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Precessing AGN jets, bubbles and cooling flows

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 June 2011

D. Falceta-Gonçalves
Affiliation:
Escola de Artes, Ciências e Humanidades, Universidade de São Paulo - Rua Arlindo Bettio 1000, CEP: 03828-000, São Paulo, Brazil Núcleo de Astrofísica Teórica, Universidade Cruzeiro do Sul - Rua Galvão Bueno 868, CEP 01506-000, São Paulo, Brazil
A. Caproni
Affiliation:
Núcleo de Astrofísica Teórica, Universidade Cruzeiro do Sul - Rua Galvão Bueno 868, CEP 01506-000, São Paulo, Brazil
Z. Abraham
Affiliation:
Instituto de Astronomia, Geofísica e Ciências Atmosféricas, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua do Matão 1226, CEP 05508-900, São Paulo, Brazil
E. M. de Gouveia Dal Pino
Affiliation:
Instituto de Astronomia, Geofísica e Ciências Atmosféricas, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua do Matão 1226, CEP 05508-900, São Paulo, Brazil
D. M. Teixeira
Affiliation:
Instituto de Astronomia, Geofísica e Ciências Atmosféricas, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua do Matão 1226, CEP 05508-900, São Paulo, Brazil
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Abstract

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Several galaxy clusters are known to present multiple and misaligned pairs of cavities seen in X-rays, as well as twisted kiloparsec-scale jets at radio wavelengths. It suggests that the AGN precessing jets play a role in the formation of the misaligned bubbles. Also, X-ray spectra reveal that typically these systems are also able to supress cooling flows, predicted theoretically. The absence of cooling flows in galaxy clusters has been a mistery for many years since numerical simulations and analytical studies suggest that AGN jets are highly energetic, but are unable to redistribute it at all directions. We performed 3D hydrodynamical simulations of the interaction between a precessing AGN jet and the warm intracluster medium plasma, in which dynamics is coupled to a NFW dark matter gravitational potential. Radiative cooling has been taken into account and the cooling flow problem was studied. We found that precession is responsible for multiple pairs of bubbles, as observed. The misaligned bubbles rise up to scales of tens of kiloparsecs, where the thermal energy released by the jets are redistributed. After ~150 Myrs, the temperature of the gas within the cavities is kept of order of ~107 K, while the denser plasma of the intracluster medium at the central regions reaches T ~ 105 K. The existence of multiple bubbles, at diferent directions, results in an integrated temperature along the line of sight much larger than the simulations of non-precessing jets. This result is in agreement with the observations. The simulations reveal that the cooling flows cessed ~50–70 Myr after the AGN jets are started.

Type
Addendum
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2011

References

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