Evidence for AGN Feedback in Galaxy Clusters and Groups

The current generation of flagship X-ray missions, Chandra and XMM-Newton, has changed our understanding of the so-called “cool-core” galaxy clusters and groups. Instead of the initial idea that the thermal gas is cooling and flowing toward the center, the new picture envisages a complex dynamical e...

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Main Authors: Myriam Gitti, Fabrizio Brighenti, Brian R. McNamara
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2012-01-01
Series:Advances in Astronomy
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/950641
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author Myriam Gitti
Fabrizio Brighenti
Brian R. McNamara
author_facet Myriam Gitti
Fabrizio Brighenti
Brian R. McNamara
author_sort Myriam Gitti
collection DOAJ
description The current generation of flagship X-ray missions, Chandra and XMM-Newton, has changed our understanding of the so-called “cool-core” galaxy clusters and groups. Instead of the initial idea that the thermal gas is cooling and flowing toward the center, the new picture envisages a complex dynamical evolution of the intracluster medium (ICM) regulated by the radiative cooling and the nongravitational heating from the active galactic nucleus (AGN). Understanding the physics of the hot gas and its interplay with the relativistic plasma ejected by the AGN is key for understanding the growth and evolution of galaxies and their central black holes, the history of star formation, and the formation of large-scale structures. It has thus become clear that the feedback from the central black hole must be taken into account in any model of galaxy evolution. In this paper, we draw a qualitative picture of the current knowledge of the effects of the AGN feedback on the ICM by summarizing the recent results in this field.
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spelling doaj-art-6663d9dd16e04e42880e0a7d099ec9822025-02-03T01:11:17ZengWileyAdvances in Astronomy1687-79691687-79772012-01-01201210.1155/2012/950641950641Evidence for AGN Feedback in Galaxy Clusters and GroupsMyriam Gitti0Fabrizio Brighenti1Brian R. McNamara2INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Bologna, Via Ranzani 1, 40127 Bologna, ItalyDipartimento di Astronomia, Università di Bologna, Via Ranzani 1, 40127 Bologna, ItalyHarvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge MA 02138, USAThe current generation of flagship X-ray missions, Chandra and XMM-Newton, has changed our understanding of the so-called “cool-core” galaxy clusters and groups. Instead of the initial idea that the thermal gas is cooling and flowing toward the center, the new picture envisages a complex dynamical evolution of the intracluster medium (ICM) regulated by the radiative cooling and the nongravitational heating from the active galactic nucleus (AGN). Understanding the physics of the hot gas and its interplay with the relativistic plasma ejected by the AGN is key for understanding the growth and evolution of galaxies and their central black holes, the history of star formation, and the formation of large-scale structures. It has thus become clear that the feedback from the central black hole must be taken into account in any model of galaxy evolution. In this paper, we draw a qualitative picture of the current knowledge of the effects of the AGN feedback on the ICM by summarizing the recent results in this field.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/950641
spellingShingle Myriam Gitti
Fabrizio Brighenti
Brian R. McNamara
Evidence for AGN Feedback in Galaxy Clusters and Groups
Advances in Astronomy
title Evidence for AGN Feedback in Galaxy Clusters and Groups
title_full Evidence for AGN Feedback in Galaxy Clusters and Groups
title_fullStr Evidence for AGN Feedback in Galaxy Clusters and Groups
title_full_unstemmed Evidence for AGN Feedback in Galaxy Clusters and Groups
title_short Evidence for AGN Feedback in Galaxy Clusters and Groups
title_sort evidence for agn feedback in galaxy clusters and groups
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/950641
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AT fabriziobrighenti evidenceforagnfeedbackingalaxyclustersandgroups
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