paper

Three-dimensional Magnetohydrodynamic Simulations of Cold Fronts in Magnetically Turbulent ICM

arXiv:astro-ph/0703536 · doi:10.1086/518235

Abstract

Steep gradients of temperature and density, called cold fronts, are observed by Chandra in a leading edge of subclusters moving through the intracluster medium (ICM). The presence of cold fronts indicates that thermal conduction across the front is suppressed by magnetic fields. We carried out three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations including anisotropic thermal conduction of a subcluster moving through a magnetically turbulent ICM. We found that turbulent magnetic fields are stretched and amplified by shear flows along the interface between the subcluster and the ambient ICM. Since magnetic fields reduce the efficiency of thermal conduction across the front, the cold front survives at least 1 Gyr. We also found that a moving subcluster works as an amplifier of magnetic fields. Numerical results indicate that stretched turbulent magnetic fields accumulate behind the subcluster and are further amplified by vortex motions. The moving subcluster creates a long tail of ordered magnetic fields, in which the magnetic field strength attains plasma beta < 10.

17 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ. For a version with high quality figures, see http://www.astro.phys.s.chiba-u.ac.jp/~asai/astro-ph-apj07.html

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