X-ray Abundance and Temperature Structure of Nearby Ellipticals: First Results from a Complete Sample Observed by Chandra and XMM-Newton
Abstract
We present initial results from a representative, statistically complete sample of 26 nearby ellipticals observed with XMM-Newton and Chandra. We examine the gas properties of these systems, focusing on global metal abundances and the temperature and abundance structure of the gas. By limiting the sample to moderate luminosity, non-group or cluster dominant ellipticals, we hoped to avoid biasing our results. Data were gathered from various sources, including our own analysis and the literature. For a subset of the sample, we present radial spectral profiles. Temperature and abundance profiles of well studied systems were investigated to determine how features of the profiles corresponded to the structural and environmental aspects of the systems. This understanding was then applied to poorly known systems to draw conclusions about their properties. In the temperature profiles, we find correlations between central rises and recent AGN activity and between outer rises and surrounding hot ambient gas. In the abundance profiles, which are less well understood, we find that a central dip in the profile seems to correspond with evidence of AGN outbursts. Comparing global abundances to optical and luminosity properties, we find no correlation between these properties even for our gas poor systems. On the other hand, we also found excellent correlation between X-ray and optical abundances. These results imply that the abundances of our galaxies are primarily supplied by internal sources and very little dilution or stripping of the abundance has occurred in our systems. This work is supported in part by the NSF REU and DOD ASSURE programs under NSF grant no. 0754568 and by the Smithsonian Institution.
- Publication:
-
American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts #213
- Pub Date:
- January 2009
- Bibcode:
- 2009AAS...21341811N