New Results from Chandra

Abstract

We discuss two themes from Chandra observations of galaxies and clusters. First, we describe the effects of radio-emitting plasmas or ``bubbles'', inflated by active galactic nuclei, on the hot X-ray emitting gaseous atmospheres in galaxies and clusters. We describe the interaction of the ``bubbles'' and the X-ray emitting gas as the buoyant bubbles rise through the hot gas. Second, we describe sharp, edge-like surface brightness structures in clusters. Chandra observations show that these features are not shock fronts as was originally thought, but ``cold fronts'', most likely the boundaries of the remaining cores of merger components. Finally, we present recent observations of M86 and NGC507 which show similar sharp features around galaxies. For M86, the sharp edge is the boundary between the galaxy's X-ray corona and the Virgo cluster gas. The structures around NGC507, the central galaxy in a group, could be relics of galaxy formation or may reflect the motion of NGC507 in the larger potential of the group.