High resolution soft X-ray spectroscopy of M 87 with the reflection grating spectrometers on XMM - Newton

I. Sakelliou, J. R. Peterson, T. Tamura, F. B.S. Paerels, J. S. Kaastra, E. Belsole, H. Böhringer, G. Branduardi-Raymont, C. Ferrigno, J. W. Den Herder, J. Kennea, R. F. Mushotzky, W. T. Vestrand, D. M. Worrall

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58 Scopus citations

Abstract

We present high-resolution X-ray spectroscopic observations of M 87 with the Reflection Grating Spectrometers on XMM-Newton. We detect strong K-shell line emission from N, O, Ne, Mg, some emission from He-like Si, a fully resolved set of Fe L-shell emission spectra, and some emission from C. The angular intensity distribution of the strong emission lines are detectably resolved on scales (15-160) inches. The gas in the inner arcmin of M 87 has a multi-phase structure, as indicated by the similarity of the emission line profiles of Fe L shell ions with widely separated ionization potentials. The global Fe L spectrum is approximately consistent with an isothermal plasma at kTe ∼ 1.8 keV, in addition to a component with a temperature distribution appropriate to an isobaric cooling flow, but with a minimum temperature cutoff of kTmin ≈ 600 eV. The behavior of this cooling-flow component is qualitatively similar to what is seen in other cooling flow clusters. Finally, we do not find any strong evidence for a spatial variation in abundances due to resonance scattering redistribution in the inner arcminute of the core.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)903-909
Number of pages7
JournalAstronomy and Astrophysics
Volume391
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 2002

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
  • Space and Planetary Science

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