Cool gas in brightest cluster galaxies
Abstract
This thesis deals with the cool gas, i.e. less than 10000 degrees Kelvin, at the centres of relaxed, rich galaxy clusters. We find that a significant amount of this gas exists within a 50 kiloparsec nebula centered on the Brightest Cluster Galaxy. The cool gas is locked up in long, thin filaments and exists in three phases, i.e. ionised, atomic and molecular, that share the same extent and dynamics. The bright line emission of this gas implies rapid cooling. However, the inferred cooling rates are not in line with observations and therefore this gas requires continues reheating. The total reheating necessary rivals that of the hot X-ray emitting phase. Several sources of reheating are investigated with heating by X-rays or Cosmic rays being the most promising candidates
- Publication:
-
Ph.D. Thesis
- Pub Date:
- November 2011
- Bibcode:
- 2011PhDT.........4O
- Keywords:
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- Cooling Flows;
- Galaxy Clusters;
- Infrared ISM;
- Ultraviolet ISM