Exploring the Intracluster Medium from the Center to the Virial Radii

Intracluster medium (ICM) constitutes 90% of the baryons in galaxy clusters. The centers of the ICM often feature a sharp X-ray surface brightness peak. AGN mechanical feedback from the brightest cluster galaxy (BCG) is likely preventing the hot ICM from catastrophic cooling, although the exact mechanism remains poorly understood. A growing number of kiloparsec-scale multiphase filaments have been observed at cluster centers, mainly in H_α and CO, which would provide new insights into the feeding and feedback process in these systems. We applied a blind source separation algorithm to the Chandra observations of cooling flow clusters, which allows X-ray filaments to be isolated from the underlying cluster atmosphere. We found that the surface brightness of X-ray filaments appears to correlate with that of H_α, revealing the intimate relation of multiphase gas. ICM is also the reservoir of nearly all the metals that have ever been produced by member galaxies. I will highlight our study on the metal content of the ICM from cluster centers to the virial radii, as well as its implication for the enrichment process of the hot baryons. In this talk, I will also present our recent work on AGN populations in galaxy clusters.