A deep spectroscopic study of the filamentary nebulosity in NGC4696, the brightest cluster galaxy in the Centaurus cluster

R. E.A. Canning; A. C. Fabian; R. M. Johnstone; J. S. Sanders; C. S. Crawford; G. J. Ferland; N. A. Hatch

doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2011.19470.x

A deep spectroscopic study of the filamentary nebulosity in NGC4696, the brightest cluster galaxy in the Centaurus cluster

R. E.A. Canning, A. C. Fabian, R. M. Johnstone, J. S. Sanders, C. S. Crawford, G. J. Ferland, N. A. Hatch

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

20 Scopus citations

Abstract

We present results of deep integral-field spectroscopy observations using high-resolution optical (4150-7200Å) VLT VIsible MultiObject Spectrograph spectra of NGC 4696, the dominant galaxy in the Centaurus cluster (Abell 3526). After the Virgo cluster, this is the second nearest (z= 0.0104) example of a cool-core cluster. NGC 4696 is surrounded by a vast, luminous Hα emission-line nebula (L_Hα= 2.2 × 10⁴⁰ergs^-1). We explore the origin and excitation of the emission-line filaments and find their origin consistent with being drawn out, under rising radio bubbles, into the intracluster medium as in other similar systems. Contrary to previous observations, we do not observe evidence for shock excitation of the outer filaments. Our optical spectra are consistent with the recent particle heating excitation mechanism of Ferland et al.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	3080-3099
Number of pages	20
Journal	Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Volume	417
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2011.19470.x
State	Published - Nov 2011

Funding

Funders	Funder number
U.S. Department of Energy Chinese Academy of Sciences Guangzhou Municipal Science and Technology Project Oak Ridge National Laboratory Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment National Science Foundation National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center National Natural Science Foundation of China	1109061
U.S. Department of Energy Chinese Academy of Sciences Guangzhou Municipal Science and Technology Project Oak Ridge National Laboratory Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment National Science Foundation National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center National Natural Science Foundation of China
Science and Technology Facilities Council	ST/J000647/1, ST/G002339/1, ST/I001212/1, ST/F00723X/1, ST/H00243X/1, ST/G004994/1, ST/J001538/1
Science and Technology Facilities Council

Keywords

Galaxies: clusters: individual: Centaurus
Galaxies: individual: NGC 4696

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

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10.1111/j.1365-2966.2011.19470.x

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title = "A deep spectroscopic study of the filamentary nebulosity in NGC4696, the brightest cluster galaxy in the Centaurus cluster",

abstract = "We present results of deep integral-field spectroscopy observations using high-resolution optical (4150-7200{\AA}) VLT VIsible MultiObject Spectrograph spectra of NGC 4696, the dominant galaxy in the Centaurus cluster (Abell 3526). After the Virgo cluster, this is the second nearest (z= 0.0104) example of a cool-core cluster. NGC 4696 is surrounded by a vast, luminous Hα emission-line nebula (LHα= 2.2 × 1040ergs-1). We explore the origin and excitation of the emission-line filaments and find their origin consistent with being drawn out, under rising radio bubbles, into the intracluster medium as in other similar systems. Contrary to previous observations, we do not observe evidence for shock excitation of the outer filaments. Our optical spectra are consistent with the recent particle heating excitation mechanism of Ferland et al.",

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author = "Canning, \{R. E.A.\} and Fabian, \{A. C.\} and Johnstone, \{R. M.\} and Sanders, \{J. S.\} and Crawford, \{C. S.\} and Ferland, \{G. J.\} and Hatch, \{N. A.\}",

year = "2011",

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doi = "10.1111/j.1365-2966.2011.19470.x",

language = "English",

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T1 - A deep spectroscopic study of the filamentary nebulosity in NGC4696, the brightest cluster galaxy in the Centaurus cluster

AU - Canning, R. E.A.

AU - Fabian, A. C.

AU - Johnstone, R. M.

AU - Sanders, J. S.

AU - Crawford, C. S.

AU - Ferland, G. J.

AU - Hatch, N. A.

PY - 2011/11

Y1 - 2011/11

N2 - We present results of deep integral-field spectroscopy observations using high-resolution optical (4150-7200Å) VLT VIsible MultiObject Spectrograph spectra of NGC 4696, the dominant galaxy in the Centaurus cluster (Abell 3526). After the Virgo cluster, this is the second nearest (z= 0.0104) example of a cool-core cluster. NGC 4696 is surrounded by a vast, luminous Hα emission-line nebula (LHα= 2.2 × 1040ergs-1). We explore the origin and excitation of the emission-line filaments and find their origin consistent with being drawn out, under rising radio bubbles, into the intracluster medium as in other similar systems. Contrary to previous observations, we do not observe evidence for shock excitation of the outer filaments. Our optical spectra are consistent with the recent particle heating excitation mechanism of Ferland et al.

AB - We present results of deep integral-field spectroscopy observations using high-resolution optical (4150-7200Å) VLT VIsible MultiObject Spectrograph spectra of NGC 4696, the dominant galaxy in the Centaurus cluster (Abell 3526). After the Virgo cluster, this is the second nearest (z= 0.0104) example of a cool-core cluster. NGC 4696 is surrounded by a vast, luminous Hα emission-line nebula (LHα= 2.2 × 1040ergs-1). We explore the origin and excitation of the emission-line filaments and find their origin consistent with being drawn out, under rising radio bubbles, into the intracluster medium as in other similar systems. Contrary to previous observations, we do not observe evidence for shock excitation of the outer filaments. Our optical spectra are consistent with the recent particle heating excitation mechanism of Ferland et al.

KW - Galaxies: clusters: individual: Centaurus

KW - Galaxies: individual: NGC 4696

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A deep spectroscopic study of the filamentary nebulosity in NGC4696, the brightest cluster galaxy in the Centaurus cluster

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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