Inflating a chain of X-ray-deficient bubbles by a single jet activity episode

Abstract

We show that a continuous jet with time-independent launching properties can inflate a chain of close and overlapping X-ray deficient bubbles. Using the numerical code PLUTO we run 2.5D (i.e., a spherical coordinate system with cylindrical symmetry) hydrodynamic simulations and study the interaction of the jets with the intracluster medium. A key process is vortex fragmentation due to several mechanisms, including vortex-shedding and Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities. Our results can account for the structure of two opposite chains of close bubbles as observed in the galaxy cluster Hydra A. Our results imply that the presence of multiple pairs of bubbles does not necessarily imply several jet-launching episodes. This finding might have implications for feedback mechanisms operating by jets. © 2012 The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.