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X-ray clusters of galaxies - Correlations with optical morphology and galaxy density

The entire sample of 37 X-ray clusters of galaxies detected by the Ariel 5 satellite at high latitudes is analyzed optically. Morphological types (for all clusters) and central galaxy densities (for all clusters with measured redshifts) are determined, and the positions, redshifts, and richness groups of the set of Southern Hemisphere X-ray clusters are estimated. The X-ray luminosity is found to be correlated with both cluster morphology and central galaxy density. The observed correlations are consistent with a thermal-bremsstrahlung model in which the hot intracluster gas density is proportional to the galaxy density, and the temperature is proportional to the galaxy velocity dispersion.

Bahcall, N. A.↗

Hot gas in clusters of galaxies

Radio and X-ray observations are discussed which seem to favor the presence of a hot intracluster gas in rich clusters of galaxies. On the assumption that the X-rays are produced by thermal bremsstrahlung, a temperature of the order of 100 million K and a density of a few thousandths per cu cm are computed for the intracluster gas. Theories on the origin and dynamics of this gas are reviewed, and the discovery of an iron line in the spectrum of the Perseus cluster is taken as strong evidence for thermal emission from a hot intracluster gas. Effects of and on the intracluster gas are considered, particularly the formation of radio-tail galaxies due to ram pressure on the galaxies in rich clusters, stripping of interstellar gas from the galaxies, and heating of the intracluster gas by the galaxies. It is concluded that the intracluster gas: (1) originated partially in primordial matter that collapsed into the clusters and partially in gas lost from the galaxies, (2) is in static or almost static equilibrium in the clusters, and (3) either is tightly bound or has an equation of state corresponding to a gamma value of less than 5/3.

Lea, S. M.↗

The metallicity of globular clusters in the halo of M87

The energy distributions of one 20th and two 21st magnitude globular clusters in the halo of the giant elliptical galaxy M87 (NGC 4486) of the Virgo cluster have been obtained between 0.32 and 1.1 microns with the multichannel spectrophotometer of the Hale 5-m telescope. Comparisons with globular clusters in M31 show line strength indices L ranging from 4 plus or minus 2 to 9.5 plus or minus 2.0, with a mean for the three clusters of 7.5 plus or minus 1.5. On average they thus have metal deficiencies relative to the sun by a factor of about 5. The distribution over abundance in the halo globular clusters of M87 is the same as that in M31, but different from that in the halo of the Galaxy.

Racine, R.↗

Clustering algorithm evaluation and the development of a replacement for procedure 1

An efficient procedure which clusters data using a completely unsupervised clustering algorithm and then uses labeled pixels to label the resulting clusters or perform a stratified estimate using the clusters as strata is developed. Three clustering algorithms, CLASSY, AMOEBA, and ISOCLS, are compared for efficiency. Three stratified estimation schemes and three labeling schemes are also considered and compared.

Lennington, R. K.↗

The structure and evolution of X-ray clusters of galaxies

The structure of clusters is described from observations at the Einstein Observatory. It was concluded that the nature of the X-ray emission is complex and varies from broad and highly clumped to smooth and centrally peaked. The clusters whose emission is clumped tend to be rich in spirals and to have X-ray temperatures in the few kilovolt range and low velocity dispersions. The smooth centrally peaked clusters are spiral poor, and have higher temperatures and larger velocity dispersions. For many of the clusters, the emission is irregular and cannot be described by the simple, spherically symmetric models for a hot isothermal or adiabatic gas. For these clusters, the low density, intracluster gas is influenced by the potential of individual bright galaxies.

Jones, C.↗

On the clustering of multidimensional pictorial data

Obvious approaches to reducing the cost (in computer resources) of applying current clustering techniques to the problem of remote sensing are discussed. The use of spatial information in finding fields and in classifying mixture pixels is examined, and the AMOEBA clustering program is described. Internally, a pattern recognition program, from without, AMOEBA appears to be an unsupervised clustering program. It is fast and automatic. No choices (such as arbitrary thresholds to set split/combine sequences) need be made. The problem of finding the number of clusters is solved automatically. At the conclusion of the program, all points in the scene are classified; however, a provision is included for a reject classification of some points which, within the theoretical framework, cannot rationally be assigned to any cluster.

Bryant, J. D.↗

On evaluating clustering procedures for use in classification

The problem of evaluating clustering algorithms and their respective computer programs for use in a preprocessing step for classification is addressed. In clustering for classification the probability of correct classification is suggested as the ultimate measure of accuracy on training data. A means of implementing this criterion and a measure of cluster purity are discussed. Examples are given. A procedure for cluster labeling that is based on cluster purity and sample size is presented.

Pore, M. D.↗

Contribution to the extragalactic X-ray background from clusters of galaxies

The contribution to the extragalactic background from clusters of galaxies in the 2-6 keV band was computed. Two different cluster luminosity functions and two different models for cluster evolution were considered and a cluster X-ray luminosity-temperature relationship of the type L alpha T sup alpha +1/2 was assumed. It is found that the overall contribution of clusters to the background is approximately 10% of the total observed X-ray extragalactic approximately 150 eV is superimposed on the observed background. This result is quite insensitive to the different set of assumptions made in the calculation.

Zolcinski, M. C. S.↗

X-ray structure of clusters of galaxies

Observations of the X-ray structure of the Virgo and Coma clusters of galaxies are described which were made with a two-dimensional imaging X-ray telescope in a series of sounding-rocket flights. It is shown that the X-ray structure of these two clusters exhibits considerable variations in surface brightness, that the central region of the Coma cluster exhibits local variations in surface brightness or clumpiness, and that the centroid of the X-ray emission from the Coma cluster is near the supergiant elliptical galaxy NGC 4874 and is a local minimum in intensity. Positive evidence is obtained for the Fe XXVII-XXIV complex of lines in the spectrum of M87 in the Virgo cluster. It is suggested that the gas in the halo of M87 is isothermal and contains an iron abundance that is uniformly close to the cosmic value.

Gorenstein, P.↗

A search for extended halos of hot gas in the Perseus, Virgo, and Coma Clusters

Observations of the Perseus cluster by the HEAO 1 satellite have revealed a faint X-ray halo extending at least 2.5 deg from the center and contributing between 5% and 20% to the total luminosity. This may be of nonthermal origin, but it also may be explained in terms of hot gas bound by the gravitational field of the cluster. Statistical uncertainties made it impossible to detect any such halo in the Coma cluster. Observations of the Virgo cluster confirmed the detection by the Ariel 5 satellite of a broad region of faint X-ray emission (core radius 60 arcmin). If the very extended X-ray emission from Virgo is due to hot intracluster gas, the density of this gas is lower than expected from a consideration of gas and galaxy densities in the Perseus cluster.

Ulmer, M. P.↗

Detection of X-ray emission from distant clusters of galaxies

The paper reports the first extensive detection of X-ray emission from clusters of galaxies at cosmological distances. The properties of these objects are similar to those observed in objects at low redshifts. The 0.5-4.5 keV luminosities are in the range of less than 1 x 10 to the 43rd to 2 x 10 to the 45th ergs/s; the core radii are on the order of 0.5 Mpc; and Bautz-Morgan type I clusters are more luminous than types II or III. The observations are consistent with models assuming an evolving cluster potential and moderately efficient galaxy formation, but do not require them when observational selection is considered. X-ray observations of the 3C 295 cluster indicate that there is sufficient intergalactic medium to cause stripping of the cluster spirals, but the colors of these galaxies imply that they have not been stripped. A possible explanation of this discrepancy is discussed.

Henry, J. P.↗

Brightness, density, and color profiles of three globular clusters - NGC 6440, 6541, and 7099

Using short-exposure SEC television camera observations, the radial distribution profiles of surface brightness, B-V colors and star densities are determined in three globular clusters, NGC 6440, 6541 and 7099, from about 2-200 arc sec from the cluster centers. Good agreement is found between the surface-brightness profiles and the star-density distributions; both can be fitted well with a King-type curve, and no significant evidence for a presence of cusp at r greater then 3 arc sec is observed. Also determined for the three clusters were central surface brightnesses, core radii, central mass densities, total cluster masses, relaxation times and central escape velocities. In addition, an upper limit of 5000 solar masses is placed on the mass of a possible central black hole in these clusters.

Williams, T. B.↗

Velocity dispersions for X-ray-emitting clusters of galaxies

Combining spectroscopy for five clusters of galaxies reported to contain X-ray sources with previously published data for 21 X-ray clusters, suggested correlations between the cluster's velocity dispersions and their X-ray properties have been tested. Unlike previous investigations, it is found that, for all reasonable data subsets, the cluster radial velocity dispersions sigma(r) are correlated with the cluster X-ray luminosities L/x/ at a confidence level exceeding 99%. The best-fit slope of the (log sigma/r/, log L/x/)-relation is somewhat larger than theoretically predicted, but accurate determination of that relation requires further X-ray and optical observations. For the 'most reliable' data subsample a correlation between sigma(r) and the X-ray source temperatures is also found but at a much lower confidence level (85%) than derived by previous investigators from smaller samples.

Hintzen, P.↗

HEAO 1 high energy X-ray observations of the Virgo cluster and A2142

Observations are reported of the Virgo cluster and Abell 2142 in the energy range of 15-150 keV, detected by using hard X-ray and low energy gamma-ray instruments on board the HEAO-1 spacecraft, during 1977 and 1978. The Virgo cluster was detected at a mean flux of (1.3 + or - 0.3) x 10 to the 0.001 photons/sq cm-s in the 20-100 keV band, and A2142 was detected marginally at a flux of (2 + or - 0.8) x 10 to the 0.001 photons/sq cm-s in the 15-40 keV band. Inverse Compton emission was not observed in these clusters. Results are used to derive limits to the intracluster magnetic field of B approximately greater than 5 x 10 to the -7th gauss and B approximately 5 x 10 to the -8th gauss in the Virgo cluster and A1242, respectively. There is some evidence for variability in these sources, which implies that the hard X-ray emission originates in a relatively compact object or region rather than from the cluster as a whole.

Lea, S. M.↗

The structure of giant elliptical galaxies in poor clusters of galaxies

Detailed photographic surface photometry is presented of the nine first brightest galaxies in poor clusters suspected of being cD galaxies. The surface photometry is put on an absolute scale, using multiaperture photoelectric photometry. Oemler (1976) and de Vaucouleurs (1948) laws are fitted to the profiles to derive structural parameters, and the structural properties of the galaxies are compared with those of the cD galaxies in rich clusters studied by Oemler (1976) and those of normal ellipticals studied by Kormendy (1977). It is found that (1) the profiles of first brightest galaxies are well fitted by an r to the 1/4 power law over a range of more than nine magnitudes and down to the faintest light levels observed and (2) structural parameters characterizing only the central part of first brightest galaxies in poor and rich clusters, and excluding the envelope component in the case of rich clusters, smoothly extend properties exhibited by normal ellipticals. These observations are consistent with the idea that the central part of first brightest galaxies in both poor and rich clusters is made up by the mergers of smaller galaxies.

Thuan, T. X.↗

Modeling the formation of ion clusters by applying classical nucleation theory

Experiments have been conducted to study the clustering of atmospheric trace gases around ion cores (Castleman and Tang, 1972; Searcy and Fenn, 1974; Castleman, 1978). The classical liquid-drop model is used to investigate this ion-induced formation mechanism. Results obtained from models of the distribution of Pb(+)-(H2O)n and H(+)-(H2O)n type clusters under various conditions are compared with experimental results. The distribution of water-ion clusters in the atmosphere as a function of altitude is calculated. In situ measurements of the water-ion cluster distributions in the upper atmosphere are then compared with present predictions. It is concluded that the classical nucleation theory can be used to predict rough estimates for ion cluster sizes under many conditions.

Yue, G. K.↗

Cluster adsorption on amorphous and crystalline surfaces - A molecular dynamics study of model Pt on Cu and model Pd on Pt

Molecular dynamics was used to study the structure, dispersion and short-time behavior of ten-atom clusters adsorbed onto amorphous and crystalline substrates, in which the cluster atoms differed from the substrate atoms. Two adatom-substrate model systems were chosen; one, in which the interaction energy between adatom pairs was greater than that between substrate pairs, and the other, in which the reverse was true. At relatively low temperature ranges, increased dispersion of cluster atoms occurred: (a) on the amorphous substrate as compared to the FCC(100) surface, (b) with increasing reduced temperature, and (c) with adatom-substrate interaction energy stronger than adatom-adatom interaction. Two-dimensional clusters (rafts) on the FCC(100) surface displayed migration of edge atoms only, indicating a mechanism for the cluster rotation and shape changes found in experimental studies.

Garofalini, S. H.↗

X-ray emission from clusters of galaxies

Some X-ray spectral observations of approximately 30 clusters of galaxies from HEAO-1 are summarized. There exists strong correlations between X-ray luminosity, L(x), and temperature kT in the form L(x)alphaT to the 2.3 power. This result combined with the L(x) central galaxy density relation and the virial theorem indicates that the core dadius of the gas should be roughly independent of L(x) or KT and that more luminous clusters have a greater fraction of their virial mass in gas. The poor correlation of KT and optical velocity dispersion seems to indicate that clusters have a variety of equations of state. There is poor agreement between X-ray imaging observations and optical and X-ray spectral measures of the polytropic index. Most clusters show Fe emission lines with a strong indication that they all have roughly 1/2 solar abundance. The evidence for cooling in the cores of several clusters is discussed based on spectral observations with the Einstein solid state spectrometer.

Mushotzky, R. F.↗