Inhomogeneous Metallicities and Cluster Cooling Flows

Abstract

The theme of this contribution is the idea that the metals in the intracluster medium (ICM) may be inhomogeneously distributed on small scales. We focus on the possible interplay between this and the cooling flow process. We begin with a brief review of some evidence for a patchy distribution of metals in the ICM. Next we outline a simple numerical model for this within the framework of the cooling flow hypothesis. Finally we present some of our recent results on the presence of gradients in the observed abundance profiles.