Related papers: Chandra observation of the most interesting cluste…
The Chandra image of the merging, hot galaxy cluster 1E0657-56 reveals a bow shock propagating in front of a bullet-like gas cloud just exiting the disrupted cluster core. This is the first clear example of a shock front in a cluster. From…
The merging galaxy cluster 1E 0657-56, known as the "bullet cluster," is one of the hottest clusters known. The X-ray emitting plasma exhibits bow-shock-like temperature and density jumps. The segregation of this plasma from the peaks of…
Deep Chandra exposures of the hot galaxy cluster 1E0657-56 have revealed that the cluster is observed shortly after the first core-passage of a massive infalling subcluster, which is preceded by a prominent bow shock with Mach number M~3.…
Shock waves driven in the intergalactic medium during the merging of galaxy clusters have been observed in X-ray imaging and spectroscopy. Fluid motions inferred from the shock strength and morphology can be compared to the cold dark matter…
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…
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…
We present a new Chandra observation of the galaxy cluster Abell 2146 which has revealed a complex merging system with a gas structure that is remarkably similar to the Bullet cluster (eg. Markevitch et al. 2002). The X-ray image and…
We present our findings from the new deep Chandra observations ($256$ ks) of the merging galaxy cluster SPT-CL J2031-4037 at $z = 0.34$. Our observations reveal intricate structures seen in a major merger akin to the Bullet Cluster. The…
We identify the extended Einstein IPC X-ray source, 1E0657-56, with a previously unknown cluster of galaxies at a redshift of $z=0.296$. Optical CCD images show the presence of a gravitational arc in this cluster and galaxy spectra yield a…
A number of merging galaxy clusters shows the presence of shocks and cold fronts, i.e. sharp discontinuities in surface brightness and temperature. The observation of these features requires an X-ray telescope with high spatial resolution…
Chandra X-ray observations of the 1 E0657-56 galaxy cluster diffuse emission reveal the existence of large scale cluster merger shock. We study the observed radio and X-ray data of this cluster as a possible result of the diffusive shock…
The galaxy cluster pair 1E2216.0-0401 and 1E2215.7-0404 represents a major cluster merger in its early stages, a phase that has been scarcely explored in previous studies. Within this system, both axial and equatorial merger shocks have…
We present a new 400 ks Chandra X-ray observation of the merging galaxy cluster Abell 2146. This deep observation reveals detailed structure associated with the major merger event including the Mach M=2.3+/-0.2 bow shock ahead of the dense,…
Mergers between galaxy clusters are an important stage in the formation of the large-scale structure of the Universe. Some of the mergers show a spectacular bow shock that formed as a result of recent passage of a smaller cluster through a…
Massive clusters of galaxies are very rare in the observable Universe. Even rarer are mergers of such clusters observed close to pericenter passage. Here, we report on one such case: a massive (~ $10^{15}\,M_\odot$) and hot (kT ~ 10 keV)…
We present an analysis of a 50ks XMM observation of the merging galaxy cluster ClJ0152.7-1357 at z=0.83. In addition to the two main subclusters and an infalling group detected in an earlier Chandra observation of the system, XMM detects…
We present deep Chandra observations of A3411-12, a remarkable merging cluster that hosts the most compelling evidence for electron re-acceleration at cluster shocks to date. Using the $Y_X-M$ scaling relation, we find $r_{500} \sim 1.3$…
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.…
Mergers of galaxy clusters are the most energetic events in the universe, driving shock and cold fronts, generating turbulence, and accelerating particles that create radio halos and relics. The galaxy cluster CL 0217+70 is a remarkable…
We observed MS 1054-0321, the highest redshift cluster of galaxies in the Einstein Medium Sensitivity Survey (EMSS), with the Chandra ACIS-S detector. We find the X-ray temperature of the cluster to be 10.4 +1.7 -1.5 keV, lower than, but…