EXPLORING HOT GAS AT JUNCTIONS OF GALAXY FILAMENTS WITH SUZAKU

We performed five pointing observations with Suzaku to search for hot gases associated with the junctions of galaxy filaments where no significant diffuse X-ray sources were previously detected. We discovered X-ray sources successfully in all five regions including merging groups of galaxies, Suzaku J0957+2610 and Suzaku J1134+2105, and analyzed two bright sources in each field. Spectral analysis indicates that three sources originate from X-ray diffuse halos associated with optically bright galaxies or groups of galaxies with kT ∼ 0.6–0.8 keV. The three other sources are possibly group- and cluster-scale X-ray halos with temperatures of ∼1 keV and ∼4 keV, respectively while the others are compact object origins such as active galactic nuclei. All of the three observed intracluster media within the junctions of the galaxy filaments previously found are involved in ongoing mergers. Thus, we demonstrate that deep X-ray observations at the filament junctions identified by galaxy surveys are a powerful means to explore previously undetected growing halos in a hierarchical structure.