Testing Galaxy Formation Models: Characterizing Extended Hot X-ray Coronae Around Massive Spiral Galaxies
Abstract
The presence of hot gaseous coronae in the dark matter halos of massive galaxies is a basic prediction of galaxy formation models. Theoretical models predict copious X-ray emission at large radii around massive spiral galaxies. We have studied two galaxies, NGC1961 and NGC6753, that are optically luminous and massive, with moderate star formation rates, and that can be probed to sufficiently large radii. For these two galaxies we detect emission with sufficient counts to measure X-ray gas temperatures and gas abundances. Hence, for the first time, we are able to characterize the properties - X-ray luminosity, gas temperature, elemental abundance, gas density, and gas mass - of hot coronae in normal spiral galaxies.
- Publication:
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American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts #221
- Pub Date:
- January 2013
- Bibcode:
- 2013AAS...22131306B