Open AccessMagnetic fields in the Centaurus cluster
Author(s) -
Taylor G. B.,
Fabian A. C.,
Allen S. W.
Publication year - 2002
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.1365-8711.2002.05555.x
Subject(s) - physics , cooling flow , faraday effect , astrophysics , galaxy cluster , cluster (spacecraft) , centaurus a , magnetic field , context (archaeology) , radio galaxy , astronomy , galaxy groups and clusters , rotation (mathematics) , galaxy , geometry , mathematics , paleontology , quantum mechanics , computer science , biology , programming language
We present multifrequency Very Large Array (VLA) observations of the radio galaxy PKS 1246−410 at the centre of the Centaurus cluster, and compare these results with recent Chandra observations. The unusual radio morphology of PKS 1246−410 probably results from interactions with the hot, X‐ray‐emitting gas. This gas, along with cluster magnetic fields, also produces substantial Faraday rotation measures towards PKS 1246−410. We discuss these observations in the context of a sample of 14 luminous X‐ray clusters with embedded radio galaxies and possible cooling flows. A correlation is found between the cooling flow rate and the maximum Faraday rotation measures. Magnetic fields of strength 10–40 μG are found to be common to the centres of clusters with strong cooling flows, and somewhat lower field strengths of 2–10 μG are found in the non cooling‐flow clusters.