Open AccessChandra detection of the intracluster medium around 3C 294 at z = 1.786
Author(s) -
Fabian A. C.,
Crawford C. S.,
Ettori S.,
Sanders J. S.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
monthly notices of the royal astronomical society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.058
H-Index - 383
eISSN - 1365-2966
pISSN - 0035-8711
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-8711.2001.04361.x
Subject(s) - physics , astrophysics , intracluster medium , galaxy cluster , redshift , radio galaxy , luminosity , astronomy , cluster (spacecraft) , galaxy , computer science , programming language
We present a Chandra observation of the powerful radio galaxy 3C 294 showing clear evidence for a surrounding intracluster medium. At a redshift of 1.786 this is the most distant cluster of galaxies yet detected in X‐rays. The radio core is detected as a point source, which has a spectrum consistent with a heavily absorbed power law, implying an intrinsic 2–10 keV luminosity of ∼10 45 erg s −1 . A small excess of emission is associated with the southern radio hotspots. The soft, diffuse emission from the intracluster medium is centred on the radio source. It has an hourglass shape in the north–south direction, extending to radii of at least 100 kpc, well beyond the radio source. The X‐ray spectrum of this extended component is fitted by a thermal model with temperature ∼5 keV, or by gas cooling from above 7 keV at rates of ∼ 400–700 M ⊙ yr −1 . The rest‐frame 0.3–10 keV luminosity of the cluster is ∼ 4.5×10 44 erg s −1 . The existence of such a cluster is consistent with a low‐density universe.