Simulations of Buoyant Bubbles in Galaxy Clusters
Abstract
It is generally argued that most clusters of galaxies host cooling flows in which radiative cooling in the center causes a slow inflow. However, recent observations by Chandra and XMM conflict with the predicted cooling flow rates. Here we report highly resolved hydrodynamic simulations which show that buoyant bubbles can offset the cooling in the inner regions of clusters and can significantly delay the deposition of cold gas. The subsonic rise of bubbles uplifts colder material from the central regions of the cluster. This colder material appears as bright rims around the bubbles. The bubbles themselves appear as depressions in the X-ray surface brightness as observed in a growing number of clusters.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- August 2003
- DOI:
- 10.1086/375731
- arXiv:
- arXiv:astro-ph/0301352
- Bibcode:
- 2003ApJ...592..839B
- Keywords:
-
- Galaxies: Cooling Flows;
- Galaxies: Active;
- Galaxies: Clusters: General;
- X-Rays: Galaxies: Clusters;
- Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- ApJ in press. For full colour figures go to http://www.faculty.iu-bremen.de/~mbrueggen/