themes to define its future large missions, advocates the need for a transformational leap in our understanding of two key questions in astrophysics: 1) How does ordinary matter…
High-spectral resolution observations of clusters of galaxies are a powerful tool to understand the physical processes taking place in these massive objects. Their hot multi-million-degree X-ray emitting cluster atmospheres, containing most…
X-ray cluster measurements interpreted with a universal baryon/gas mass fraction can theoretically serve as a cosmological distance probe. We examine issues of cosmological sensitivity for current (e.g. Chandra X-ray Observatory,…
To predict the X-ray observables associated to the diffuse baryons in clusters of galaxies, we develop a new physical approach to model such a hot intra-cluster plasma. Such approach is based on punctuated equilibria. and comprises the…
Traditionally, galaxy clusters have been expected to retain all the material accreted since their formation epoch. For this reason, their matter content should be representative of the Universe as a whole, and thus their baryon fraction…
Emission lines in X-ray spectra of clusters of galaxies reveal the presence of heavy elements in the diffuse hot plasma (the Intra Cluster Medium, or ICM) in virial equilibrium in the dark matter potential well. The relatively simple…
Gamma-ray astronomy will play a crucial role in the investigation of nonthermal processes in the large scale structure of the universe. Particularly, galaxy clusters (GC) observations at this photon energy will help us understand the origin…
The luminous material in clusters of galaxies falls primarily into two forms: the visible galaxies and the X-ray emitting intra-cluster medium. The hot intra-cluster gas is the major observed baryonic component of clusters, about six times…
Galaxy groups are the least massive systems where the bulk of baryons begin to be accounted for. Not simply the scaled-down versions of rich clusters following self-similar relations, galaxy groups are ideal systems to study baryon physics,…
Nucleosynthesis in the standard hot big bang cosmology offers a successful account of the production of the light nuclides during the early evolution of the Universe. Consistency among the predicted and observed abundances of D, $^3$He,…
Clusters of galaxies contain a hot gas, which emits in X-rays. X-ray telescopes such as XMM-Newton allow to study this plasma to obtain information on physical quantities of these objects. We present here some results on the total mass…
The current generation of flagship X-ray missions, Chandra and XMM-Newton, has changed our understanding of the so-called "cool core" galaxy clusters and groups. Instead of the initial idea that the thermal gas is cooling and flowing toward…
Investigating X-ray luminous galaxy clusters at z>~1 provides a fundamental constraint on evolutionary studies of the largest virialized structures in the Universe, the baryonic matter in form of the hot ICM, their galaxy populations, and…
X-ray observations of galaxy clusters potentially provide powerful cosmological probes if systematics due to our incomplete knowledge of the intracluster medium (ICM) physics are understood and controlled. In this paper, we study the…
First indications of the warm/hot intergalactic medium, tracing out the large scale structure of the universe, have been obtained in sensitive Chandra and XMM-Newton high resolution absorption line spectroscopy of bright blazars. High…
We present a new model for the X-ray properties of the intracluster medium that explicitly includes heating of the gas by the energy released during the evolution of cluster galaxies. We calculate the evolution of clusters by combining the…
One of the legacies of the {\rm Chandra} era is the discovery of AGN-inflated X-ray cavities in virtually all cool-core clusters, with mechanical luminosities comparable to or larger than the cluster cooling rate, suggesting that AGN might…
A fundamental goal of modern-day astrophysics is to understand the connection between supermassive black hole (SMBH) growth and galaxy evolution. Merging galaxies offer one of the most dramatic channels for galaxy evolution known, capable…
Within the standard framework of structure formation, where clusters and groups of galaxies are built up from the merging of smaller systems, the physical properties of the intracluster medium, such as the gas temperature and the total…