Effects of Anisotropic Viscosity on the Evolution of Active Galactic Nuclei Bubbles in Galaxy Clusters

TL;DR

This study investigates how anisotropic viscosity and magnetic tension influence the stability and morphology of AGN-inflated bubbles in galaxy clusters, revealing limitations of these effects in maintaining bubble coherence.

Contribution

First Braginskii-magnetohydrodynamic simulations of AGN bubbles in tangled magnetic fields show viscosity and magnetic tension alone cannot prevent bubble deformation.

Findings

Magnetic tension alone does not prevent bubble deformation.

Anisotropic viscosity limited by plasma instabilities is insufficient to maintain bubble coherence.

Reproducing observed smooth bubbles remains a challenge in models.

Abstract

The interaction between jets from active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and the intracluster medium (ICM) provides key constraints on the feeding and feedback of supermassive black holes. Much understanding about AGN feedback is gained from purely hydrodynamic models; however, whether such an approximation is adequate for the magnetized, weakly collisional ICM needs to be critically examined. For example, AGN-blown bubbles in hydrodynamic simulations are easily disrupted by fluid instabilities, making it difficult to explain the coherence of observed bubbles such as the northwest ghost bubble in Perseus. In order to investigate whether magnetic tension and viscosity in realistic conditions could preserve the bubble integrity, we performed the first Braginskii-magnetohydrodynamic simulations of jet-inflated bubbles in a medium with tangled magnetic field. We find that magnetic tension alone is insufficient to prevent bubble deformation due to large velocity shear at early stage of the evolution. Although unsuppressed anisotropic viscosity in tangled magnetic field can have similar effects as isotropic viscosity, when the pressure anisotropy is bounded by microscopic plasma instabilities, the level of viscosity is substantially limited, thereby failing to prevent bubble deformation as in the inviscid case. Our results suggest that Braginskii viscosity is unlikely to be the primary mechanism for suppressing the fluid instabilities for AGN bubbles, and it remains a challenging task to reproduce smooth and coherent bubbles as observed. Because the dynamical influence and heating of the ICM critically depend on the bubble morphology, our study highlights the fundamental role of "microphysics" on the macroscopic properties of AGN feedback processes.