Studying the Evolution of Galaxy Groups and Clusters with Athena

By 2028, the cosmological parameters describing the evolution of the Universe as a whole will likely be tightly constrained, e.g., through the eROSITA and Euclid missions. Progress will have been made in understanding the gravitational assembly of structure via the study of the galaxy distribution and evolution (e.g., from Euclid and LSST). However, major astrophysical questions related to the formation and the evolution of galaxy clusters - the largest collapsed structures in which a significant fraction of galaxies is trapped - will still remain: begin{itemize}

What is the interplay of galaxy, supermassive black hole, and intergalactic gas evolution in the most massive objects in the Universe - galaxy groups and clusters?

What are the processes driving the evolution of chemical enrichment of the hot diffuse gas in large-scale structures?

How and when did the first galaxy groups in the Universe, massive enough to bind more than 10(7) K gas, form? Here, we will show how Athena, combining high sensitivity, very good spectral and spatial resolution, will lead to major breakthroughs in view of these issues.