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Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

A 13CO Detection in a Massive Molecular Gas Flow in Abell 1795’s Central Galaxy

  • J A Gray1
  • H R Russell1
  • F Combes2
  • O Almaini1
  • P E J Nulsen3,4
  • A C Fabian5
  • B R McNamara6
  • T Rose6
  • P Salomé2
6 affiliations
  1. 1School of Physics, and Astronomy, University of Nottingham , Nottingham, NG7 2RD ,
  2. 2Observatoire de Paris, LUX, Collége de France, CNRS, PSL University, Sorbonne University , 75014, Paris
  3. 3ICRAR, University of Western Australia , 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009 ,
  4. 4Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian , 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 ,
  5. 5Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge , Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HA ,
  6. 6200 University Avenue West Waterloo Centre for Astrophysics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, , Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1 ,
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Abstract

We present new ALMA 13CO(2-1) observations of the central galaxy in the cool-core cluster Abell 1795, targeting the origin of extended molecular filaments. The filaments extend for 5–7 kpc and are closely drawn up around large radio bubbles inflated by jets from the central active galactic nucleus (AGN). Smooth velocity gradients along their lengths are consistent with entrained flows lifted by the expanding bubbles. Here we detect the northern molecular filament in the low-opacity molecular tracer 13CO(2-1) , which can provide a more reliable measure of the molecular gas mass and conditions than 12CO . The velocity structure in 13CO(2-1) is consistent with that of the 12CO (2-1) emission. Using a range of plausible excitation temperatures and covering fractions, we thereby determine a filament molecular gas mass of (0.1–2) × 109 M⊙, or down to an order of magnitude below previous estimates. This implies a CO-to-H2 conversion factor of αCO = 0.4–5 M⊙ (K km s−1 pc2)−1 in the filament, or ∼ 0.1–1 times the standard assumption of the Milky Way value. Direct entrainment by the N radio bubble is now plausible, as it can provide sufficient mechanical energy and buoyant support for the molecular gas flow. Similarly, measured X-ray cooling rates are also now consistent with in-situ condensation of uplifted, low-entropy hot gas. Both formation mechanisms require multiple generations of bubbles at higher filament masses.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{gray202613co,
  title = {{A 13CO Detection in a Massive Molecular Gas Flow in Abell 1795’s Central Galaxy}},
  author = {J A Gray and H R Russell and F Combes and O Almaini and P E J Nulsen and A C Fabian and B R McNamara and T Rose and P Salomé},
  journal = {Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.1093/mnras/stag1970},
  url = {https://academic.oup.com/mnras/advance-article/doi/10.1093/mnras/stag1970/8931752},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - A 13CO Detection in a Massive Molecular Gas Flow in Abell 1795’s Central Galaxy
AU  - J A Gray
AU  - H R Russell
AU  - F Combes
AU  - O Almaini
AU  - P E J Nulsen
AU  - A C Fabian
AU  - B R McNamara
AU  - T Rose
AU  - P Salomé
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/16
JO  - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
DO  - 10.1093/mnras/stag1970
UR  - https://academic.oup.com/mnras/advance-article/doi/10.1093/mnras/stag1970/8931752
AB  - We present new ALMA 13CO(2-1) observations of the central galaxy in the cool-core cluster Abell 1795, targeting the origin of extended molecular filaments. The filaments extend for 5–7 kpc and are closely drawn up around large radio bubbles inflated by jets from the central active galactic nucleus (AGN). Smooth velocity gradients along their lengths are consistent with entrained flows lifted by the expanding bubbles. Here we detect the northern molecular filament in the low-opacity molecular tracer 13CO(2-1) , which can provide a more reliable measure of the molecular gas mass and conditions than 12CO . The velocity structure in 13CO(2-1) is consistent with that of the 12CO (2-1) emission. Using a range of plausible excitation temperatures and covering fractions, we thereby determine a filament molecular gas mass of (0.1–2) × 109 M⊙, or down to an order of magnitude below previous estimates. This implies a CO-to-H2 conversion factor of αCO = 0.4–5 M⊙ (K km s−1 pc2)−1 in the filament, or ∼ 0.1–1 times the standard assumption of the Milky Way value. Direct entrainment by the N radio bubble is now plausible, as it can provide sufficient mechanical energy and buoyant support for the molecular gas flow. Similarly, measured X-ray cooling rates are also now consistent with in-situ condensation of uplifted, low-entropy hot gas. Both formation mechanisms require multiple generations of bubbles at higher filament masses.
SN  - 0035-8711
SN  - 1365-2966
ER  -