The mixing and transport properties of the intra cluster medium: a numerical study using tracers particles

¹ INAF/Istituto di Radioastronomia, via Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy e-mail: vazza@ira.inaf.it
² CINECA, High Performance System Division, Casalecchio di Reno, Bologna, Italy

Received: 13 October 2009
Accepted: 17 January 2010

Abstract

We present a study of the mixing properties of the simulated intra cluster medium, using tracers particles that are advected by the gas flow during the evolution of cosmic structures. Using a sample of seven galaxy clusters (with masses in the range of M ~ 2-3 × 10¹⁴ M/h) simulated with a peak resolution of 25 kpc/h up to the distance of two virial radii from their centers, we investigate the application of tracers to some important problems concerning the mixing of the ICM. The transport properties of the evolving ICM are studied through the analysis of pair dispersion statistics and mixing distributions. As an application, we focus on the transport of metals in the ICM. We adopt simple scenarios for the injection of metal tracers in the ICM, and find remarkable differences of metallicity profiles in relaxed and merger systems also through the analysis of simulated emission from Doppler-shifted Fe XXIII lines.