Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer Observations of Clusters of Galaxies: Virgo and M87
Abstract
We present results of a reanalysis of archival Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE) data of the central region of the Virgo Cluster. We employ the new analysis method developed by Bowyer, Berghöfer, & Korpela and find diffuse emission reaching out to a distance of ~13'. The spatial distribution of this flux is incompatible with a thermal plasma origin. We investigate whether this emission is due to inverse Compton scattering of relativistic electrons against the 3 K blackbody background. We show that this emission cannot be produced by an extrapolation to lower energies of the observed synchrotron radio-emitting electrons, and an additional component of low-energy relativistic electrons is required. In addition to discussing the diffuse EUV emission, we present an analysis of the EUV emission originating from the jet in M87.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- June 2000
- DOI:
- 10.1086/308870
- Bibcode:
- 2000ApJ...535..615B
- Keywords:
-
- galaxies: clusters: individual (Virgo);
- Galaxies: Intergalactic Medium;
- Ultraviolet: Galaxies