XMM Observations of Abundances in the Intracluster Medium

Abstract

Based on XMM-Newton observations of M 87 and the Centaurus cluster, abundance profiles of various elements of the intracluster medium (ICM) are derived. The abundances of Si and Fe show strong decreasing gradients. In contrast, the O and Mg abundances are about half of the Si abundance at the center.From the gas mass to stellar mass ratio and the comparison of Mg abundance with the stellar metallicity, the stellar mass loss from the central galaxies is indicated to be the main source of gas in the very central region of the clusters.The observed O, Si and Fe abundance pattern determines the contribution of supernova (SN) Ia and SN II, with the abundance pattern of ejecta of SN Ia. Most of the Si and Fe of the ICM in the central region of the clusters comes from SN Ia which occured in the central galaxies. In order to explain the observed O/Si ratio of a half solar, SN Ia products should have similar abundances of Si and Fe, which may reflect dimmer SN Ia observed in old stellar systems.