Metal Abundances in the Cool-Cores of Galaxy Clusters

TL;DR

This study analyzes the abundances of silicon, iron, and nickel in the cool cores of galaxy clusters using XMM-Newton data, revealing consistent enrichment processes across different systems despite systematic uncertainties.

Contribution

It provides a detailed measurement of metal abundances in cluster cores and evaluates the uncertainties, highlighting the similarity of enrichment processes in various galaxy systems.

Findings

Moderate spread in element ratios suggests uniform enrichment processes.

Si/Fe ratios comparable across clusters, groups, and ellipticals.

Uncertainties prevent precise determination of supernovae contributions.

Abstract

We use XMM-Newton data to carry out a detailed study of the Si, Fe and Ni abundances in the cool cores of a representative sample of 26 local clusters. We have performed a careful evaluation of the systematic uncertainties related to the instruments, the plasma codes and the spectral modeling finding that the major source of uncertainty is in the plasma codes. Our Si, Fe, Ni, Si/Fe and Ni/Fe distributions feature only moderate spreads (from 20% to 30%) around their mean values strongly suggesting similar enrichment processes at work in all our cluster cores. Our sample averaged Si/Fe ratio is comparable to those measured in samples of groups and high luminosity ellipticals implying that the enrichment process in ellipticals, dominant galaxies in groups and BCGs in clusters is quite similar. Although our Si/Fe and Ni/Fe abundance ratios are fairly well constrained, the large uncertainties in the supernovae yields prevent us from making a firm assessment of the relative contribution of type Ia and core-collapsed supernovae to the enrichment process. All that can really be said with some certainty is that both contribute to the enrichment of cluster cores.