Energetics of Jet Interactions with the Intracluster Medium

Abstract

An interpretation of X-ray observations of the (intracluster) gas in galaxy clusters, when combined with significant numerical work in simulating cluster formation, suggests that an additional heating mechanism is required to explain the dynamics and temperature profile in the intracluster medium (ICM). In addition to shock heating, star formation, and supernovae, a likely candidate for a heating mechanism for the ICM comes from the jets of material originating in the cores of active radio galaxies, themselves located in the cores of clusters. These large-scale jets propagate outward from the core of the galaxy into the intracluster medium. In this paper, we discuss the origin and energetics of these jets, the mechanisms of their propagation and energy loss, their constitution, and the likely consequences of their interactions with the intracluster medium in clusters of galaxies.