Detection of hot gas in clusters of galaxies by observation of the microwave background radiation


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ABSTRACT THE Uhuru (ref. 1) and the Ariel V (ref. 27) satellites have shown that many rich clusters are powerful sources of X rays. This emission has been interpreted either as thermal


bremsstrahlung of very hot gas filling the clusters3,4, or as inverse Compton scattering of photons by relativistic electrons5,6. Spectral evidence2 has begun to favour a thermal origin for


this radiation, implying the existence of large amounts of hot gas. Such gas would have a profound influence upon the dynamics of radio sources, and its mass might well be a substantial


fraction of that of the whole cluster. Hot gas may therefore be a major constituent of the Universe, so that independent confirmation of its existence is extremely important. We present here


observations of small diminutions in the cosmic microwave background radiation in the directions of several rich clusters of galaxies. This confirms the existence of large amounts of very


hot gas in these clusters and indicates that their X radiation is thermal bremsstrahlung and not inverse Compton emission. Access through your institution Buy or subscribe This is a preview


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ADDITIONAL ACCESS OPTIONS: * Log in * Learn about institutional subscriptions * Read our FAQs * Contact customer support SIMILAR CONTENT BEING VIEWED BY OTHERS GALAXY CLUSTERS ENVELOPED BY


VAST VOLUMES OF RELATIVISTIC ELECTRONS Article Open access 28 September 2022 FAST MAGNETIC FIELD AMPLIFICATION IN DISTANT GALAXY CLUSTERS Article 02 November 2020 THE DIFFUSE GAMMA-RAY FLUX


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  ADS  Google Scholar  Download references AUTHOR INFORMATION AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS * Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory, Cavendish Laboratory, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0HE, UK S.


F. GULL & K. J. E. NORTHOVER Authors * S. F. GULL View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * K. J. E. NORTHOVER View author publications You


can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE GULL, S., NORTHOVER, K. Detection of hot gas in


clusters of galaxies by observation of the microwave background radiation. _Nature_ 263, 572–573 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1038/263572a0 Download citation * Received: 01 July 1976 *


Accepted: 27 August 1976 * Issue Date: 14 October 1976 * DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/263572a0 SHARE THIS ARTICLE Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:


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