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Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0The Astrophysical Journal

Are X-Ray Atmospheres Heated by Turbulent Dissipation? XRISM Constraints

  • B. R. McNamara1
  • A. C. Fabian2
  • H. R. Russell3
  • P. E. J. Nulsen4,5
  • A. Simionescu6,7,8
  • A. Majumder1,6
  • E. D. Miller9
  • A. Sarkar9,10
10 affiliations
  1. 1University of Waterloo
  2. 2Cambridge University
  3. 3University of Nottingham
  4. 4University of Western Australia
  5. 5Center for Astrophysics ∣ Harvard & Smithsonian
  6. 6SRON Space Research Organisation Netherlands
  7. 7Leiden University
  8. 8The University of Tokyo
  9. 9Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  10. 10University of Arkansas
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Abstract

We evaluate whether dissipation of turbulence injected into hot cluster atmospheres by jets and bubbles can offset radiative cooling flows. No trends are found between atmospheric velocity dispersion, σ v , and either the ratio of kinetic to thermal energy or jet power over nearly four decades of jet power. Apparently, jets disperse their energy gently at roughly constant energy per gram of gas. Assuming the velocity dispersions at the centers of Perseus, Virgo, and Hydra A reflect jetted turbulence, up to roughly half the bubble enthalpy could be dissipated by turbulent motion. A model is presented that balances radiation losses and turbulent power injected by radio bubbles rising at their terminal speeds. The model is anchored by XRISM measurements of σ v and is governed by the ratio of the bubble’s terminal speed to the atmospheric sound speed. Bubbles must rise close to the sound speed and impart energy with a broad range of injection scales to heat the entire cooling volume. The level of turbulence in the powerful Hydra A system may offset cooling over some of the cooling volume provided its velocity dispersion is pure turbulence and not broadening due to unresolved bulk motion. However, turbulent dissipation would struggle and probably fail to balance cooling in Perseus and Virgo, except perhaps in their inner regions. Several factors including low velocity dispersions, small injection scales, short duty cycles, anisotropic turbulence injection, and long turbulent diffusion timescales present severe challenges for jetted turbulence heating models.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{mcnamara2026xray,
  title = {{Are X-Ray Atmospheres Heated by Turbulent Dissipation? XRISM Constraints}},
  author = {B. R. McNamara and A. C. Fabian and H. R. Russell and P. E. J. Nulsen and A. Simionescu and A. Majumder and E. D. Miller and A. Sarkar},
  journal = {The Astrophysical Journal},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.3847/1538-4357/aea13b},
  url = {https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-4357/aea13b},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Are X-Ray Atmospheres Heated by Turbulent Dissipation? XRISM Constraints
AU  - B. R. McNamara
AU  - A. C. Fabian
AU  - H. R. Russell
AU  - P. E. J. Nulsen
AU  - A. Simionescu
AU  - A. Majumder
AU  - E. D. Miller
AU  - A. Sarkar
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/05
JO  - The Astrophysical Journal
DO  - 10.3847/1538-4357/aea13b
UR  - https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-4357/aea13b
AB  - We evaluate whether dissipation of turbulence injected into hot cluster atmospheres by jets and bubbles can offset radiative cooling flows. No trends are found between atmospheric velocity dispersion, σ v , and either the ratio of kinetic to thermal energy or jet power over nearly four decades of jet power. Apparently, jets disperse their energy gently at roughly constant energy per gram of gas. Assuming the velocity dispersions at the centers of Perseus, Virgo, and Hydra A reflect jetted turbulence, up to roughly half the bubble enthalpy could be dissipated by turbulent motion. A model is presented that balances radiation losses and turbulent power injected by radio bubbles rising at their terminal speeds. The model is anchored by XRISM measurements of σ v and is governed by the ratio of the bubble’s terminal speed to the atmospheric sound speed. Bubbles must rise close to the sound speed and impart energy with a broad range of injection scales to heat the entire cooling volume. The level of turbulence in the powerful Hydra A system may offset cooling over some of the cooling volume provided its velocity dispersion is pure turbulence and not broadening due to unresolved bulk motion. However, turbulent dissipation would struggle and probably fail to balance cooling in Perseus and Virgo, except perhaps in their inner regions. Several factors including low velocity dispersions, small injection scales, short duty cycles, anisotropic turbulence injection, and long turbulent diffusion timescales present severe challenges for jetted turbulence heating models.
SN  - 0004-637X
SN  - 1538-4357
ER  -