Ripping Apart at the Seams: The Network of Stripped Gas Surrounding M86

TL;DR

This study uses XMM-Newton observations to analyze the temperature and metallicity of gas around Virgo Cluster galaxies, revealing diverse ram pressure stripping phenomena and interactions with the intracluster medium.

Contribution

It provides detailed thermodynamic mapping of gas stripping processes in multiple galaxies, highlighting variations and recent collision effects.

Findings

M86 has a long ~100-150 kpc tail of ~1 keV gas.

New ~0.6 keV emission region near M86 linked to galaxy collision.

M84 shows signs of both AGN feedback and ram pressure stripping.

Abstract

We present a new study of the Virgo Cluster galaxies M86, M84, NGC 4338, and NGC 4438 using a mosaic of five separate pointings with XMM-Newton. Our observations allow for robust measurements of the temperature and metallicity structure of each galaxy along with the entire ~ 1 degree region between these galaxies. When combined with multiwavelength observations, the data suggest that all four of these galaxies are undergoing ram pressure stripping by the Intracluster Medium (ICM). The manner in which the stripped gas trailing the galaxies interacts with the ICM, however, is observably distinct. Consistent with previous observations, M86 is observed to have a long tail of ~ 1 keV gas trailing to the north-west for distances of ~ 100-150 kpc. However, a new site of ~ 0.6 keV thermal emission is observed to span to the east of M86 in the direction of the disturbed spiral galaxy NGC 4438. This region is spatially coincident with filaments of H-alpha emission, likely originating in a recent collision between the two galaxies. We also resolve the thermodynamic structure of stripped ~ 0.6 keV gas to the south of M84, suggesting that this galaxy is undergoing both AGN feedback and ram pressure stripping simultaneously. These four sites of stripped X-ray gas demonstrate that the nature of ram pressure stripping can vary significantly from site to site.