Dynamical and chemical effects of FR II radio sources on the intra-cluster medium

TL;DR

This study uses hydrodynamic simulations to show that intermittent AGN jets can effectively distribute metals throughout the intra-cluster medium over billions of years, influencing metallicity gradients.

Contribution

It demonstrates how intermittent AGN jets impact metal distribution and gradients in the intra-cluster medium through detailed 2D hydrodynamic simulations.

Findings

Jets drive convective flows that distribute metals beyond 1.5 Mpc.

Intermittent jets enhance metal distribution to larger radii.

Metallicity gradients similar to observations are produced at ~400 kpc.

Abstract

We investigate the effects of intermittent strong jets from an Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) of a massive galaxy in the core of a cool core galaxy cluster, on the dynamics and metal distribution of the intra-cluster medium (ICM). We use a simple model for the metal distribution within the host galaxy which includes metal injection via star formation. We carry out 2D axisymmetric hydrodynamic simulations of these systems. After having established a cooling flow, two light jets are injected in opposite directions with a range of (intermittent) active phases. We follow the time evolution of the system from the jets' active phases up to 3 Gyr. The general metallicity evolution for all our simulations is very similar on large-scales. The convective flows driven by the jets advect gas and metals from the central galaxy to distances beyond 1.5 Mpc within the cluster. Intermittent jets are able to distribute metals to grater radii. The metal injection has effects on the general metal abundances present in the ICM, the faster the metal replenishment time the higher the metal abundance. Although metallicity gradients in the very central regions of cool core clusters are likely to be shaped by less-energetic phenomena, we find evidence in our simulations for metallicity gradients similar to those observed out to ~400 kpc radius. The metal distribution details of the central galaxy have no effects on the dynamical evolution of the ICM metals.