Anisotropic Metal-enriched Outflows Driven by AGN in Clusters of Galaxies

TL;DR

This study analyzes how active galactic nuclei (AGN) in galaxy clusters drive anisotropic, metal-rich outflows along radio jet axes, transporting heavy elements into the intracluster medium over large scales.

Contribution

It reveals the scaling relation between outflow extent and jet power and demonstrates the long-lasting, anisotropic distribution of metals driven by AGN activity in clusters.

Findings

Metal-rich outflows align with radio and cavity axes.

Outflow extent scales with jet power as R_Fe ~ P_jet^0.42.

Heavy elements are transported beyond inner cavities, indicating sustained outflows.

Abstract

We present an analysis of the spatial distribution of metal-rich gas in ten galaxy clusters using deep observations from the Chandra X-ray Observatory. The brightest cluster galaxies have experienced recent AGN activity in the forms of bright radio emission, cavities, and shock fronts embedded in the hot atmospheres. The heavy elements are distributed anisotropically and are aligned with the large-scale radio and cavity axes. They are apparently being transported from the halo of the brightest cluster galaxy into the intracluster medium along large-scale outflows driven by the radio jets. The radial ranges of the metal-enriched outflows are found to scale with jet power as R_Fe ~ P_jet^0.42, with a scatter of only 0.5 dex. The heavy elements are transported beyond the extent of the inner cavities in all clusters, suggesting this is a long lasting effect sustained over multiple generations of outbursts. Black holes in BCGs will likely have difficulty ejecting metal enriched gas beyond 1 Mpc unless their masses substantially exceed 10^9 M_sun.