Tracing Early Cosmic Chemical Enrichment: A Uniform XMM-Newton Survey of Metallicity in Galaxy Groups and Clusters
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2025
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| _version_ | 1866912721071505408 |
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| author | Blackwell, Anne E Bregman, Joel N Davis, Sophia Chan |
| author_facet | Blackwell, Anne E Bregman, Joel N Davis, Sophia Chan |
| contents | Observed metal abundances in the intracluster medium (ICM) of galaxy groups and clusters, $Z_{ICM}$, exceed what is expected from present-day stellar populations alone. Galaxy clusters are presumed to be near closed-box systems, allowing constraints to be placed on the origins of metals and stellar populations responsible for $Z_{ICM}$. We present a uniform XMM-Newton survey of 26 galaxy groups and clusters, measuring radial metallicity profiles and relating $Z_{ICM}$ with the stellar fraction $M_*/M_{gas}$. We determine $Z_{ICM}$ via spectral fitting across multiple annuli finding a best fit of $Z_{ICM} = -0.08^{+0.07}_{-0.07}\, log\left(\frac{M_*}{M_{gas}}\right) + 0.30^{+0.06}_{-0.06}$ with intrinsic scatter $σ_p = 0.09^{+0.02}_{-0.01}$. We use closed-box chemical evolution models to estimate the metallicity yield from observable stellar populations, incorporating updated supernova yields and corrections for metals locked in remnants, $Z_* = (1.14 \pm 0.52) \, log\left(1 + \frac{M_*}{M_{gas}}\right)$. Our results demonstrate that present-day stellar populations systematically underpredict $Z_{ICM}$, with an inferred excess component increasing in systems with low $M_*/M_{gas}$. This trend supports the need for an early enrichment population (EEP) distinct from visible stars, $Z_{EEP}$. We find this necessity holds when reconsidering the closed-box assumption by removing all galaxy groups, potential leaky systems, deriving $Z_{EEP}$ within $1σ$ when including and excluding groups. Three systems (NGC1132, NGC5098, and NGC4325) deviate from the survey trend, exhibiting steep negative radial metallicity gradients and unusually low $Z_{ICM}$. We posit these systems to be late-forming whose ICM enrichment reflects only recent stellar populations. Our analysis quantifies the necessity of an EEP and provides trends for testing cluster chemical evolution models. |
| format | Preprint |
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arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2511_16448 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Tracing Early Cosmic Chemical Enrichment: A Uniform XMM-Newton Survey of Metallicity in Galaxy Groups and Clusters Blackwell, Anne E Bregman, Joel N Davis, Sophia Chan High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics Astrophysics of Galaxies Observed metal abundances in the intracluster medium (ICM) of galaxy groups and clusters, $Z_{ICM}$, exceed what is expected from present-day stellar populations alone. Galaxy clusters are presumed to be near closed-box systems, allowing constraints to be placed on the origins of metals and stellar populations responsible for $Z_{ICM}$. We present a uniform XMM-Newton survey of 26 galaxy groups and clusters, measuring radial metallicity profiles and relating $Z_{ICM}$ with the stellar fraction $M_*/M_{gas}$. We determine $Z_{ICM}$ via spectral fitting across multiple annuli finding a best fit of $Z_{ICM} = -0.08^{+0.07}_{-0.07}\, log\left(\frac{M_*}{M_{gas}}\right) + 0.30^{+0.06}_{-0.06}$ with intrinsic scatter $σ_p = 0.09^{+0.02}_{-0.01}$. We use closed-box chemical evolution models to estimate the metallicity yield from observable stellar populations, incorporating updated supernova yields and corrections for metals locked in remnants, $Z_* = (1.14 \pm 0.52) \, log\left(1 + \frac{M_*}{M_{gas}}\right)$. Our results demonstrate that present-day stellar populations systematically underpredict $Z_{ICM}$, with an inferred excess component increasing in systems with low $M_*/M_{gas}$. This trend supports the need for an early enrichment population (EEP) distinct from visible stars, $Z_{EEP}$. We find this necessity holds when reconsidering the closed-box assumption by removing all galaxy groups, potential leaky systems, deriving $Z_{EEP}$ within $1σ$ when including and excluding groups. Three systems (NGC1132, NGC5098, and NGC4325) deviate from the survey trend, exhibiting steep negative radial metallicity gradients and unusually low $Z_{ICM}$. We posit these systems to be late-forming whose ICM enrichment reflects only recent stellar populations. Our analysis quantifies the necessity of an EEP and provides trends for testing cluster chemical evolution models. |
| title | Tracing Early Cosmic Chemical Enrichment: A Uniform XMM-Newton Survey of Metallicity in Galaxy Groups and Clusters |
| topic | High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics Astrophysics of Galaxies |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.16448 |