Constraints on thermal conductivity in the merging cluster Abell 2146. (arXiv:2310.11491v1 [astro-ph.HE])
<a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Richard_Laferriere_A/0/1/0/all/0/1">A. Richard-Laferrière</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Russell_H/0/1/0/all/0/1">H. R. Russell</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Fabian_A/0/1/0/all/0/1">A. C. Fabian</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Chadayammuri_U/0/1/0/all/0/1">U. Chadayammuri</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Reynolds_C/0/1/0/all/0/1">C. S. Reynolds</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Canning_R/0/1/0/all/0/1">R. E. A. Canning</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Edge_A/0/1/0/all/0/1">A. C. Edge</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Hlavacek_Larrondo_J/0/1/0/all/0/1">J. Hlavacek-Larrondo</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+King_L/0/1/0/all/0/1">L. J. King</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+McNamara_B/0/1/0/all/0/1">B. R. McNamara</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Nulsen_P/0/1/0/all/0/1">P. E. J. Nulsen</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Sanders_J/0/1/0/all/0/1">J. S. Sanders</a>
The cluster of galaxies Abell 2146 is undergoing a major merger and is an
ideal cluster to study ICM physics, as it has a simple geometry with the merger
axis in the plane of the sky, its distance allows us to resolve features across
the relevant scales and its temperature lies within Chandra’s sensitivity. Gas
from the cool core of the subcluster has been partially stripped into a tail of
gas, which gives a unique opportunity to look at the survival of such gas and
determine the rate of conduction in the ICM. We use deep 2.4 Ms Chandra
observations of Abell 2146 to produce a high spatial resolution map of the
temperature structure along a plume in the ram-pressure stripped tail,
described by a partial cone, which is distinguishable from the hot ambient gas.
Previous studies of conduction in the ICM typically rely on estimates of the
survival time for key structures, such as cold fronts. Here we use detailed
hydrodynamical simulations of Abell 2146 to determine the flow velocities along
the stripped plume and measure the timescale of the temperature increase along
its length. We find that conduction must be highly suppressed by multiple
orders of magnitude compared to the Spitzer rate, as the energy used is about
1% of the energy available. We discuss magnetic draping around the core as a
possible mechanism for suppressing conduction.
The cluster of galaxies Abell 2146 is undergoing a major merger and is an
ideal cluster to study ICM physics, as it has a simple geometry with the merger
axis in the plane of the sky, its distance allows us to resolve features across
the relevant scales and its temperature lies within Chandra’s sensitivity. Gas
from the cool core of the subcluster has been partially stripped into a tail of
gas, which gives a unique opportunity to look at the survival of such gas and
determine the rate of conduction in the ICM. We use deep 2.4 Ms Chandra
observations of Abell 2146 to produce a high spatial resolution map of the
temperature structure along a plume in the ram-pressure stripped tail,
described by a partial cone, which is distinguishable from the hot ambient gas.
Previous studies of conduction in the ICM typically rely on estimates of the
survival time for key structures, such as cold fronts. Here we use detailed
hydrodynamical simulations of Abell 2146 to determine the flow velocities along
the stripped plume and measure the timescale of the temperature increase along
its length. We find that conduction must be highly suppressed by multiple
orders of magnitude compared to the Spitzer rate, as the energy used is about
1% of the energy available. We discuss magnetic draping around the core as a
possible mechanism for suppressing conduction.
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