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Register a new userChemical evolution of the intra-cluster medium
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The high metallicity of the intra-cluster medium (ICM) is generally interpreted on the base of the galactic wind scenario for elliptical galaxies. In this framework, we develop a toy-model to follow the chemical evolution of the ICM, formulated in analogy to chemical models for individual galaxies. The model computes the galaxy formation history (GFH) of cluster galaxies, connecting the final luminosity function (LF) to the corresponding metal enrichment history of the ICM. The observed LF can be reproduced with a smooth, Madau-plot like GFH peaking at z~ 1-2, plus a burst of formation of dwarf galaxies at high redshift. The model is used to test the response of the predicted metal content and abundance evolution of the ICM to varying input galactic models. The chemical enrichment is computed from galactic yields based on models of elliptical galaxies with a variable initial mass function (IMF), favouring the formation of massive stars at high redshift and/or in more massive galaxies. For a given final galactic luminosity, these model ellipticals eject into the ICM a larger quantity of gas and of metals than do standard models based on the Salpeter IMF. However, a scenario in which the IMF varies with redshift as a consequence of the effect of the the cosmic background temperature on the Jeans mass scale, appears to be too mild to account for the observed metal production in clusters. The high iron-mass-to-luminosity-ratio of the ICM can be reproduced only by assuming a more dramatic variation of the typical stellar mass, in line with other recent findings. The mass in the wind-ejected gas is predicted to exceed the mass in galaxies by a factor of 1.5-2 and to constitute roughly half of the intra-cluster gas.
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We compute the chemical and thermal history of the intra-cluster medium in rich and poor clusters under the assumption that supernovae (I, II) are the major responsible both for the chemical enrichment and the heating of the intra-cluster gas. We assume that only ellipticals and S0 galaxies contribute to the enrichment and heating of the intra-cluster gas through supernova driven winds and explore several prescriptions for describing the feed-back between supernovae and the interstellar medium in galaxies. We integrate then the chemical and energetical contributions from single cluster galaxies over the cluster luminosity function and derive the variations of these quantities as functions of the cosmic time. We reach the following conclusions: i) while type II supernovae dominates the chemical enrichment and energetics inside the galaxies, type Ia supernovae play a predominant role in the intra-cluster medium, ii) galaxy models, which reproduce the observed chemical abundances and abundance ratios in the intra-cluster medium, predict a maximum of 0.3-0.4 keV per particle of energy input, a result obtained by assuming that type Ia supernovae contribute 100% of their initial blast wave energy whereas type II supernovae contribute only by a few percents of their initial energy.
Aims. We aim to provide constraints on evolutionary scenarios in clusters. One of our main goals is to understand whether, as claimed by some, the cool core/non-cool core division is established once and for all during the early history of a cluster. Methods. We employ a sample of about 60 objects to classify clusters according to different properties: we characterize cluster cores in terms of their thermo-dynamic and chemical properties and clusters as a whole in terms of their dynamical properties. Results. We find that: I) the vast majority of merging systems feature high entropy cores (HEC); II) objects with lower entropy cores feature more pronounced metallicity peaks than objects with higher entropy cores. We identify a small number of medium (MEC) and high (HEC) entropy core systems which, unlike most other such objects, feature a large central metallicity. The majority of these outliers are mergers, i.e. systems far from their equilibrium configuration. Conclusions. We surmise that medium (MEC) and high (HEC) entropy core systems with a large central metallicity recently evolved from low entropy core (LEC) clusters that have experienced a heating event associated to AGN or merger activity.
The Intra-Cluster Medium (ICM) is a rarefied, hot, highly ionized, metal rich, weakly magnetized plasma. In these proceeding, after having reviewed some basic ICM properties, I discuss recent results obtained with the BeppoSAX, XMM-Newton and Chandra satellites. These results are summarized in the following five points. 1) Currently available hard X-ray data does not allow us to constrain B fields in radio halos, the advent of hard X-ray telescopes in a few years may change the situation substantially. 2) There is mounting evidence that temperature profiles of clusters at large radii decline; however investigation of the outermost regions will have to await a new generation of yet unplanned but technologically feasible experiments. 3) The ICM is polluted with metals, the enrichment has probably occurred early on in the clusters life. The abundance excess observed at the center of CC clusters is due to the giant elliptical always found in these systems. 4) Chandra and XMM-Newton observations of relaxed clusters have falsified the previously accepted cooling flow model, heating mechanisms that may offset the cooling are actively being sought. 5) The superb angular resolution of Chandra is allowing us to trace a previously unknown phenomenon intimately related to the formation of galaxy clusters and of their cores.
We have performed a series of N-body/hydrodynamical (TreeSPH) simulations of clusters and groups of galaxies, selected from cosmological N-body simulations within a $Lambda$CDM framework: these objects have been re-simulated at higher resolution to $z$=0, in order to follow also the dynamical, thermal and chemical input on to the ICM from stellar populations within galaxies. The simulations include metal dependent radiative cooling, star formation according to different IMFs, energy feedback as strong starburst-driven galactic super-winds, chemical evolution with non-instantaneous recycling of gas and heavy elements, effects of a meta-galactic UV field and thermal conduction in the ICM. In this Paper I of a series of three, we derive results, mainly at $z=0$, on the temperature and entropy profiles of the ICM, its X-ray luminosity, the cluster cold components (cold fraction as well as mass--to--light ratio) and the metal distribution between ICM and stars. In general, models with efficient super-winds, along with a top-heavy stellar IMF, are able to reproduce fairly well the observed $L_X-T$ relation, the entropy profiles and the cold fraction. Observed radial ICM temperature profiles can be matched, except for the gradual decline in temperature inside of $rsim$~0.1$R_{rm{vir}}$. Metal enrichment of the ICM gives rise to somewhat steep inner iron gradients; yet, the global level of enrichment compares well to observational estimates after correcting for the stars formed at late times at the base of the cooling flows; also the metal partition between stars and ICM gets into good agreement with observations.
We present a comparison between simulation results and X-ray observational data on the evolution of the metallicity of the intra-cluster medium (ICM). The simulations of galaxy clusters were performed with the Tree-SPH Gadget2 code that includes a detailed model of chemical evolution, by assuming three different shapes for the stellar initial mass function (IMF), namely the Salpeter (1955), Kroupa (2001) and Arimoto-Yoshii (1987) IMF. Our simulations predict significant radial gradients of the Iron abundance, which extend over the whole cluster virialized region. At larger radii, we do not detect any flattening of the metallicity profiles. As for the evolution of the ICM metal (Iron) abundance out to z=1, we find that it is determined by the combined action of (i) the sinking of already enriched gas, (ii) the ongoing metal production in galaxies and (iii) the locking of ICM metals in newborn stars. As a result, rather than suppressing the metallicity evolution, stopping star formation at z=1 has the effect of producing an even too fast evolution of the emission-weighted ICM metallicity with too high values at low redshift. Finally, we compare simulations with the observed rate of type-Ia supernovae per unit B-band luminosity (SnU_B). We find that our simulated clusters do not reproduce the decreasing trend of SnU_B at low redshift, unless star formation is truncated at z=1.
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