Hitomi observations of the Perseus Cluster / Constant metallicity in the outskirts of galaxy clusters

X-ray observations with the Suzaku satellite reveal a remarkably homogeneous distribution of iron out to the virial radii of nearby galaxy clusters. Observations of the Virgo Cluster, that also allow us to measure the abundances of Si, S, and Mg out to the outskirts, show that the chemical composition of the intra-cluster medium is constant on large scales. These observations require that most of the metal enrichment and mixing of the intergalactic medium occurred before clusters formed, probably more than ten billion years ago, during the period of maximal star formation and black hole activity. We estimate the ratio between the number of SN Ia and the total number of supernovae enriching the intergalactic medium to be between 15-20%, generally consistent with the metal abundance patterns in our own Galaxy.