Related papers: Shocks and cold fronts in merging and massive gala…
High-resolution Chandra images of several clusters of galaxies reveal sharp, edge-like discontinuities in their gas density. The gas temperature is higher in front of the edge where the density is low, corresponding to approximately…
Recently, high-resolution Chandra observations revealed the existence of very sharp features in the X-ray surface brightness and temperature maps of several clusters (Vikhlinin et. al., 2001). These features, called ``cold fronts'', are…
When galaxy clusters collide, they generate shock fronts in the hot intracluster medium. Observations of these shocks can provide valuable information on the merger dynamics and physical conditions in the cluster plasma, and even help…
Table of contents (abridged): COLD FRONTS Origin and evolution of merger cold fronts Cold fronts in cluster cool cores . . . Simulations of gas sloshing. Origin of density discontinuity. . . . Effect of sloshing on cluster mass estimates…
Cold fronts have been detected both in merging and in cool core clusters, where little or no sign of a merging event is present. A systematic search of sharp surface brightness discontinuities performed on a sample of 62 galaxy clusters…
Chandra has significantly advanced our knowledge of the processes in the intracluster gas. The discovery of remarkably regular ``cold fronts'', or contact discontinuities, in merging clusters showed that gas dynamic instabilities at the…
We discuss two themes from Chandra observations of galaxies, groups, and clusters. First, we review the merging process as seen through the high angular resolution of Chandra. We present examples of sharp, edge-like surface brightness…
We present the Chandra analysis of the galaxy cluster A521 (z=0.247). The high resolution of the Chandra observation has allowed us to refine the original merging scenario proposed for A521, and to reveal new features in its X-ray emission.…
Cold fronts (CFs) are found in most galaxy clusters, as well as in some galaxies and groups of galaxies. We propose that some CFs are relics of merging between two shocks propagating in the same direction. Such shock mergers typically…
The massive, hot galaxy cluster PSZ2 G286.98+32.90 (hereafter PLCKG287, z=0.383) hosts a giant radio halo and two prominent radio relics which are signs of a disturbed dynamical state. However, despite optical and radio observations…
We present a simulated cluster of galaxies, modeled with a pre-heated intracluster medium, that exhibits X-ray features similar to the `cold fronts' seen in Chandra observations. Mock observations at a particular epoch show factor two…
Cold fronts have been observed in a large number of galaxy clusters. Understanding their nature and origin is of primary importance for the investigation of the internal dynamics of clusters. To gain insight on the nature of these features,…
Cold Fronts and shocks are hallmarks of the complex intra-cluster medium (ICM) in galaxy clusters. They are thought to occur due to gas motions within the ICM and are often attributed to galaxy mergers within the cluster. Using…
We present here \chandra observations of the rich cluster of galaxies A2256. In addition to the known cool subcluster, a new structure was resolved 2$'$ east of the peak of the main cluster. Its position is roughtly at the center of a…
The most massive baryonic component of galaxy clusters is the "intracluster medium" (ICM), a diffuse, hot, weakly magnetized plasma that is most easily observed in the X-ray band. Despite being observed for decades, the macroscopic…
Chandra has recently observed 1E0657-56, a hot merging system at z=0.3 (the ``bullet'' cluster), for 500 ks. I present some of the findings from this dataset. The cluster exhibits a prominent bow shock with M=3.0+-0.4 (one of only two known…
Chandra X-ray observations revealed the presence of cold fronts (sharp contact discontinuities between gas regions with different temperatures and densities) in the centers of many, if not most, relaxed clusters with cool cores. We use…
We present the results of deep Chandra and XMM-Newton observations of a complex merging galaxy cluster Abell 2256 (A2256) that hosts a spectacular radio relic (RR). The temperature and metallicity maps show clear evidence of a merger…
We present an analysis of a highly asymmetric cluster merger from a Chandra observation of Abell 85. The merger shows significant disruption of the less massive subcluster from ram pressure effects. Nevertheless, a cold core, coincident…
Current high resolution observations of galaxy clusters reveal a dynamical intracluster medium (ICM). The wealth of structures includes signatures of interactions between active galactic nuclei (AGN) and the ICM, such as cavities and…