A Universal Entropy Profile for the Hot Atmospheres of Galaxies and Clusters within $R_{2500}$

TL;DR

This study reveals a universal entropy profile in the hot atmospheres of various galaxy types, indicating common heating and cooling processes influenced by AGN feedback across a wide mass range.

Contribution

It introduces a universal entropy profile model for hot galaxy atmospheres, extending from ellipticals to spirals, and links it to AGN feedback and thermal stability.

Findings

Entropy profiles follow a $K \\propto R^{2/3}$ law within $0.1R_{2500}$

Beyond $0.1R_{2500}$ profiles are shallower than gravitational collapse predictions

Elliptical and spiral galaxies share similar entropy profile shapes, suggesting common heating mechanisms.

Abstract

We present atmospheric gas entropy profiles for 40 early type galaxies and 110 clusters spanning several decades of halo mass, atmospheric gas mass, radio jet power, and galaxy type. We show that within $\sim 0.1R_{2500}$ the entropy profiles of low-mass systems, including ellipticals, brightest cluster galaxies, and spiral galaxies, scale approximately as $K\propto R^{2/3}$. Beyond $\sim 0.1R_{2500}$ entropy profiles are slightly shallower than the $K \propto R^{1.1}$ profile expected from gravitational collapse alone, indicating that heating by AGN feedback extends well beyond the central galaxy. We show that the $K\propto R^{2/3}$ entropy profile shape indicates that thermally unstable cooling is balanced by heating where the inner cooling and free-fall timescales approach a constant ratio. Hot atmospheres of elliptical galaxies have a higher rate of heating per gas particle compared to central cluster galaxies. This excess heating may explain why some central cluster galaxies are forming stars while most early-type galaxies have experienced no significant star formation for billions of years. We show that the entropy profiles of six lenticular and spiral galaxies follow the $R^{2/3}$ form. The continuity between central galaxies in clusters, giant ellipticals, and spirals suggests perhaps that processes heating the atmospheres of elliptical and brightest cluster galaxies are also active in spiral galaxies.