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M. W. Wise (MIT), B. R. McNamara (Ohio Univ.), J. C. Houck, D. S. Davis, C. R. Canizares (MIT), P. E. J. Nulsen (UW), L. P. David (CfA)
With the launch of the Chandra X-Ray Observatory, we are getting our first detailed look at the central structure of clusters of galaxies. The mirrors onboard Chandra provide 0.5 arcsec resolution. This capability is proving especially valuable in studying the cores of clusters out to higher redshifts. In this work, we will present results on five representative cooling flow clusters: NGC 1275, Hydra A, A2597, PKS 0745-191, and MS2137.3-2353. These clusters span a range in redshift from 0.0175 to 0.323 as well as a range in cooling flow properties. Structures indicative of interactions between the central radio source and the core ICM are seen in 3 of the 5 objects suggesting such interactions are in fact common in cluster cooling cores. In addition to these radio source/ICM interactions, we discuss results on temperature and abundance gradients, mass deposition profiles, and cluster masses for these objects.
This research is funded under NASA contract NAS8-38249 and SAO SV1-61010 as well as Chandra Award Number GO0-1003X issued by the Chandra X-Ray Observatory Center.