Letter to the Editor

XMM-Newton observation of the most X-ray-luminous galaxy cluster RX J1347.5-1145

Institut für Astrophysik, Leopold-Franzens Universität Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 25, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria e-mail: myriam.gitti@uibk.ac.at

Received: 16 July 2004
Accepted: 25 September 2004

Abstract

We report on an XMM-Newton observation of RX J1347.5-1145 (), the most luminous X-ray cluster of galaxies currently known, with a luminosity erg/s in the [2–10] keV energy band. We present the first temperature map of this cluster, which shows a complex structure. It identifies the cool core and a hot region at radii 50–200 kpc to south-east of the main X-ray peak, at a position consistent with the subclump seen in the X-ray image. This structure is probably an indication of a submerger event. Excluding the data of the south-east quadrant, the cluster appears relatively relaxed and we estimate a total mass within 1.7 Mpc of . We find that the overall temperature of the cluster is  keV. The temperature profile shows a decline in the outer regions and a drop in the centre, indicating the presence of a cooling core which can be modelled by a cooling flow model with a minimum temperature ~2 keV and a very high mass accretion rate,  yr. We compare our results with previous observations from ROSAT, ASCA and Chandra.