Coulomb interactions in the intracluster medium

Abstract

In this paper we discuss the effect of Coulomb collisions on the temperature profiles of the intracluster medium in clusters of galaxies, motivated by recent reports of negative temperature gradients in some clusters by Markevitch et al. The timescale for electrons and protons to reach temperature equilibrium can exceed a few billion years beyond radii of a Mpc, if the intracluster gas is assumed to be at the usual cluster virial temperature. If a cluster merger has occurred within that time causing the protons, but not the electrons, to be rapidly heated then a small negative temperature gradient can result. This gradient is larger in clusters with high temperatures and steep density profiles. Applying these considerations to the cluster of galaxies A2163, we conclude that, more plausibly, the observed gradient is due to a lack of hydrostatic equilibrium following a merger.