Cosmic furnace seen by XMM-Newton

This burst of color exhibits an enchanting discovery: a galaxy cluster performing as a cosmic furnace. The cluster is heating the fabric inside to lots of of tens of millions of levels Celsius – effectively over 25 occasions hotter than the core of the Solar.

The cluster, named HSC J023336-053022 (XLSSC 105), lies 4 billion light-years from Earth and was independently found by each ESA’s space-based XMM-Newton X-ray Observatory and NAOJ’s Subaru optical-infrared telescope in Hawaii, USA. XMM-Newton detected the cluster by way of the worldwide XXL survey, which is exploring two massive areas of area exterior our galaxy.

Galaxies will not be distributed randomly all through the Universe, and as a substitute exist inside teams and bigger clusters. These aggregations might be mammoth and generally comprise many hundreds of particular person galaxies in a single construction, all embedded in clumps of invisible dark matter. Totally different sub-groups of galaxies also can type inside a single cluster, as proven right here by the 2 blue-purple circles on both facet of centre. These circles mark the areas of two sub-clusters inside HSC J023336-053022 that are slowly shifting in direction of and colliding with each other, ‘shock heating’ fuel to intense temperatures within the course of.

To create this picture, three completely different worldwide groups of astronomers explored observations of the cluster throughout the electromagnetic spectrum, as a way to isolate and pinpoint completely different facets of this area of area. These facets are proven right here in several colors. Particular person galaxies inside the cluster present up in orange, and darkish matter – which maps the placement of the 2 sub-clusters – in blue (by way of optical observations from Subaru). Scorching, dense fuel exhibits up in inexperienced (X-ray from XMM-Newton), whereas scorching, skinny, high-pressure fuel exhibits up in crimson (radio from the Green Bank Telescope in Virginia, USA). This fuel is one thing often known as the ‘intracluster medium’, which permeates galaxy clusters and fills the area between galaxies.

The addition of radio observations makes this picture particular, as many research of collisions inside or between galaxy clusters haven’t captured this shock-heating course of – which is represented visually within the area the place inexperienced adjustments to crimson – in radio. This course of releases immense quantities of power and heats already scorching fuel to temperatures tens of occasions hotter. Earlier than shock heating, the fuel sits at round 40 million levels Celsius – already some 2.7 occasions hotter than the core of the Solar.