Subsonic evolution of the radio bubbles in the nearby massive early-type galaxy NGC 4472: uplift, buoyancy, and heating
Abstract
We present results from a deep (380 ks) Chandra observation of the hot gas in the nearby massive early-type galaxy NGC 4472. X-ray cavities were previously reported coincident with the radio lobes (Biller et al. 2004). In our deeper observation, we confirm the presence of the cavities and detect rims of enhanced emission surrounding the bubbles. The temperature of the gas in these rims is less than that of the ambient medium, demonstrating that they cold, low entropy material that has been drawn up from the group center by the buoyant rise of the bubbles and not shocks from supersonic inflation of the lobes. Interestingly, the gravitational energy required to lift these lobes from the group center is a significant fraction of the bubble enthalpy. This suggests that uplift by AGN bubbles may play an important role in some cases in offsetting the radiative cooling at cluster and group centers. This uplift also provides an efficient means of transporting enriched material from the group center to large radii.
- Publication:
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American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts #229
- Pub Date:
- January 2017
- Bibcode:
- 2017AAS...22940408K