Abell 2255


Abell 2255 is a rich galaxy cluster containing some 300-500 galaxies located at a relatively nearby distance of redshift z=0.08. It has a radius that spans 16.3 million light years. X-ray observations of Abell 2255 indicate that it had recently gone through a merger event with another galaxy cluster around 0.15 billion years ago based on XMM-newton observatory observations of temperature asymmetries of its intracluster medium.

Contents

The cluster of Abell 2255 is known to not be smooth but a messy and intricate system of large galactic filaments, radio galaxies, radio halos, relativistic particles, strong magnetic fields etc.

Filamentary structures

It has been found that this cluster had elongated filamentary structures that stretch from 260,000-360,000 light years. For comparison, these filaments are over three times the width of the Milky Way. However the thickness of these filaments and less than a tenth of the width of the Milky Way galaxy. The turbulent motion within the galaxy cluster of Abell 2255 caused the formation of these filaments. Then they mixed with the dust and gas within the intracluster medium.

Radio halo

Located towards the center of the galaxy cluster are a large number of head-tail radio galaxies along a radio halo that was one of the first radio halos detected in the interacted medium. It has a complex structure. The origin of this radio halo is still unknown. The main difficulty explaining of the radio halo is its size which is up to 1 mpc in size.

Magnetic fields

Abell 2255 has a magnetic field that extends towards the outskirts of the cluster. But the magnetic field Abell 2255 has is over 100 times denser than expected from primordial magnetic fields. It also accelerates particles to near light speed.

Relativistic particles

It also contains many relativistic particles moving at speeds close to the speed of light emitting radiation in the radio band when interacting with the magnetic fields of Abell 2255. Kinetic energy from shocks and turbulence efficiently transfer energy into theses particles helping them reach their fast speeds. Another factor accelerating particles are the dense magnetic fields of Abell 2255.