A Filament between Galaxy Clusters A3391 and A3395
Abstract
Filamentary gas spanning the region between the galaxy clusters Abell 3391 and Abell 3395 has been detected using ASCA and ROSAT archived data. The gas has a minimum flux of 1.3×10-12 ergs cm-2 s-1 (0.8-10 keV). Within this filament resides a galaxy group for which a flux of (2.0+/-0.3)×10-13 ergs cm-2 s-1 (0.8-10 keV) is determined. An analysis using ray-tracing determines light scattered into the filamentary region contributes 13% of the count rate. The structure in which the filamentary gas resides is postulated to be a filament aligned nearly lengthwise with the line of sight. Identification of this structure as a filament is based on the angular and redshift distribution of surrounding galaxies and clusters. The distribution is compatible with the structure being a quasi-linear structure tilted to the line of sight such that the ratio of the depth to the tangential distance is between 6:1 and 18:1. The filamentary gas contains on the order of 1013 Msolar of gas, which is close to 2% of the total mass of the system.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- December 2001
- DOI:
- 10.1086/323955
- Bibcode:
- 2001ApJ...563..673T
- Keywords:
-
- Galaxies: Clusters: Individual: Alphanumeric: A3391;
- Galaxies: Clusters: Individual: Alphanumeric: A3395;
- Cosmology: Large-Scale Structure of Universe;
- X-Rays: Diffuse Background;
- X-Rays: Galaxies: Clusters