THE COMPLEX CORE OF ABELL 2199: THE X-RAY and RADIO INTERACTION

The cluster Abell 2199 is one of the prototypical “cooling flow” clusters. Its central cD galaxy is host to a steep-spectrum radio source, of the type associated with cooling cores. In this paper we combine radio data with new ROSAT HRI data to show that conditions in its inner core, < ∼ 50 kpc, are complex and interesting. Energy and momentum flux from the radio jet have been significant in the dynamics of the gas in the core. In addition, the Faraday data detects a dynamically important magnetic field there. The core of the X-ray luminous gas is not a simple, spherically symmetric cooling inflow. In addition, we believe the X-ray gas has had strong effects on the radio source. It seems to have disrupted the jet flow, which has led to dynamical history very different from the usual radio galaxy. This particular source is much younger than the galaxy, which suggests the disruptive effects lead to an on-off duty cycle for such sources. Subject headings: galaxies:clusters:individual(Abell 2199)— galaxies:individual (NGC6166,3C338)—galaxies:elliptical and lenticular, cD—galaxies:jets— galaxies:magnetic fields—radio continuum:galaxies—X-rays:galaxies