Strong magnetization measured in the cool cores of galaxy clusters

Ido Reiss, Uri Keshet

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

11 Scopus citations

Abstract

Tangential discontinuities, seen as x-ray edges known as cold fronts (CFs), are ubiquitous in cool-core galaxy clusters. We analyze all 17 deprojected CF thermal profiles found in the literature, including three new CFs we tentatively identify (in clusters A2204 and 2A0335). We discover small but significant thermal pressure drops below all nonmerger CFs, and argue that they arise from strong magnetic fields below and parallel to the discontinuity, carrying 10%-20% of the pressure. Such magnetization can stabilize the CFs, and explain the CF-radio minihalo connection.

Original languageEnglish
Article number071302
JournalPhysical Review Letters
Volume113
Issue number7
DOIs
StatePublished - 14 Aug 2014

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Physics and Astronomy

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