"Listening" To Cluster Cooling Flows: Radio Emission and the Cluster Environment

Abstract

The radio continuum properties of galaxy clusters with cooling flows are reviewed along with the relationship to the X-ray environment. We find that 60-70% of cD galaxies in cooling flows are radio-loud, a much higher fraction than the 14% found for typical cluster ellipticals. New ROSAT HRI observations reveal a variety of interesting correlations and anticorrelations between the X-ray structure within the inner cooling flows and the radio morphologies. It appears that the radio plasma can have a strong effect on the inner structure of cluster cooling cores as virtually all cooling flow clusters with central radio sources have non-symmetric X-ray structure. Numerical simulations of radio jets in cooling flow atmospheres are presented. We also discuss the prospects for destroying cooling flows via cluster-cluster mergers, using new hydro/N-body simulations which incorporate radiative cooling.