Steady state cooling flow models for normal elliptical galaxies

Abstract

An extensive grid of steady state cooling flow models for the hot gas in elliptical galaxies is calculated. The effects of allowing inflow of surrounding gas and varying the supernova heating rate, the mass distribution of the galaxy, the rate of stellar mass loss, and the outer boundary pressure are studied. The X-ray luminosities, spectra, and surface brightness profiles of the galaxies are computed. In all of the models, the gas density varies approximately as r exp -3/2. In the models with heavy halos, the X-ray and optical surface brightnesses are nearly proportional to one another within individual galaxies, and the temperature profiles are roughly isothermal.