XRISM Reveals Low Nonthermal Pressure in the Core of the Hot, Relaxed Galaxy Cluster A2029

Open Access
Authors
Publication date 20-03-2025
Journal Astrophysical Journal Letters
Article number L5
Volume | Issue number 982 | 1
Organisations
  • Faculty of Science (FNWI) - Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy (API)
Abstract

We present XRISM Resolve observations of the core of the hot, relaxed galaxy cluster Abell 2029 (A2029). We find that the line-of-sight bulk velocity of the intracluster medium (ICM) within the central 180 kpc is at rest with respect to the brightest cluster galaxy, with a 3σ upper limit of |vbulk| < 100 km s−1. We robustly measure the field-integrated ICM velocity dispersion to be σv = 169 ± 10 km s−1, obtaining similar results for both single-temperature and two-temperature plasma models to account for the cluster cool core. This result, if ascribed to isotropic turbulence, implies a subsonic ICM with Mach number M3D ≈ 0.22 and a nonthermal pressure fraction of 2.6 ± 0.3%. The turbulent velocity is similar to what was measured in the core of the Perseus cluster by Hitomi, but here in a more massive cluster with an ICM temperature of 7 keV, the limit on the nonthermal pressure fraction is even more stringent. Our result is consistent with expectations from simulations of relaxed clusters, but it is on the low end of the predicted distribution, indicating that A2029 is an exceptionally relaxed cluster with no significant impacts from either a recent minor merger or active galactic nucleus activity.

Document type Article
Note Publisher Copyright: © 2025. The Author(s).
Language English
Published at https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ada7cd
Other links https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105000347249
Downloads
Audard_2025_ApJL_982_L5 (Final published version)
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