Chandra Observations of Early-type Galaxies

Abstract

We have performed uniform analysis of a sample of 54 nearby, early-type galaxies observed with \emph{Chandra}. In this work we present the spectral results for both the diffuse Interstellar Medium, ISM, and low-mass X-ray binaries, LMXBs. We determine the metallicity of the hot ISM in the 22 brightest galaxies and find a narrow range of abundance ratios relative to iron. The average iron metallicity of these bright galaxies is $0.96\pm 0.33$ relative to solar. By assuming these enrichment patterns continue to fainter galaxies, we are able to extend accurate ISM modeling down to the faintest galaxies in the sample. The sample of galaxies span 4.5 orders of magnitude in X-ray luminosity starting at $L_X=10^{38}erg\cdot s^{-1}$ and the average gas temperature in the sample is $0.58\pm 0.24keV$. We present the X-ray properties of these galaxies scaled to one effective radius as well as radial variations of gas and stellar binary luminosities, and radial variations of gas temperature, metallicity, mass, entropy and density.

Chapter IV from PhD Thesis listed below. Thesis advisor: Joel N. Bregman

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• The Abundance Pattern in the Hot ISM of NGC 4472: Insights and Anomalies
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