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The detection of blueshifted absorption lines likely associated with ionized iron K-shell transitions in the X-ray spectra of many active galactic nuclei (AGNs) suggests the presence of a highly ionized gas outflowing with mildly relativistic velocities (0.03c–0.6c) named ultra-fast outflow (UFO). Within the SUBWAYS project, we characterized these winds starting from a sample of 22 radio-quiet quasars at an intermediate redshift (0.1 ≤ z ≤ 0.4) and compared the results with similar studies in the literature on samples of local Seyfert galaxies (i.e., 42 radio-quiet AGNs observed with XMM-Newton at z ≤ 0.1) and high redshift radio-quiet quasars (i.e., 14 AGNs observed with XMM-Newton and Chandra at z ≥ 1.4). The scope of our work is a statistical study of UFO parameters and incidence considering the key physical properties of the sources, such as supermassive black hole (SMBH) mass, bolometric luminosity, accretion rates, and spectral energy distribution (SED) with the aim of gaining new insights into the UFO launching mechanisms. We find indications that highly luminous AGNs with a steeper X-ray/UV ratio, αox, are more likely to host UFOs. The presence of UFOs is not significantly related to any other AGN property in our sample. These findings suggest that the UFO phenomenon may be transient. Focusing on AGNs with UFOs, other important findings from this work include: (1) faster UFOs have larger ionization parameters and column densities; (2) X-ray radiation plays a more crucial role in driving highly ionized winds compared to UV; (3) the correlation between outflow velocity and luminosity is significantly flatter than what is expected for radiatively driven winds; (4) more massive black holes experience higher wind mass losses, suppressing the accretion of matter onto the black hole; (5) the UFO launching radius is positively correlated with the Eddington ratio. Furthermore, our analysis suggests the involvement of multiple launching mechanisms, including radiation pressure and magneto-hydrodynamic processes, rather than pointing to a single, universally applicable mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intra-cluster medium is prone to turbulent motion that will contribute to the non-thermal heating of the gas, complicating the use of galaxy clusters as cosmological probes. Indirect approaches can estimate the intensity and structure of turbulent motions by studying the associated fluctuations in gas density and X-ray surface brightness. In this work, we aim to constrain the gas density fluctuations occurring in the CHEX-MATE sample to obtain a detailed view of their properties in a large population of clusters. To do so, we use a simulation-based approach to constrain the parameters of the power spectrum of density fluctuations, assuming a Kolmogorov-like spectrum and including the stochastic nature of the fluctuation-related observables in the error budget. Using a machine-learning approach, we learn an approximate likelihood for each cluster. This method requires clusters not to be too disturbed, as fluctuations can originate from dynamic processes such as merging. Accordingly, we removed the less relaxed clusters (centroid shift w > 0.02) from our sample, resulting in a sample of 64 clusters. We defined different subsets of CHEX-MATE to determine properties of density fluctuations as a function of dynamical state, mass, and redshift, and we investigated the correlation with the presence or not of a radio halo. We found a positive correlation between the dynamical state and density fluctuation variance, a non-trivial behaviour with mass, and no specific trend with redshift or the presence of a radio halo. The injection scale is mostly constrained by the core region. The slope in the inertial range is consistent with the Kolmogorov theory. When interpreted as originating from turbulent motion, the density fluctuations in R500 yield an average Mach number of ℳ3D ≃ 0.4 ± 0.2, an associated non-thermal pressure support of Pturb/Ptot ≃ (9 ± 6)%, or a hydrostatic mass bias bturb ≃ 0.09 ± 0.06. These findings align with expectations from existing literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Galaxy clusters grow through the accretion of mass over cosmic time. Their observed properties are then shaped by how baryons distribute and energy is diffused. Thus, a better understanding of spatially resolved, projected thermodynamic properties of the intra-cluster medium (ICM) may provide a more consistent picture of how mass and energy act locally in shaping the X-ray observed quantities of these massive virialized or still collapsing structures. Aims. We study the perturbations in the temperature (and density) distribution to evaluate and characterize the level of inhomogeneities and the related dynamical state of the ICM. Methods. We obtain and analyze the temperature and density distribution for 28 clusters (2.4 × 1014 M⊙ < M500 < 1.2 × 1015 M⊙; 0.07 < z < 0.45) selected from the CHEX-MATE sample. We use these spatially resolved two-dimensional distributions to measure the global and radial scatter and identify the regions that deviate the most from the average distribution. During this process, we introduce three dynamical state estimators and produce "clean" temperature profiles after removing the most deviant regions. Results. We find that the temperature distribution of most of the clusters is skewed towards high temperatures and is well described by a log-normal function. There is no indication that the number of regions deviating more than 1σ from the azimuthal value is correlated with the dynamical state inferred from morphological estimators. The removal of these regions leads to local temperature variations up to 10–20% and an average increase of ∼5% in the overall cluster temperatures. The measured relative intrinsic scatter within R500, σT, int/T, has values of 0.17−0.05+0.08, and is almost independent of the cluster mass and dynamical state. Comparing the scatter of temperature and density profiles to hydrodynamic simulations, we constrain the average Mach number regime of the sample to Ṁ3D = 0.36−0.09+0.16. We infer the ratio between the energy in turbulence and the thermal energy, and translate this ratio in terms of a predicted hydrostatic mass bias b, estimating an average value of b ∼ 0.11 (covering a range between 0 and 0.37) within R500. Conclusions. This study provides detailed temperature fluctuation measurements for 28 CHEX-MATE clusters which can be used to study turbulence, derive the mass bias, and make predictions on the scaling relation properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Changing-look active galactic nuclei (AGN) have been observed to change their optical spectral type. Mrk 1018 is particularly unique: first classified as a type 1.9 Seyfert galaxy, it transitioned to being a type 1 Seyfert galaxy a few years later before returning to its initial classification as a type 1.9 Seyfert galaxy after ∼30 years. Aims. We present the results of a high-cadence optical monitoring programme that caught a major outburst in 2020. Due to sunblock, only the decline could be observed for ∼200 days. We studied X-ray, UV, optical, and infrared data before and after the outburst to investigate the responses of the AGN structures. Methods. We derived a u′-band light curve of the AGN contribution alone. The flux increased by a factor of ∼13. We confirmed this in other optical bands and determined the shape and speed of the decline in each waveband. The shapes of Hβ and Hα were analysed before and after the event. Two XMM-Newton observations (X-ray and UV) from before and after the outburst were also exploited. Results. The outburst is asymmetric, with a swifter rise than decline. The decline is best fit by a linear function, ruling out a tidal disruption event. The optical spectrum shows no change approximately eight months before and 17 months after. The UV flux is increased slightly after the outburst but the X-ray primary flux is unchanged. However, the 6.4 keV iron line has doubled in strength. Infrared data taken 13 days after the observed optical peak already show an increased emission level as well. Conclusions. Calculating the distance of the broad-line region and inner edge of the torus from the supermassive black hole can explain the multi-wavelength response to the outburst, in particular: i) the unchanged Hβ and Hα lines, ii) the unchanged primary X-ray spectral components, iii) the rapid and extended infrared response, as well as iv) the enhanced emission of the reflected 6.4 keV line. The outburst was due to a dramatic and short-lasting change in the intrinsic accretion rate. We discuss different models as potential causes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Galaxies often contain large reservoirs of molecular gas that shape their evolution. This can be through cooling of the gas – which leads to star formation, or accretion on to the central supermassive black hole – which fuels active galactic nucleus (AGN) activity and produces powerful feedback. Molecular gas has been detected in early-type galaxies on scales of just a few tens to hundreds of solar masses by searching for absorption against their compact radio cores. Using this technique, ALMA has found absorption in several brightest cluster galaxies, some of which show molecular gas moving towards their galaxy's core at hundreds of km s−1. In this paper, we constrain the location of this absorbing gas by comparing each galaxy's molecular emission and absorption. In four galaxies, the absorption properties are consistent with chance alignments between the continuum and a fraction of the molecular clouds visible in emission. In four others, the properties of the absorption are inconsistent with this scenario. In these systems, the absorption is likely produced by a separate population of molecular clouds in close proximity to the galaxy core and with high inward velocities and velocity dispersions. We thus deduce the existence of two types of absorber, caused by chance alignments between the radio core and: (i) a fraction of the molecular clouds visible in emission, and (ii) molecular clouds close to the AGN, in the process of accretion. We also present the first ALMA observations of molecular emission in S555, Abell 2390, RXC J1350.3+0940, and RXC J1603.6+1553 – with the latter three having |$M_{\rm {mol}} \gt 10^{10}\, \rm {M}_{\odot }$|⁠. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the cold and warm gas content, kinematics, and spatial distribution of six local massive elliptical galaxies to probe the origin of the multiphase gas in their atmospheres. We report new observations, including Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy [C ii ], Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array CO, Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) H α +[N ii ], and Very Large Array (VLA) radio observations. These are complemented by a large suite of multiwavelength archival data sets, including thermodynamical properties of the hot gas and radio jets, which are leveraged to investigate the role of active galactic nucleus (AGN) feeding/feedback in regulating the multiphase gas content. Our galactic sample shows a significant diversity in cool gas content, spanning filamentary and rotating structures. In our noncentral galaxies, the distribution of such gas is often concentrated, at variance with the more extended features observed in central galaxies. Misalignment between the multiphase gas and stars suggest that stellar mass loss is not the primary driver. A fraction of the cool gas might be acquired via galaxy interactions, but we do not find quantitative evidence of mergers in most of our systems. Instead, key evidence supports the origin via condensation out of the diffuse halo. Comparing with chaotic cold accretion (CCA) simulations, we find that our cool gas-free galaxies are likely in the overheated phase of the self-regulated AGN cycle, while for our galaxies with cool gas, the k-plot and AGN power correlation corroborate the phase of CCA feeding in which the condensation rain is triggering more vigorous AGN heating. The related C-ratio further shows that central/noncentral galaxies are expected to generate an extended/inner rain, consistent with our sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the kinematic properties of a large (N = 998) sample of COSMOS spectroscopic galaxy members distributed among 79 groups. We identify the Brightest Group Galaxies (BGGs) and cross-match our data with the VLA-COSMOS Deep survey at 1.4 GHz, classifying our parent sample into radio/non-radio BGGs and radio/non-radio satellites. The radio luminosity distribution spans from |$L_R\sim 2\times 10^{21}$| W Hz |$^{-1}$| to |$L_R\sim 3\times 10^{25}$| W Hz |$^{-1}$|⁠. A phase–space analysis, performed by comparing the velocity ratio (line-of-sight velocity divided by the group velocity dispersion) with the galaxy-group centre offset, reveals that BGGs (radio and non-radio) are mostly (⁠|$\sim$| 80 per cent) ancient infallers. Furthermore, the strongest (⁠|$L_R\gt 10^{23}$| W Hz |$^{-1}$|⁠) radio galaxies are always found within 0.2 |$R_{\rm vir}$| from the group centre. Comparing our samples with HORIZON-AGN, we find that the velocities and offsets of simulated galaxies are more similar to radio BGGs than to non-radio BGGs, albeit statistical tests still highlight significant differences between simulated and real objects. We find that radio BGGs are more likely to be hosted in high-mass groups. Finally, we observe correlations between the powers of BGG radio galaxies and the X-ray temperatures, |$T_{\rm x}$|⁠ , and X-ray luminosities, |$L_{\rm x}$|⁠ , of the host groups. This supports the existence of a link between the intragroup medium and the central radio source. The occurrence of powerful radio galaxies at group centres can be explained by Chaotic Cold Accretion, as the AGN can feed from both the galactic and intragroup condensation, leading to the observed positive |$L_{\rm R}-T_{\rm x}$| correlation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

X-ray emitting atmospheres of non-rotating early-type galaxies and their connection to central active galactic nuclei have been thoroughly studied over the years. However, in systems with significant angular momentum, processes of heating and cooling are likely to proceed differently. We present an analysis of the hot atmospheres of six lenticulars and a spiral galaxy to study the effects of angular momentum on the hot gas properties. We find an alignment between the hot gas and the stellar distribution, with the ellipticity of the X-ray emission generally lower than that of the optical stellar emission, consistent with theoretical predictions for rotationally supported hot atmospheres. The entropy profiles of NGC 4382 and the massive spiral galaxy NGC 1961 are significantly shallower than the entropy distribution in other galaxies, suggesting the presence of strong heating (via outflows or compressional) in the central regions of these systems. Finally, we investigate the thermal (in)stability of the hot atmospheres via criteria such as the TI- and C -ratio, and discuss the possibility that the discs of cold gas present in these objects have condensed out of the hot atmospheres. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris is a sporulating, acidophilic bacterial species which spoils acidic beverages such as fruit juices. This work aims to quantify the heat resistance of A. acidoterrestris spores and their recovery potential as a function of heating and recovery media pH. Methods and Results: The heat treatments were carried out with the strain of A. acidoterrestris Ad 746 in Bacillus acidoterrestris thermophilic medium. The pH of the heating medium from pH 7 to pH 2 nonsignificantly reduced the heat resistance. However, the pH levels of the recovery media strongly affected the apparent heat resistance of this strain. The maximum heat resistance was found when the pH was 4·70 and decreased when the pH decreased to pH 2·8, close to the minimum growth pH and when the recovery medium pH increased to pH 5·3. Conclusion: The heating medium pH has a slight effect on the spore heat resistances of this acidophilic species. However, the pH of the recovery media strongly affected the apparent heat resistance of this strain. Significance and Impact of the Study: The obtained parameters quantifying the heat resistance of A. acidoterrestris spores are tools to optimize the heat treatments and to control its development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Turbulence in the intracluster, intragroup, and circumgalactic medium plays a crucial role in the self-regulated feeding and feedback loop of central supermassive black holes. We dissect the 3D turbulent 'weather' in a high-resolution Eulerian simulation of active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback, shown to be consistent with multiple multiwavelength observables of massive galaxies. We carry out post-processing simulations of Lagrangian tracers to track the evolution of enstrophy, a proxy of turbulence, and its related sinks and sources. This allows us to isolate in depth the physical processes that determine the evolution of turbulence during the recurring strong and weak AGN feedback events, which repeat self-similarly over the Gyr evolution. We find that the evolution of enstrophy/turbulence in the gaseous halo is highly dynamic and variable over small temporal and spatial scales, similar to the chaotic weather processes on Earth. We observe major correlations between the enstrophy amplification and recurrent AGN activity, especially via its kinetic power. While advective and baroclinc motions are always subdominant, stretching motions are the key sources of the amplification of enstrophy, in particular along the jet/cocoon, while rarefactions decrease it throughout the bulk of the volume. This natural self-regulation is able to preserve, as ensemble, the typically observed subsonic turbulence during cosmic time, superposed by recurrent spikes via impulsive anisotropic AGN features (wide outflows, bubbles, cocoon shocks). This study facilitates the preparation and interpretation of the thermo-kinematical observations enabled by new revolutionary X-ray integral field unit telescopes, such as XRISM and Athena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical enrichment of the Universe at all scales is related to stellar winds and explosive supernovae phenomena. Metals produced by stars and later spread throughout the intracluster medium (ICM) at the megaparsec scale become a fossil record of the chemical enrichment of the Universe and of the dynamical and feedback mechanisms determining their circulation. As demonstrated by the results of the soft X-ray spectrometer onboard Hitomi, high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy is the path to differentiating among the models that consider different metal-production mechanisms, predict the outcoming yields, and are a function of the nature, mass, and/or initial metallicity of their stellar progenitor. Transformational results shall be achieved through improvements in the energy resolution and effective area of X-ray observatories, allowing them to detect rarer metals (e.g. Na, Al) and constrain yet-uncertain abundances (e.g. C, Ne, Ca, Ni). The X-ray Integral Field Unit (X-IFU) instrument onboard the next-generation European X-ray observatory Athena is expected to deliver such breakthroughs. Starting from 100 ks of synthetic observations of 12 abundance ratios in the ICM of four simulated clusters, we demonstrate that the X-IFU will be capable of recovering the input chemical enrichment models at both low (z = 0.1) and high (z = 1) redshifts, while statistically excluding more than 99.5% of all the other tested combinations of models. By fixing the enrichment models which provide the best fit to the simulated data, we also show that the X-IFU will constrain the slope of the stellar initial mass function within ∼12%. These constraints will be key ingredients in our understanding of the chemical enrichment of the Universe and its evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present Atacama Large Millimetre/submillimetre Array observations of the brightest cluster galaxy Hydra-A, a nearby (z = 0.054) giant elliptical galaxy with powerful and extended radio jets. The observations reveal CO(1−0), CO(2–1), 13CO(2–1), CN(2–1), SiO(5–4), HCO+(1–0), HCO+(2–1), HCN(1–0), HCN(2–1), HNC(1–0), and H2CO(3–2) absorption lines against the galaxy's bright and compact active galactic nucleus. These absorption features are due to at least 12 individual molecular clouds that lie close to the centre of the galaxy and have velocities of approximately −50 to +10 km s−1 relative to its recession velocity, where positive values correspond to inward motion. The absorption profiles are evidence of a clumpy interstellar medium within brightest cluster galaxies composed of clouds with similar column densities, velocity dispersions, and excitation temperatures to those found at radii of several kpc in the Milky Way. We also show potential variation in a ∼10 km s−1 wide section of the absorption profile over a 2 yr time-scale, most likely caused by relativistic motions in the hot spots of the continuum source that change the background illumination of the absorbing clouds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To advance our understanding of the fuelling and feedback processes which power the Universe's most massive black holes, we require a significant increase in our knowledge of the molecular gas which exists in their immediate surroundings. However, the behaviour of this gas is poorly understood due to the difficulties associated with observing it directly. We report on a survey of 18 brightest cluster galaxies lying in cool cores, from which we detect molecular gas in the core regions of eight via carbon monoxide (CO), cyanide (CN) and silicon monoxide (SiO) absorption lines. These absorption lines are produced by cold molecular gas clouds which lie along the line of sight to the bright continuum sources at the galaxy centres. As such, they can be used to determine many properties of the molecular gas which may go on to fuel supermassive black hole accretion and AGN feedback mechanisms. The absorption regions detected have velocities ranging from −45 to 283 km s−1 relative to the systemic velocity of the galaxy, and have a bias for motion towards the host supermassive black hole. We find that the CN N = 0 − 1 absorption lines are typically 10 times stronger than those of CO J  = 0 − 1. This is due to the higher electric dipole moment of the CN molecule, which enhances its absorption strength. In terms of molecular number density CO remains the more prevalent molecule with a ratio of CO/CN ∼10, similar to that of nearby galaxies. Comparison of CO, CN, and H  i observations for these systems shows many different combinations of these absorption lines being detected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. The study of the brightest cluster galaxy (BCG) coronae embedded in noncool core (NCC) galaxy clusters is crucial to understand the BCG's role in galaxy cluster evolution as well as the activation of the self-regulated cooling and heating mechanism in the central regions of galaxy clusters. Aims. We explore the X-ray properties of the intracluster medium (ICM) of the NCC galaxy cluster MKW 08 and the BCG corona, along with their interface region. With recent and deep archival Chandra observations, we study the BCG corona in detail, and with archival XMM-Newton observations, we investigate the implications of the central active galactic nuclei (AGN) on the BCG. Methods. We carry out imaging and spectral analyses of MKW 08 with archival XMM-Newton and Chandra X-ray observations. Results. Our spectral analysis suggests the presence of a central AGN by a power-law with a photon index of Γ ≃ 1.8 at the core of its BCG. Although the ICM does not exhibit a cluster scale cool core, the BCG manifests itself as a mini cool core characterized by a cooling time as short as 64 Myr at r = 3 kpc centered at the galaxy. The isothermality of the BCG corona seems to favor mechanical feedback from the central AGN as the major source of gas heating. The gas pressure profile of this mini cool core suggests that the BCG coronal gas reaches pressure equilibrium with the hotter and less dense ICM inside an interface of nearly constant pressure, delimited by radii 4 ≤ r ≤ 10 kpc at the galactic center. As revealed by the presence of a metal enriched tail (Z ≃ 0.5–0.9 Z⊙) extending up to 40 kpc, the BCG corona seems to be experiencing ram-pressure stripping by the surrounding ICM and/or interacting with a nearby galaxy, IC 1042. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Galaxy-wide outflows driven by star formation and/or an active galactic nucleus (AGN) are thought to play a crucial rule in the evolution of galaxies and the metal enrichment of the inter-galactic medium. Direct measurements of these processes are still scarce and new observations are needed to reveal the nature of outflows in the majority of the galaxy population. Aims. We combine extensive, spatially-resolved, multi-wavelength observations, taken as part of the Close AGN Reference Survey (CARS), for the edge-on disc galaxy HE 1353−1917 in order to characterise the impact of the AGN on its host galaxy via outflows and radiation. Methods. Multi-color broad-band photometry was combined with spatially-resolved optical, near-infrared (NIR) and sub-mm and radio observations taken with the Multi-Unit Spectroscopy Explorer (MUSE), the Near-infrared Integral Field Spectrometer (NIFS), the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA), and the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) to map the physical properties and kinematics of the multi-phase interstellar medium. Results. We detect a biconical extended narrow-line region ionised by the luminous AGN orientated nearly parallel to the galaxy disc, extending out to at least 25 kpc. The extra-planar gas originates from galactic fountains initiated by star formation processes in the disc, rather than an AGN outflow, as shown by the kinematics and the metallicity of the gas. Nevertheless, a fast, multi-phase, AGN-driven outflow with speeds up to 1000 km s−1 is detected close to the nucleus at 1 kpc distance. A radio jet, in connection with the AGN radiation field, is likely responsible for driving the outflow as confirmed by the energetics and the spatial alignment of the jet and multi-phase outflow. Evidence for negative AGN feedback suppressing the star formation rate (SFR) is mild and restricted to the central kpc. But while any SFR suppression must have happened recently, the outflow has the potential to greatly impact the future evolution of the galaxy disc due to its geometrical orientation. Conclusions.. Our observations reveal that low-power radio jets can play a major role in driving fast, multi-phase, galaxy-scale outflows even in radio-quiet AGN. Since the outflow energetics for HE 1353−1917 are consistent with literature, scaling relation of AGN-driven outflows the contribution of radio jets as the driving mechanisms still needs to be systematically explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The absence of star formation in the bar region that has been reported for some galaxies can theoretically be explained by shear. However, it is not clear how star-forming (SF) bars fit into this picture and how the dynamical state of the bar is related to other properties of the host galaxy. We used integral-field spectroscopy from VLT/MUSE to investigate how star formation within bars is connected to structural properties of the bar and the host galaxy. We derived spatially resolved Hα fluxes from MUSE observations from the CARS survey to estimate star formation rates in the bars of 16 nearby (0.01 <  z <  0.06) disc galaxies with stellar masses between 1010 M⊙ and 1011 M⊙. We further performed a detailed multicomponent photometric decomposition on images derived from the data cubes. We find that bars clearly divide into SF and non-SF types, of which eight are SF and eight are non-SF. Whatever the responsible quenching mechanism is, it is a quick process compared to the lifetime of the bar. The star formation of the bar appears to be linked to the flatness of the surface brightness profile in the sense that only the flattest bars (nbar≤0.4) are actively SF (SFRb >  0.5 M⊙ yr−1). Both parameters are uncorrelated with Hubble type. We find that star formation is 1.75 times stronger on the leading than on the trailing edge and is radially decreasing. The conditions to host non-SF bars might be connected to the presence of inner rings. Additionally, from testing an AGN feeding scenario, we report that the star formation rate of the bar is uncorrelated with AGN bolometric luminosity. The results of this study may only apply to type-1 AGN hosts and need to be confirmed for the full population of barred galaxies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The [C II]λ158 μm line is one of the strongest far-infrared (FIR) lines and an important coolant in the interstellar medium of galaxies that is accessible out to high redshifts. The excitation of [C II] is complex and can best be studied in detail at low redshifts. Here we report the discovery of the highest global [C II] excess with respect to the FIR luminosity in the nearby AGN host galaxy HE 1353−1917. This galaxy is exceptional among a sample of five targets because the AGN ionization cone and radio jet directly intercept the cold galactic disk. As a consequence, a massive multiphase gas outflow on kiloparsec scales is embedded in an extended narrow-line region. Because HE 1353−1917 is distinguished by these special properties from our four bright AGN, we propose that a global [C II] excess in AGN host galaxies could be a direct signature of a multiphase AGN-driven outflow with a high mass-loading factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Active galactic nuclei play a crucial role in the accretion and ejection of gas in galaxies. Although their outflows are well studied, finding direct evidence of accretion has proved very difficult and has so far been done for very few sources. A promising way to study the significance of cold accretion is by observing the absorption of an active galactic nucleus's extremely bright radio emission by the cold gas lying along the line of sight. As such, we present ALMA CO(1-0) and CO(2-1) observations of the Hydra-A brightest cluster galaxy (z  = 0.054) which reveal the existence of cold, molecular gas clouds along the line of sight to the galaxy's extremely bright and compact mm-continuum source. They have apparent motions relative to the central supermassive black hole of between −43 and −4 km s−1 and are most likely moving along stable, low ellipticity orbits. The identified clouds form part of a ∼109 M⊙, approximately edge-on disc of cold molecular gas. With peak CO(2-1) optical depths of τ = 0.88 |$^{+0.06}_{-0.06}$|⁠, they include the narrowest and by far the deepest absorption of this type which has been observed to date in a brightest cluster galaxy. By comparing the relative strengths of the lines for the most strongly absorbing region, we are able to estimate a gas temperature of |$42^{+25}_{-11}$| K and line of sight column densities of |$N_{\rm {CO}}=2^{+3}_{-1}\times 10 ^{17} \rm {cm}^{-2}$| and |$N_{\rm {H}_{2} }=7^{+10}_{-4}\times 10 ^{20} \rm {cm}^{-2}$|⁠. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent X-ray observations of galaxy clusters show that the distribution of intra-cluster medium (ICM) metallicity is remarkably uniform in space and time. In this paper, we analyse a large sample of simulated objects, from poor groups to rich clusters, to study the dependence of the metallicity and related quantities on the mass of the systems. The simulations are performed with an improved version of the smoothed-particle-hydrodynamic GADGET-3 code and consider various astrophysical processes including radiative cooling, metal enrichment and feedback from stars and active galactic nuclei (AGNs). The scaling between the metallicity and the temperature obtained in the simulations agrees well in trend and evolution with the observational results obtained from two data samples characterized by a wide range of masses and a large redshift coverage. We find that the iron abundance in the cluster core (r < 0.1 R 500) does not correlate with the temperature nor presents a significant evolution. The scale invariance is confirmed when the metallicity is related directly to the total mass. The slope of the best-fitting relations is shallow (β ∼ −0.1) in the innermost regions (r < 0.5 R 500) and consistent with zero outside. We investigate the impact of the AGN feedback and find that it plays a key role in producing a constant value of the outskirts metallicity from groups to clusters. This finding additionally supports the picture of early enrichment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relative importance of the physical processes shaping the thermodynamics of the hot gas permeating rotating, massive early-type galaxies is expected to be different from that in non-rotating systems. Here, we report the results of the analysis of XMM–Newton data for the massive, lenticular galaxy NGC 7049. The galaxy harbours a dusty disc of cool gas and is surrounded by an extended hot X-ray emitting gaseous atmosphere with unusually high central entropy. The hot gas in the plane of rotation of the cool dusty disc has a multitemperature structure, consistent with ongoing cooling. We conclude that the rotational support of the hot gas is likely capable of altering the multiphase condensation regardless of the t cool/ t ff ratio, which is here relatively high, ∼40. However, the measured ratio of cooling time and eddy turnover time around unity (C -ratio ≈ 1) implies significant condensation, and at the same time, the constrained ratio of rotational velocity and the velocity dispersion (turbulent Taylor number) Tat > 1 indicates that the condensing gas should follow non-radial orbits forming a disc instead of filaments. This is in agreement with hydrodynamical simulations of massive rotating galaxies predicting a similarly extended multiphase disc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. The hot plasma in a galaxy cluster is expected to be heated to high temperatures through shocks and adiabatic compression. The thermodynamical properties of the gas encode information on the processes leading to the thermalization of the gas in the cluster's potential well and on non-gravitational processes such as gas cooling, AGN feedback, shocks, turbulence, bulk motions, cosmic rays and magnetic field. Aims. In this work we present the radial profiles of the thermodynamic properties of the intracluster medium (ICM) out to the virial radius for a sample of 12 galaxy clusters selected from the Planck all-sky survey. We determine the universal profiles of gas density, temperature, pressure, and entropy over more than two decades in radius, from 0.01R500 to 2R500. Methods. We exploited X-ray information from XMM-Newton and Sunyaev-Zel'dovich constraints from Planck to recover thermodynamic properties out to 2R500. We provide average functional forms for the radial dependence of the main quantities and quantify the slope and intrinsic scatter of the population as a function of radius. Results. We find that gas density and pressure profiles steepen steadily with radius, in excellent agreement with previous observational results. Entropy profiles beyond R500 closely follow the predictions for the gravitational collapse of structures. The scatter in all thermodynamical quantities reaches a minimum in the range [0.2 − 0.8]R500 and increases outward. Somewhat surprisingly, we find that pressure is substantially more scattered than temperature and density. Conclusions. Our results indicate that once accreting substructures are properly excised, the properties of the ICM beyond the cooling region (R > 0.3R500) follow remarkably well the predictions of simple gravitational collapse and require few non-gravitational corrections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. We present the reconstruction of hydrostatic mass profiles in 13 X-ray luminous galaxy clusters that have been mapped in their X-ray and Sunyaev–Zeldovich (SZ) signals out to R200 for the XMM-Newton Cluster Outskirts Project (X-COP). Methods. Using profiles of the gas temperature, density, and pressure that have been spatially resolved out to median values of 0.9R500, 1.8R500, and 2.3R500, respectively, we are able to recover the hydrostatic gravitating mass profile with several methods and using different mass models. Results. The hydrostatic masses are recovered with a relative (statistical) median error of 3% at R500 and 6% at R200. By using several different methods to solve the equation of the hydrostatic equilibrium, we evaluate some of the systematic uncertainties to be of the order of 5% at both R500 and R200. A Navarro-Frenk-White profile provides the best-fit in 9 cases out of 13; the remaining 4 cases do not show a statistically significant tension with it. The distribution of the mass concentration follows the correlations with the total mass predicted from numerical simulations with a scatter of 0.18 dex, with an intrinsic scatter on the hydrostatic masses of 0.15 dex. We compare them with the estimates of the total gravitational mass obtained through X-ray scaling relations applied to YX, gas fraction, and YSZ, and from weak lensing and galaxy dynamics techniques, and measure a substantial agreement with the results from scaling laws, from WL at both R500 and R200 (with differences below 15%), from cluster velocity dispersions. Instead, we find a significant tension with the caustic masses that tend to underestimate the hydrostatic masses by 40% at R200. We also compare these measurements with predictions from alternative models to the cold dark matter, like the emergent gravity and MOND scenarios, confirming that the latter underestimates hydrostatic masses by 40% at R1000, with a decreasing tension as the radius increases, and reaches ∼15% at R200, whereas the former reproduces M500 within 10%, but overestimates M200 by about 20%. Conclusions. The unprecedented accuracy of these hydrostatic mass profiles out to R200 allows us to assess the level of systematic errors in the hydrostatic mass reconstruction method, to evaluate the intrinsic scatter in the NFW c − M relation, and to robustly quantify differences among different mass models, different mass proxies, and different gravity scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Galaxy clusters are the endpoints of structure formation and are continuously growing through the merging and accretion of smaller structures. Numerical simulations predict that a fraction of their energy content is not yet thermalized, mainly in the form of kinetic motions (turbulence, bulk motions). Measuring the level of non-thermal pressure support is necessary to understand the processes leading to the virialization of the gas within the potential well of the main halo and to calibrate the biases in hydrostatic mass estimates. We present high-quality measurements of hydrostatic masses and intracluster gas fraction out to the virial radius for a sample of 13 nearby clusters with available XMM-Newton and Planck data. We compare our hydrostatic gas fractions with the expected universal gas fraction to constrain the level of non-thermal pressure support. We find that hydrostatic masses require little correction and infer a median non-thermal pressure fraction of ∼6% and ∼10% at R500 and R200, respectively. Our values are lower than the expectations of hydrodynamical simulations, possibly implying a faster thermalization of the gas. If instead we use the mass calibration adopted by the Planck team, we find that the gas fraction of massive local systems implies a mass bias 1 − b = 0.85 ± 0.05 for Sunyaev–Zeldovich-derived masses, with some evidence for a mass-dependent bias. Conversely, the high bias required to match Planck cosmic microwave background and cluster count cosmology is excluded by the data at high significance, unless the most massive halos are missing a substantial fraction of their baryons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a study of the thermal structure of the hot X-ray emitting atmospheres for a sample of 49 nearby X-ray and optically bright elliptical galaxies using Chandra X-ray data. We focus on the connection between the properties of the hot X-ray emitting gas and the cooler H α+[N ii ] emitting phase, and the possible role of the latter in the Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) feedback cycle. We do not find evident correlations between the H α+[N ii ] emission and global properties such as X-ray luminosity, mass of hot gas, and gas mass fraction. We find that the presence of H α+[N ii ] emission is more likely in systems with higher densities, lower entropies, shorter cooling times, shallower entropy profiles, lower values of min(t cool/ t ff), and disturbed X-ray morphologies (linked to turbulent motions). However, we see no clear separations in the observables obtained for galaxies with and without optical emission line nebulae. The AGN jet powers of the galaxies with X-ray cavities show hint of a possible weak positive correlation with their H α+[N ii ] luminosities. This correlation and the observed trends in the thermodynamic properties may result from chaotic cold accretion (CCA) powering AGN jets, as seen in some high-resolution hydrodynamic simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Answers to the metal production of the Universe can be found in galaxy clusters, notably within their intra-cluster medium (ICM). The X-ray Integral Field Unit (X-IFU) on board the next-generation European X-ray observatory Athena (2030s) will provide the necessary leap forward in spatially-resolved spectroscopy required to disentangle the intricate mechanisms responsible for this chemical enrichment. In this paper, we investigate the future capabilities of the X-IFU in probing the hot gas within galaxy clusters. From a test sample of four clusters extracted from cosmological hydrodynamical simulations, we present comprehensive synthetic observations of these clusters at different redshifts (up to z ≤ 2) and within the scaled radius R500 performed using the instrument simulator SIXTE. Through 100 ks exposures, we demonstrate that the X-IFU will provide spatially resolved mapping of the ICM physical properties with little to no biases (⪅5%) and well within statistical uncertainties. The detailed study of abundance profiles and abundance ratios within R500 also highlights the power of the X-IFU in providing constraints on the various enrichment models. From synthetic observations out to z = 2, we have also quantified its ability to track the chemical elements across cosmic time with excellent accuracy, and thereby to investigate the evolution of metal production mechanisms as well as the link to the stellar initial mass-function. Our study demonstrates the unprecedented capabilities of the X-IFU of unveiling the properties of the ICM but also stresses the data analysis challenges faced by future high-resolution X-ray missions such as Athena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Background: The role of sensitization to commercially available allergens of English walnut (Juglans regia) Jug r 1, 2 and 3 in walnut allergy has been previously investigated in walnut allergic adults and was unable to explain all cases of walnut allergy. Objectives: Identify recognized walnut allergens, other than the ones previously investigated (Jug r 1‐3), in walnut allergic adults and determine the sensitization frequency and diagnostic value. Methods: Three different in‐house walnut extracts were prepared and analysed on SDS‐PAGE blots to identify allergenic walnut proteins. Immunoblots and immunoprecipitation, followed by LC‐MS analysis, were performed to screen for, and confirm, IgE binding to walnut allergens in selected walnut allergic adults. In a cohort of 55 walnut challenged adults, including 33 allergic and 22 tolerant, sensitization to native and recombinant walnut allergen Jug r 4 was assessed using immunoblotting and immuno‐line blot (EUROLINE), respectively. Results: Screening of sera of 8 walnut allergic adults identified Jug r 4 as an allergen in our population. In the total cohort of 55 subjects, 5 were positive for Jug r 4 on immunoblot and 10 on EUROLINE. All but one EUROLINE positive subject had a positive food challenge (sensitivity 27%, specificity 95%, PPV 90%, NPV 47%). All 5 subjects positive on immunoblot were also positive on EUROLINE. LC‐MS analysis showed a lack of Jug r 4 in the ImmunoCAP extract. Co‐sensitization to other 11S albumins (eg hazelnut Cor a 9) was common in Jug r 4 sensitized subjects, potentially due to cross‐reactivity. Conclusions: Walnut 11S globulin Jug r 4 is a relevant minor allergen, recognized by 27% of walnut allergic adults. It has a high positive predictive value of 90% for walnut allergy. Specific IgE against Jug r 4 occurred mostly with concomitant sensitization to other walnut components, mainly Jug r 1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the results of Chandra X-ray observations of the isolated, massive, compact, relic galaxies MRK 1216 and PGC 032873. Compact massive galaxies observed at z > 2, also called red nuggets, formed in quick dissipative events and later grew by dry mergers into the local giant ellipticals. Due to the stochastic nature of mergers, a few of the primordial massive galaxies avoided the mergers and remained untouched over cosmic time. We find that the hot atmosphere surrounding MRK 1216 extends far beyond the stellar population and has a 0.5–7 keV X-ray luminosity of LX = (7.0 ± 0.2) × 1041 erg s−1, which is similar to the nearby X-ray bright giant ellipticals. The hot gas has a short central cooling time of ∼50 Myr and the galaxy has an ∼13-Gyr-old stellar population. The presence of an X-ray atmosphere with a short nominal cooling time and the lack of young stars indicate the presence of a sustained heating source, which prevented star formation since the dissipative origin of the galaxy 13 Gyr ago. The central temperature peak and the presence of radio emission in the core of the galaxy indicate that the heating source is radio-mechanical active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback. Given that both MRK 1216 and PGC 032873 appear to have evolved in isolation, the order of magnitude difference in their current X-ray luminosity could be traced back to a difference in the ferocity of the AGN outbursts in these systems. Finally, we discuss the potential connection between the presence of hot haloes around such massive galaxies and the growth of super-/overmassive black holes via chaotic cold accretion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The uniformity of the intracluster medium (ICM) enrichment level in the outskirts of nearby galaxy clusters suggests that chemical elements were deposited and widely spread into the intergalactic medium before the cluster formation. This observational evidence is supported by numerical findings from cosmological hydrodynamical simulations, as presented in Biffi et al., including the effect of thermal feedback from active galactic nuclei. Here, we further investigate this picture, by tracing back in time the spatial origin and metallicity evolution of the gas residing at z = 0 in the outskirts of simulated galaxy clusters. In these regions, we find a large distribution of iron abundances, including a component of highly enriched gas, already present at z = 2. At z > 1, the gas in the present-day outskirts was distributed over tens of virial radii from the main cluster and had been already enriched within high-redshift haloes. At z=2, about 40 per cent of the most Fe-rich gas at z = 0 was not residing in any halo more massive than 1011 h-1 M⊙ in the region and yet its average iron abundance was already 0.4, w.r.t. the solar value by Anders & Grevesse. This confirms that the in situ enrichment of the ICM in the outskirts of present-day clusters does not play a significant role, and its uniform metal abundance is rather the consequence of the accretion of both low-metallicity and pre-enriched (at z > 2) gas, from the diffuse component and through merging substructures. These findings do not depend on the mass of the cluster nor on its core properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyse cosmological hydrodynamical simulations of galaxy clusters to study the X-ray scaling relations between total masses and observable quantities such as X-ray luminosity, gas mass, X-ray temperature, and YX. Three sets of simulations are performed with an improved version of the smoothed particle hydrodynamics GADGET-3 code. These consider the following: non-radiative gas, star formation and stellar feedback, and the addition of feedback by active galactic nuclei (AGN).We select clusters with M500 > 1014M☉E(z)-1, mimicking the typical selection of Sunyaev-Zeldovich samples. This permits to have a mass range large enough to enable robust fitting of the relations even at z ~ 2. The results of the analysis show a general agreement with observations. The values of the slope of the mass-gas mass and mass- temperature relations at z=2 are 10 per cent lowerwith respect to z=0 due to the appliedmass selection, in the former case, and to the effect of early merger in the latter. We investigate the impact of the slope variation on the study of the evolution of the normalization. We conclude that cosmological studies through scaling relations should be limited to the redshift range z = 0-1, where we find that the slope, the scatter, and the covariance matrix of the relations are stable. The scaling between mass and YX is confirmed to be the most robust relation, being almost independent of the gas physics. At higher redshifts, the scaling relations are sensitive to the inclusion of AGNs which influences low-mass systems. The detailed study of these objects will be crucial to evaluate the AGN effect on the ICM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the local Universe, the growth of massive galaxy clusters mainly operates through the continuous accretion of group-scale systems. The infalling group in Abell 2142 is the poster child of such an accreting group, and as such, it is an ideal target to study the astrophysical processes induced by structure formation. We present the results of a deep (200 ks) observation of this structure with Chandra that highlights the complexity of this system in exquisite detail. In the core of the group, the spatial resolution of Chandra reveals a leading edge and complex AGN-induced activity. The morphology of the stripped gas tail appears straight in the innermost 250 kpc, suggesting that magnetic draping efficiently shields the gas from its surroundings. However, beyond ~300 kpc from the core, the tail flares and the morphology becomes strongly irregular, which could be explained by a breaking of the drape, for example, caused by turbulent motions. The power spectrum of surface-brightness fluctuations is relatively flat (P2D ∝ k-2.3), which indicates that thermal conduction is strongly inhibited even beyond the region where magnetic draping is effective. The amplitude of density fluctuations in the tail is consistent with a mild level of turbulence with a Mach number M3D ~ 0.1 - 0.25. Overall, our results show that the processes leading to the thermalization and mixing of the infalling gas are slow and relatively inefficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distribution of metals in the intracluster medium (ICM) of galaxy clusters provides valuable information on their formation and evolution, on the connection with the cosmic star formation and on the effects of different gas processes. By analysing a sample of simulated galaxy clusters, we study the chemical enrichment of the ICM, its evolution, and its relation with the physical processes included in the simulation and with the thermal properties of the core. These simulations, consisting of re-simulations of 29 Lagrangian regions performed with an upgraded version of the smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) GADGET-3 code, have been run including two different sets of baryonic physics: one accounts for radiative cooling, star formation, metal enrichment and supernova (SN) feedback, and the other one further includes the effects of feedback from active galactic nuclei (AGN). In agreement with observations, we find an anti-correlation between entropy and metallicity in cluster cores, and similar radial distributions of heavy-element abundances and abundance ratios out to large clustercentric distances (~R180). In the outskirts, namely outside of ~0.2 R180, we find a remarkably homogeneous metallicity distribution, with almost flat profiles of the elements produced by either SNIa or SNII. We investigated the origin of this phenomenon and discovered that it is due to the widespread displacement of metal-rich gas by early (z > 2-3) AGN powerful bursts, acting on small high-redshift haloes. Our results also indicate that the intrinsic metallicity of the hot gas for this sample is on average consistent with no evolution between z = 2 and z = 0, across the entire radial range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distribution of metals in the intracluster medium (ICM) of galaxy clusters provides valuable information on their formation and evolution, on the connection with the cosmic star formation and on the effects of different gas processes. By analysing a sample of simulated galaxy clusters, we study the chemical enrichment of the ICM, its evolution, and its relation with the physical processes included in the simulation and with the thermal properties of the core. These simulations, consisting of re-simulations of 29 Lagrangian regions performed with an upgraded version of the smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) GADGET-3 code, have been run including two different sets of baryonic physics: one accounts for radiative cooling, star formation, metal enrichment and supernova (SN) feedback, and the other one further includes the effects of feedback from active galactic nuclei (AGN). In agreement with observations, we find an anti-correlation between entropy and metallicity in cluster cores, and similar radial distributions of heavy-element abundances and abundance ratios out to large clustercentric distances (~R180). In the outskirts, namely outside of ~0.2 R180, we find a remarkably homogeneous metallicity distribution, with almost flat profiles of the elements produced by either SNIa or SNII. We investigated the origin of this phenomenon and discovered that it is due to the widespread displacement of metal-rich gas by early (z > 2-3) AGN powerful bursts, acting on small high-redshift haloes. Our results also indicate that the intrinsic metallicity of the hot gas for this sample is on average consistent with no evolution between z = 2 and z = 0, across the entire radial range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supermassive black hole accretion and feedback play central role in the evolution of galaxies, groups, and clusters. I review how AGN feedback is tightly coupled with the formation of multiphase gas and the newly probed chaotic cold accretion (CCA). In a turbulent and heated atmosphere, cold clouds and kpc-scale filaments condense out of the plasma via thermal instability and rain toward the black hole. In the nucleus, the recurrent chaotic collisions between the cold clouds, filaments, and central torus promote angular momentum cancellation or mixing, boosting the accretion rate up to 100 times the Bondi rate. The rapid variability triggers powerful AGN outflows, which quench the cooling flow and star formation without destroying the cool core. The AGN heating stifles the formation of multiphase gas and accretion, the feedback subsides and the hot halo is allowed to cool again, restarting a new cycle. Ultimately, CCA creates a symbiotic link between the black hole and the whole host via a tight self-regulated feedback which preserves the gaseous halo in global thermal equilibrium throughout cosmic time. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The fueling of black holes is one key problem in the evolution of baryons in the universe. Chaotic cold accretion (CCA) profoundly di ers from classic accretion models, as Bondi and thin disc theories. Using 3D high-resolution hydrodynamic simulations, we now probe the impact of rotation on the hot and cold accretion flow in a typical massive galaxy. In the hot mode, with or without turbulence, the pressure-dominated flow forms a geometrically thick rotational barrier, suppressing the black hole accretion rate to ∼1/3 of the spherical case value. When radiative cooling is dominant, the gas loses pressure support and quickly circularizes in a cold thin disk; the accretion rate is decoupled from the cooling rate, although it is higher than that of the hot mode. In the more common state of a turbulent and heated atmosphere, CCA drives the dynamics if the gas velocity dispersion exceeds the rotational velocity, i.e., turbulent Taylor number Tat < 1. Extended multiphase filaments condense out of the hot phase via thermal instability (TI) and rain toward the black hole, boosting the accretion rate up to 100 times the Bondi rate (M. ∼ Mcool). Initially, turbulence broadens the angular momentum distribution of the hot gas, allowing the cold phase to condense with prograde or retrograde motion. Subsequent chaotic collisions between the cold filaments, clouds, and a clumpy variable torus promote the cancellation of angular momentum, leading to high accretion rates. As turbulence weakens (Tat > 1), the broadening of the distribution and the efficiency of collisions diminish, damping the accretion rate ∝Tat -1 density profiles, as recently discovered in M 87 and NGC 3115. The synthetic Hα images reproduce the main features of cold gas observations in massive ellipticals, as the line fluxes and the filaments versus disk morphology. Such dichotomy is key for the long-term AGN feedback cycle. As gas cools, filamentary CCA develops and boosts AGN heating; the cold mode is thus reduced and the rotating disk remains the sole cold structure. Its consumption leaves the atmosphere in hot mode with suppressed accretion and feedback, reloading the cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]-1 density profiles, as recently discovered in M 87 and NGC 3115. The synthetic Hα images reproduce the main features of cold gas observations in massive ellipticals, as the line fluxes and the filaments versus disk morphology. Such dichotomy is key for the long-term AGN feedback cycle. As gas cools, filamentary CCA develops and boosts AGN heating; the cold mode is thus reduced and the rotating disk remains the sole cold structure. Its consumption leaves the atmosphere in hot mode with suppressed accretion and feedback, reloading the cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structure formation in the current Universe operates through the accretion of group-scale systems onto massive clusters. The detection and study of such accreting systems is crucial to understand the build-up of the most massive virialized structures we see today. We report the discovery with XMM-Newton of an irregular X-ray substructure in the outskirts of the massive galaxy cluster Abell 2142. The tip of the X-ray emission coincides with a concentration of galaxies. The bulk of the X-ray emission of this substructure appears to be lagging behind the galaxies and extends over a projected scale of at least 800 kpc. The temperature of the gas in this region is 1.4 keV, which is a factor of ~4 lower than the surrounding medium and is typical of the virialized plasma of a galaxy group with a mass of a few 1013 M☉. For this reason, we interpret this structure as a galaxy group in the process of being accreted onto the main dark-matter halo. The X-ray structure trailing behind the group is due to gas stripped from its original dark-matter halo as it moves through the intracluster medium (ICM). This is the longest X-ray trail reported to date. For an infall velocity of ~1200 km s-1 we estimate that the stripped gas has been surviving in the presence of the hot ICM for at least 600 Myr, which exceeds the Spitzer conduction timescale in the medium by a factor of ≳400. Such a strong suppression of conductivity is likely related to a tangled magnetic field with small coherence length and to plasma microinstabilities. The long survival time of the low-entropy intragroup medium suggests that the infalling material can eventually settle within the core of the main cluster. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring the power spectrum of fluctuations and velocities in the intracluster medium (ICM) can help us to probe the gas physics of galaxy clusters. Using high-resolution 3D plasma simulations, we study the statistics of the velocity field and its intimate relation with the ICM thermodynamic perturbations. The normalization of the ICM spectrum (related to density, entropy, or pressure fluctuations) is linearly tied to the level of large-scale motions, which excite both gravity and sound waves due to stratification. For a low 3D Mach number M ∼ 0.25, gravity waves mainly drive entropy perturbations, which are traced by preferentially tangential turbulence. For M > 0.5, sound waves start to significantly contribute and pass the leading role to compressive pressure fluctuations, which are associated with isotropic (or slightly radial) turbulence. Density and temperature fluctuations are then characterized by the dominant process: isobaric (low M), adiabatic (high M), or isothermal (strong conduction). Most clusters reside in the intermediate regime, showing a mixture of gravity and sound waves, hence drifting toward isotropic velocities. Remarkably, regardless of the regime, the variance of density perturbations is comparable to the 1D Mach number, M1D ~ δρ/ρ. This linear relation allows us to easily convert between gas motions and ICM perturbations (δρ/ρ < 1), which can be exploited by the available Chandra, XMM data and by the forthcoming Astro-H mission. At intermediate and small scales (10-100 kpc), the turbulent velocities develop a tight Kolmogorov cascade. The thermodynamic perturbations (which can be generally described by log-normal distributions) act as effective tracers of the velocity field, in broad agreement with the Kolmogorov-Obukhov-Corrsin advection theory. The cluster radial gradients and compressive features induce a flattening in the cascade of the perturbations. Thermal conduction, on the other hand, acts to damp the thermodynamic fluctuations, washing out the filamentary structures and steepening the spectrum, while leaving the velocity cascade unaltered. The ratio of the velocity and density spectrum thus inverts the downtrend shown by the non-diffusive models, as it widens up to ~5. This new key diagnostic can robustly probe the presence of conductivity in the ICM. We produce X-ray images of the velocity field, showing how future missions (e.g. Astro-H, Athena) can detect velocity dispersions of a few 100 km s-1 (M > 0.1 in massive clusters), allowing us to calibrate the linear relation and to constrain relative perturbations down to just a few percent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The updated advective and baroclinic term yield larger values than estimated in the original paper, again solely for the Eulerian analysis. Thus, the computation of the effective source term, see equation (1) of the original paper, and the relative contribution of each dynamical term, see equation (9) of the original paper, are also affected. [Extracted from the article]

Turbulence and conduction can dramatically affect the evolution of baryons in the universe; current constraints are however rare and uncertain. Using 3D high-resolution hydrodynamic simulations, tracking both electrons and ions, we study the effects of turbulence and conduction in the hot intracluster medium. We show how the power spectrum of the gas density perturbations (δ = δp/p) can accurately constrain both processes. The characteristic amplitude of density perturbations is linearly related to the strength of turbulence, i.e. the 3D Mach number, as A(k)δ,max = cM, where c ≃ 0.25 for injection scale of 500 kpc. The slope of Aδ(k) in turn reflects the level of diffusion, dominated by conduction. In a non-conductive medium, subsonic stirring motions advect density with a similar nearly Kolmogorov cascade, Eδ(k) ∝ k-5/3. Increasing conduction (parametrized via the magnetic suppression f = 10-3 → 1) progressively steepens the spectrum towards the Burgers-like regime, Eδ(k) ∝ k-2 . The slope is only weakly dependent on M. The turbulent Prandtl number defines the dynamic similarity of the flow; at scales where Pt ≡ tcond/tturb < 100, the power spectrum develops a significant decay, i.e. conduction stifles turbulent regeneration. The transition is gentle for highly suppressed conduction, f ⩽ 10-3 , while sharp in the opposite regime. For strong conductivity ( f ⩾ 0.1), Pt ∼ 100 occurs on spatial scales larger than the injection scale, globally damping density perturbations by a factor of 2-4, from large to small scales. The velocity spectrum is instead not much affected by conduction. The f ⩾ 0.1 regime should also affect the appearance of X-ray images, in which Kelvin-Helmholtz and Rayleigh-Taylor rolls and filaments are washed out. In a stratified system, perturbations are characterized by a mixture of modes: weak/strong turbulence induces higher isobaric/adiabatic fluctuations, while conduction forces both modes towards the intermediate isothermal regime. We provide a general analytic fit which is applied to new deep Chandra observations of Coma cluster. The observed spectrum is best consistent with strongly suppressed effective isotropic conduction, f ≃ 10-3, and mild subsonic turbulence, M ≃ 0.45 (assuming injection scale at ∼250 kpc). The latter implies Eturb ≃ 0.11 Eth , in agreement with cosmological simulations and line-broadening observations. The low conductivity corroborates the survival of sharp features in the ICM (cold fronts, filaments, bubbles), and indicates that cooling flows may not be balanced by conduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unopposed radiative cooling of plasma would lead to the cooling catastro-phe, a massive inflow of condensing gas, manifest in the core of galaxies, groups and clusters. The last generation X-ray telescopes, Chandra and XMM, have radically changed our view on baryons, indicating AGN heating as the balancing counterpart of cooling. This work reviews our extensive investigation on self-regulated heating. We argue that the mechanical feedback, based on massive subrelativistic outflows, is the key to solving the cooling flow problem, i.e. dramatically quenching the cooling rates for several Gyr without destroying the cool-core structure. Using a modified version of the 3D hydrocode FLASH, we show that bipolar AGN outflows can further reproduce fundamental observed features, such as buoyant bubbles, weak shocks, metals dredgeup, and turbulence. The latter is an essential ingredient to drive nonlinear thermal instabilities, which cause the formation of extended cold gas, a residual of the quenched cooling flow and, later, fuel for the feedback engine. Compared to clusters, groups and galaxies require a gentler mechanical feedback, in order to avoid catastro-phic overheating. We highlight the essential characteristics for a realistic AGN feedback, with emphasis on observational consistency. (© 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existence of ionized X-ray absorbing layers of gas along the line of sight to the nuclei of Seyfert galaxies is a well established observational fact. This material is systematically outflowing and shows a large range in parameters. However, its actual nature and dynamics are still not clear. In order to gain insights into these important issues we performed a literature search for papers reporting the parameters of the soft X-ray warm absorbers (WAs) in 35 type 1 Seyferts and compared their properties to those of the ultra-fast outflows (UFOs) detected in the same sample. The fraction of sources with WAs is >60 per cent, consistent with previous studies. The fraction of sources with UFOs is >34 per cent, >67 per cent of which also show WAs. The large dynamic range obtained when considering all the absorbers together, spanning several orders of magnitude in ionization, column, velocity and distance allows us, for the first time, to investigate general relations among them. In particular, we find significant correlations indicating that the closer the absorber is to the central black hole, the higher the ionization, column, outflow velocity and consequently the mechanical power. In all the cases, the absorbers continuously populate the whole parameter space, with the WAs and the UFOs lying always at the two ends of the distribution. These evidence strongly suggest that these absorbers, often considered of different types, could actually represent parts of a single large-scale stratified outflow observed at different locations from the black hole. The UFOs are likely launched from the inner accretion disc and the WAs at larger distances, such as the outer disc and/or torus. We argue that the observed parameters and correlations are, to date, consistent with both radiation pressure through Compton scattering and magnetohydrodynamic processes contributing to the outflow acceleration, the latter playing a major role. Most of the absorbers, especially the UFOs, show a sufficiently high mechanical power (at least ∼0.5 per cent of the bolometric luminosity) to provide a significant contribution to active galactic nuclei (AGN) feedback and thus to the evolution of the host galaxy. In this regard, we find possible evidence for the interaction of the AGN wind with the surrounding environment on large scales. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

ABSTRACT A fundamental gap in the current understanding of galaxies concerns the thermodynamical evolution of ordinary, baryonic matter. On the one hand, radiative emission drastically decreases the thermal energy content of the interstellar plasma (ISM), inducing a slow cooling flow towards the centre. On the other hand, the active galactic nucleus (AGN) struggles to prevent the runaway cooling catastrophe, injecting huge amount of energy into the ISM. The present study intends to investigate thoroughly the role of mechanical AGN feedback in (isolated or massive) elliptical galaxies, extending and completing the mass range of tested cosmic environments. Our previously successful feedback models in galaxy clusters and groups demonstrated that AGN outflows, self-regulated by cold gas accretion, are able to quench the cooling flow properly without destroying the cool core. Via three-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations ( flash 3.3), also including stellar evolution, we show that massive mechanical AGN outflows can indeed solve the cooling-flow problem for the entire life of the galaxy, at the same time reproducing typical observational features and constraints such as buoyant underdense bubbles, elliptical shock cocoons, sonic ripples, dredge-up of metals, subsonic turbulence and extended filamentary or nuclear cold gas. In order to avoid overheating and totally emptying the isolated galaxy, the frequent mechanical AGN feedback should be less powerful and efficient (ε∼ 10−4) compared with the heating required for more massive and bound ellipticals surrounded by the intragroup medium (ε∼ 10−3). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiwavelength data indicate that the X-ray-emitting plasma in the cores of galaxy clusters is not cooling catastrophically. To a large extent, cooling is offset by heating due to active galactic nuclei (AGNs) via jets. The cool-core clusters, with cooler/denser plasmas, show multiphase gas and signs of some cooling in their cores. These observations suggest that the cool core is locally thermally unstable while maintaining global thermal equilibrium. Using high-resolution, three-dimensional simulations we study the formation of multiphase gas in cluster cores heated by collimated bipolar AGN jets. Our key conclusion is that spatially extended multiphase filaments form only when the instantaneous ratio of the thermal instability and free-fall timescales (tTI/tff) falls below a critical threshold of ≈10. When this happens, dense cold gas decouples from the hot intracluster medium (ICM) phase and generates inhomogeneous and spatially extended Hα filaments. These cold gas clumps and filaments "rain" down onto the central regions of the core, forming a cold rotating torus and in part feeding the supermassive black hole. Consequently, the self-regulated feedback enhances AGN heating and the core returns to a higher entropy level with tTI/tff > 10. Eventually, the core reaches quasi-stable global thermal equilibrium, and cold filaments condense out of the hot ICM whenever tTI/tff ≲ 10. This occurs despite the fact that the energy from AGN jets is supplied to the core in a highly anisotropic fashion. The effective spatial redistribution of heat is enabled in part by the turbulent motions in the wake of freely falling cold filaments. Increased AGN activity can locally reverse the cold gas flow, launching cold filamentary gas away from the cluster center. Our criterion for the condensation of spatially extended cold gas is in agreement with observations and previous idealized simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BSTRACT Active galactic nucleus (AGN) heating, through massive subrelativistic outflows, might be the key to solve the long-lasting 'cooling flow problem' in cosmological systems. In a previous paper, we showed that cold accretion feedback and, to a lesser degree, Bondi self-regulated models are in fact able to quench cooling rates for several Gyr, at the same time preserving the main cool-core features, like observed density and temperature profiles. Is it true also for lighter systems, such as galaxy groups? The answer is globally yes, although with remarkable differences. Adopting a modified version of the adaptive mesh refinement code flash 3.2, we found that successful 3D simulations with cold and Bondi models are almost convergent in the galaxy group environment, with mechanical efficiencies in the range 5 × 10−4-10−3 and 5 × 10−2-10−1, respectively. The evolutionary storyline of galaxy groups is dominated by a quasi-continuous gentle injection with sub-Eddington outflows (with the mechanical power P∼ 1044 erg s−1, v∼ 104 km s−1). The cold and hybrid accretion models present, in addition, very short quiescence periods, followed by moderate outbursts (10 times the previous phase), which generate a series of 10-20 kpc size cavities with high density contrast, temperatures similar to the ambient medium and cold rims. After shock heating, a phase of turbulence promotes gas mixing and diffusion of metals, which peak along the jet-axis (up to 40 kpc) during active phases. At this stage, the tunnel, produced by the enduring outflow (hard to detect in the mock X-ray surface brightness maps), is easily fragmented, producing tiny buoyant bubbles, typically a few kpc in size. In contrast to galaxy clusters, the AGN self-regulated feedback has to be persistent, with a 'delicate touch', rather than rare and explosive strokes. This evolutionary difference dictates that galaxy groups are not scaled-down versions of clusters: AGN heating might operate in different regimes, contributing to the self-similarity breaking observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is now widely accepted that heating processes play a fundamental role in galaxy clusters, struggling in an intricate but fascinating 'dance' with its antagonist, radiative cooling. Last-generation observations, especially X-ray, are giving us tiny hints about the notes of this endless ballet. Cavities, shocks, turbulence and wide absorption lines indicate that the central active nucleus is injecting a huge amount of energy in the intracluster medium. However, which is the real dominant engine of self-regulated heating? One of the models we propose is massive subrelativistic outflows, probably generated by a wind disc or just the result of the entrainment on kpc scale by the fast radio jet. Using a modified version of the adaptive mesh refinement code 3.2, we have explored several feedback mechanisms that self-regulate the mechanical power. Two are the best schemes that answer our primary question, that is, quenching cooling flow and at the same time preserving a cool core appearance for a long-term evolution (7 Gyr): one is more explosive (with efficiencies ), triggered by central cooled gas, and the other is gentler, ignited by hot gas Bondi accretion (with ). These three-dimensional simulations show that the total energy injected is not the key aspect, but the results strongly depend on how energy is given to the intracluster medium. We follow the dynamics of the best models (temperature, density, surface brightness maps and profiles) and produce many observable predictions: buoyant bubbles, ripples, turbulence, iron abundance maps and hydrostatic equilibrium deviation. We present an in-depth discussion of the merits and flaws of all our models, with a critical eye towards observational concordance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]