New Results in X-ray Astronomy 2016

Wednesday 28 September 2016

Abstract Submission

Abstract submission has now closed and the programme of talks is available here. Abstracts for talks and posters at the meeting are listed below.

Talks

SMILE (Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer): X-ray imaging of the Sun-Earth connection

Graziella Branduardi-Raymont (MSSL-UCL)
SMILE is a novel space mission, under development, dedicated to study the dynamic coupling of the solar wind with the Earth’s magnetosphere in a global way never attempted before. From a highly elliptical Earth orbit SMILE will obtain X-ray images of the magnetosheath and polar cusps simultaneously with UV images of the Northern aurora, while making in situ solar wind/magnetosheath plasma and magnetic field measurements. X-ray imaging of the dayside magnetosheath and cusps is now possible thanks to the relatively recent discovery of solar wind charge exchange X-ray emission, first observed at comets, and subsequently found to occur in the vicinity of the Earth’s magnetosphere. SMILE will turn this unwanted background for astronomical observations into a diagnostic tool for the study of solar-terrestrial interactions, enabling us to trace and link the processes of solar wind injection in the magnetosphere with particle precipitation into the cusps and the aurora. SMILE is the first fully collaborative space mission from design to in-orbit operations between ESA and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, with a payload provided by European, Canadian and Chinese institutes, and is due for launch in 2021. This presentation will cover the science that SMILE will deliver and its impact, together with an overview of its payload and of the mission’s development.

Does the Solar Wind Create Jupiter’s X-ray Aurora?

Will Dunn (MSSL-UCL)
Jupiter’s soft X-ray aurora is produced by charge exchange from MeV/amu ions that precipitate into Jupiter’s atmosphere. It remains a mystery how Jupiter can generate the MeV energies needed to produce this aurora.  Recently, Jupiter’s soft X-ray aurora was found to show correlations with solar wind conditions. This suggests that the driver process of the X-ray emission may relate to the solar wind. However, the nature of the relationship between the Jovian magnetosphere and the solar wind remains in question. To better constrain the connection between solar wind parameters and the spatial, spectral and temporal X-ray signatures, we analyse Chandra and XMM-Newton campaigns from 2007.  At the time of these observations, the New Horizons spacecraft was conducting in-situ measurements upstream of Jupiter. We are particularly interested in learning about the causes of charge exchange and periodic X-ray emissions from non-planetary sources. Given the opportunity to connect in-situ environments with the observed X-ray emission at Jupiter, inter-disciplinary comparisons could help to constrain the X-ray drivers for Jupiter and a wide-range of other astrophysical environments.

Modelling decretion disc interactions in Be X-ray binaries with smoothed particle hydrodynamics

Rory Brown (Southampton)
Be/X-ray binaries are one of the largest populations of HMXBs that we currently observe. They are systems that contain a compact object and a Be star, with the latter ejecting matter into a large circumstellar disk where it can accrete on to the compact object and produce X-ray emission.  We use smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulations to model the disk and its interactions in Be/neutron star binaries.  I will discuss our model predictions for optical spectra, in particular Halpha profiles, which can be used to test whether the Be disk is behaving as expected.

Multiwavelength monitoring and X-ray brightening of Be X-ray binary PSR J2032+4127/MT91 213 on its approach to periastron

Wynn Ho (Southampton)
The radio and gamma-ray pulsar PSR J2032+4127 was recently found to be in a decades-long orbit with the Be star MT91 213, with the pulsar moving rapidly toward periastron.  This binary shares many similar characteristics with the previously unique binary system PSR B1259-63/LS 2883.  Therefore we launched a campaign of radio, X-ray, and optical monitoring of PSR J2032+4127/MT91 213, and these observations will allow us to use this system as an interesting test case and comparison to PSR B1259-63/LS 2883.  Here I describe how our radio data, supplemented by Fermi gamma-ray data, allowed us to update and refine the orbital period to 45-50 yr and time of periastron passage to November 2017. I also present our analysis of archival and recent Chandra and Swift observations and show that PSR J2032+4127/MT91 213 is now brighter in X-rays by a factor of ~70 since 2002 and ~20 since 2010.  While the pulsar is still far from periastron, this increase in X-rays is possibly due to collisions between pulsar and Be star winds.

Polarization properties in the X-ray and optical bands of the emission from X-ray dim isolated neutron stars

Denis González-Caniulef (MSSL-UCL)
The state of the matter in the surface of strongly magnetized neutron stars, such as XDINSs (X-ray dim isolated neutron stars) is under debate. In particular, the strong magnetic field may drive a phase transition, turning a gaseous atmosphere into a condense metallic surface. We study the polarization properties of the thermal emission from XDINSs considering both a gaseous atmosphere and a condensed surface, as well as QED effects induced by the magnetic field in the vacuum that surrounds the stars. We compute the phase-averaged polarization fraction and polarization angle in the X-ray and optical band in the case of the brightest XDINS, RX J1856.5-3754. We found that combined X-ray and optical polarimetry observations can allow us to determine whether this neutron star has an atmosphere or condensed surface.

No Evidence for a low-mass black hole in Swift J1753.5-0127

Aaran Shaw (Southampton)
Recent observations of the candidate black hole X-ray transient Swift J1753.5-0127 have led to claims that the system contains a low-mass black hole (< 5M⊙) from the measurement of features in its optical spectrum that are apparently associated with the companion star. If confirmed with a dynamical measurement of the mass this would have serious implications for the so-called ‘mass gap’ - the apparent dearth of compact objects in the mass range 2 − 5M⊙. The mass gap raises questions about the supernova formation scenarios of X-ray binaries and therefore the search for a genuine low-mass black hole is of great impor- tance. I present here high-resolution, time-resolved optical spectroscopy of Swift J1753.5-0127. The optical spectra do not show features that can be associated with the companion star. However, I do observe broad, double-peaked emission lines, typical of an accretion disc. I instead show that the mass of the compact object is likely > 7.4 ± 1.2M⊙ , much higher than previous suggestions of a low-mass black hole.

Differential precession of the inner accretion flow onto black holes

Jakob van den Eijnden (Cambridge)
The X-ray emission of black hole X-ray binaries regularly shows quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs), that originate from the close proximity of the black hole. As such, QPOs trace the behaviour of the accreted material in the most extreme gravitational environments. However, the physical origin of the QPO is still subject of debate: it could either be geometric, arising from systematic changes in the accretion geometry, or intrinsic, resulting from modulations in intrinsic properties of the accretion flow. I will discuss two novel approaches to understanding the QPO origin, both investigating the observed lag between the QPO signal at different X-ray energies. First, we have studied this lag in a sample of accreting black holes. We find that the sign of the lag significantly depends on the binary orbit inclination, strongly suggesting a geometric QPO origin. In addition, we have studied the short-timescale evolution of the QPO lag in the source GRS 1915+105. Unexpectedly, we find that the lag increases systematically, resetting after a handful of QPO cycles. Based on these results, we formulate a geometric toy model for the QPO: differential vertical precession of the inner accretion flow.

The February 2016 outburst of recurrent Nova LMC 1968

Paul Kuin (MSSL-UCL)
This recurrent nova with a recurrence time of 6 years was observed by Swift, both by XRT and UVOT starting day 2 after its discovery. We have daily UV grism spectra until day 9, and the Super-Soft X-ray Spectrum started after day 5.8. There was a rapid decay in brightness just like seen in the five earlier outbursts. An orbital period from OGLE observations whas been used to study orbital changes in the UV and X-ray emission also.The X-ray spectra have been modeled by a BB spectrum and we find that the luminosity remains below the Eddington luminosity of a 1.3Msun white dwarf.

The 80 Ms follow up of the X-ray afterglow of GRB 130427A

Sam Oates (Warwick)
GRB 130427A was the brightest gamma-ray burst detected in the last 30 years. With an isotropic energy release of 8.5×1053 erg and redshift of 0.34, it combined very high energetics with a relative proximity to Earth in an unprecedented fashion. Sensitive X-ray observatories such as Swift, XMM-Newton and Chandra have detected the afterglow of this burst for a record-breaking timescale longer than 80 million seconds. The light curve shows a simple power-law decay over more than three decades in time. We consider the consequences of this result for a few models proposed so far to interpret GRB 130427A and, more in general, we investigate the repercussions of this outcome in the context of the standard forward shock model.

The early optical afterglow and non-thermal components of GRB 060218

Sam Emery (MSSL-UCL)
A model that provides an explanation for the multi-wavelength observations was constructed for GRB 060218. The model is composed of a low-luminosity jet, which penetrates through its progenitor envelope after core-collapse. The jet later interacts with the surrounding medium to produce the optical-UV external shock synchrotron emission, which is observable in the initial 2000 s. Optical-UV and X-ray thermal blackbody radiation are emitted from the optically thick photosphere at R ~ 10^(13) cm. The model is similar to that of Toma et al. (2007) and Irwin & Chevalier (2015) as it requires a jet penetrated through the progenitor envelope. Furthermore, the results of the study support the claims by Toma et al. (2007) that the early optical-UV emission is produced by the external shock of a jet. The observed optical-UV and X-ray emission in the initial 10^(5) s are both consistent with those expected in this model. This model could be applied to other low-luminosity GRBs, as the optical-UV afterglow has not been observed before in this sub-class of GRBs.

NuSTAR observations reveal a new heavily Compton thick AGN with strong iron fluorescence

Peter Boorman (Southampton)
Modelling the peak cosmic X-ray background flux requires a considerable contribution from heavily obscured (Compton thick) AGN.  Identifying and classifying such sources is challenging even in the local Universe due to photoelectric absorption and Compton scattering that can deplete most of the direct X-ray flux, especially below ~10 keV.  Hard X-ray observations are vital for robustly characterising these sources, and their study has made a huge leap thanks to NuSTAR - the first hard X-ray focusing space telescope.  This talk will highlight our recent work on IC 3639 - a Compton thick candidate ‘unveiled’ through contiguous X-ray spectral fitting over two decades in energy (0.5-30 keV) via the combination of NuSTAR, Suzaku and Chandra data.  Our analysis finds a very strong neutral iron Kα fluorescence line, with an equivalent width of 2.9 +2.8/-1.3 keV, as well as a very high ratio of intrinsic to observed X-ray flux, which are unique amongst the local Compton thick AGN population.  I will further discuss the possibility of other such sources being uncovered through future NuSTAR hard X-ray and Athena iron line studies, in combination with multiwavelength (infrared and optical) diagnostic tools, both in the local Universe and beyond.

The gamma-ray emitting narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy 1H 0323+342

Daniel Kynoch (Durham)
Narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies have been identified by the Fermi Gamma-Ray  Space Telescope as a rare class of γ-ray emitting AGN.  Here, we present work in progress on the γ-NLS1 galaxy 1H 0323+342, one of only eight such objects currently known.  We estimate a BH mass of 2 10**7 solar masses from both the short timescale variability in our new NuSTAR (X-ray) spectrum and from the broad Paschen and Balmer emission line widths in our new NIR and optical spectra.  With a reliable BH mass estimate in hand, we use an energy-conserving accretion disc model to fit the multiwavelength SED, incorporating archival Swift UV/optical and X-ray data.  1H 0323+342 has been observed to have a prominent accretion disc and its SED can be modelled with most of the X-rays originating from the soft excess and coronal power-law; the jet appears to make a significant contribution only at very hard X-ray energies (above ~80 keV), observed in the Swift-BAT bandpass.  Unlike some previous studies of other NLS1s, we are unable to strongly constrain the spin (hence the accretion efficiency).  Nevertheless, we determine the Eddington fraction to be in the range of ~0.5 for a Schwarzchild BH or ~1 for a Kerr BH (with a = 0.8).  Using the results from our SED modeling, we are able to estimate contributions from the torus, broad emission line region, accretion disc and corona.   We are currently attempting to quantify the properties of the jet component based on new radio observations.  The prominent accretion disc component and the gamma-ray detection together make 1H 0323+342 a good laboratory for the study of the disc-jet connection. 

Long-term X-Ray Spectral Variability in AGN from the Palomar sample

Sam Conolly (Southampton)
We present X-ray spectral variability of 24 local AGN from the Palomar sample, as observed mainly by Swift. From hardness ratio measurements, we find that 18 AGN with low accretion rates show hardening with increasing count rate, converse to the softer-when-brighter behaviour normally observed in AGN with higher accretion rates. Sufficient data were available for the spectra of 13 AGN to be summed in flux-bins. In 9 of these sources, correlated luminosity-dependent changes in the photon index of a power-law component are found to be the main cause of hardness variability. For 6 objects, all with lower accretion rates, the photon index is anticorrelated with the accretion rate. The remaining 3 higher-accretion-rate objects show a positive correlation between photon index and accretion rate. This transition from harder-when-brighter at low accretion rate to softer-when-brighter at high accretion rate can be explained by a change in the dominant source of seed-photons for X-ray emission from cyclo-synchrotron emission from the Comptonising corona itself to thermal seed-photons from the accretion disc. This transition is also seen in the ‘hard state’ of black hole X-ray binaries. The results support the idea that LINERs are analogues of BHXRBs in the hard state and that Seyferts are analogues of BHXRBs in either the high-accretion-rate end of the hard state or in the hard-intermediate state.

Ultraviolet and X-ray variability of active galactic nuclei with Swift

Douglas Buisson (Cambridge)
We study Swift data of 21 AGN to investigate their variability from optical to X-ray energies. The variable part of the optical/UV spectrum is consistent with a powerlaw. The average index of 2.21+-0.13 matches that expected from central illumination of a thin disc (index of -7/3). In 9 of the 21 sources, correlations between  X-ray and UV variability are significantly detected. These correlations are always consistent with the UV lagging the X-rays, as expected for reprocessing of X-ray emission. The average duration of the UV lag is consistent with a standard thin disc or a longer lag. The non-detection of correlations in the remaining sources may often be attributed to a lack of data but there are some well-observed sources in which we do not detect a correlation, perhaps due to a more complicated geometry.

X-ray selected BAL QSOs

Mat Page (MSSL-UCL)

General relativistic echoes in the power spectral density functions of AGN

Dimitris Emmanoulopoulos (Southampton)
I will present the results of a detailed study of the X-ray power spectra density (PSD) functions of twelve X-ray bright AGN, using all the archival XMM-Newton data. In a physical scenario in which X-ray reflection occurs in the inner part of the accretion disc of AGN, the X-ray reflection component should be a filtered echo of the X-ray continuum signal and should be equal to the convolution of the primary emission with the response function of the disc. My study focuses on the reflection features in the 0.5-1 and 5-7 keV energy bands, where the X-ray reflection fraction is expected to be dominant. I fit to the observed periodograms with two models: a simple bending power-law model (BPL) and a BPL model convolved with the transfer function of the accretion disc assuming the lamp-post geometry and X-ray reflection from a homogeneous disc. I do not find any significant indication of the expected X-ray reflection echo signatures in the observed PSDs.

Hitomi’s first light on Perseus cluster of galaxies

Ciro Pinto (Cambridge)

The XMM Cluster Survey: Its not just clusters! (X-ray flashes, dark matter lines, black hole masses)

Julian Mayers (Sussex)
The XMM Cluster Survey has developed pipelines for image processing and spectral analysis that have X-ray astronomy applications beyond clusters of galaxies. In this talk I review our work related to searches for X-ray flashes, to constraining the strength of dark matter annihilation emission lines, and to the proposed correlation between X-ray variability and black hole mass.

Cosmology from DES Clusters: towards mass calibration via optical to X-ray scaling relations

Alberto Bermeo (Sussex)
Clusters are one of the corner stones of cosmological parameter estimation from the Dark Energy Survey (DES). As shown by Rykoff et al. 2016, DES will detect thousands of clusters with well-measured redshifts and galaxy memberships. In order to realize the potential of these DES clusters for cosmology, it is essential that the scaling between galaxy membership and underlying halo mass is measured. This includes not only the slope of the scaling, but its normalization, scatter, and the evolution of those parameters. Halo mass is not a directly observable parameter, so DES is using proxies such as weak lensing, the Sunyaev Zeldovich effect, X-ray luminosity and X-ray temperature. In Rykoff et al. (2016) we presented an X-ray to optical scaling analysis presented in based on 200 sq.degrees of Science Verification observations, which overlapped ~30 XMM observations of clusters. In this talk , we will present results from more than 10x that area/number.

Testing chameleon gravity models using DES weak lensing and XCS X-ray profiles

Carlos Vergara (Sussex)
If it exists, a fifth force would influence the hot X-ray emitting gas filling the potential wells of galaxy clusters. However, it would not influence the clusters weak lensing signal. Therefore, by comparing X-ray and weak lensing profiles, one can place upper limits on the strength of a fifth force. Here we extend the techniques developed in Wilcox et al. 2015 & 2016 by applying them to the stacked profiles of hundreds of clusters detected by both the Dark Energy Survey and the XMM Cluster Survey.

Athena update
Mike Watson (Leicester)

Posters

XIPE the X-ray Imaging Polarimetry Explorer

Silvia Zane (MSSL-UCL)

XIPE, the X-ray Imaging Polarimetry Explorer, is a mission dedicated to X-ray Astronomy. At the time of writing XIPE is in a competitive phase A as fourth medium size mission of ESA (M4). It promises to reopen the polarimetry window in high energy Astrophysics after more than 4 decades thanks to a detector that efficiently exploits the photoelectric effect and to X-ray optics with large effective area. XIPE uniqueness is time-spectrally- spatially-resolved X-ray polarimetry as a breakthrough in high energy astrophysics and fundamental physics. The payload consists of three Gas Pixel Detectors at the focus of three X-ray optics with a total effective area larger than one XMM mirror but with a low weight. XIPE is designed as an observatory for X-ray astronomers with 75% of the time dedicated to a Guest Observer competitive program and it is organized as a consortium across Europe with main contributions from Italy, Germany, Spain, United Kingdom, Poland, Sweden. MSSL scientists and engineers have a large involvment in the mission, leading the thermal study and the design and provision of the system of filter wheels that will host the calibration system and filters.

The nature of faint INTEGRAL GRBs using Swift

Adam Higgins (Leicester)

We investigate the properties of the INTEGRAL IBAS Gamma-ray Burst (GRB) sample and the nature of WEAK INTEGRAL triggers, when the gamma-ray instruments record intensity spikes that are below the usual STRONG significance thresholds. We have additionally utilised Swift observations of the INTEGRAL GRBs for multi-band analysis and requested rapid follow-up observations of a small sample of these WEAK triggers. We also investigate the properties of the INTEGRAL IBAS sample making comparisons with the Swift GRB sample to determine if they lie within the same GRB population. Fifteen WEAK alerts were then observed with Swift to determine their nature. The main aim is to determine if INTEGRAL has the capability of exploring the low fluence regime for explosive transients such as GRBs.

Ionisation interface and the charge exchange X-ray emission galactic outflows

Kinwah Wu (MSSL-UCL)

Charge exchange processes occur in astrophysical environments where ionised material interfaces with the cooler neutral material. Charge exchange lines, such as the OVIII X-ray emission, have been identified in solar planetary systems (e.g. Jupiter) and also in external galaxies with strong wind outflows (e.g. the nearby starburst galaxy M82). The wind outflows from starburst galaxies are highly inhomogeneous, with hot ionised bubbles, and cold dense clumps/filaments entrenching with the underlying flow. The efficiency of charge exchange processes in the interfaces of these components depends on a web of interactions and on the geometrical properties interior in the multi-component and multi-phase galactic wind. In this work we show how the charge exchange emission depend on the global and microscopic geometrical properties of the flow, with the aid of a two-phase flow model. We demonstrate the dependence on the surface to volume ratio of the ionised material to the neutral material. We estimate the strengths of of the charge exchange OVIII X-ray lines, and the collisional  ionised emission lines, using the simple inhomogeneous two-phase wind outflow model.

Quenching Star Formation by X-Ray and Cosmic Ray baking in Protogalaxy Pairs

Ellis Owen (MSSL-UCL)

During phases of merging and active star formation, galaxies have been observed to emit in ultraviolet (UV), X-Rays and 𝛄-rays. At high redshifts (z=7) and above, where it is thought that merger and star formation rates in young galaxies may be even higher than those observed in the current Universe, this energetic emission could be even more intense and have even more impacts than those observed today. Additionally, if these early galaxies are yet to develop a strong galactic magnetic field, high-energy particle emission may accompany the X-Ray and 𝛄-ray emission. In cases of groups of galaxies arising in clusters, the impact of the emitted energetic photons and particles from a galaxy may strongly influence the development and the environment of nearby neighbouring galaxies by heating their interstellar medium via scattering and hadronic interactions. We investigate three simple models of groups of galaxies where three different merger processes are occurring and triggering star formation, thus irradiating the neighbouring galaxies with high-energy particles and radiation. We asses the heating effect derived from this emission, and determine the degree to which the baking of the neighbour can quench its subsequent star formation.

Heating by High-Energy Particles in High-Redshift Protogalactic Environments irradiated by X-Rays

Ellis Owen (MSSL-UCL)

Young galaxies with strong star formation activity are likely sources of energetic hadronic particles. These particles interact with the baryon and radiation fields of the galactic environment via hadronuclear, photo-pair and photo-pion processes to produce charged and neutral pions, neutrons and protons. Charged pions decay to produce leptons and neutrinos via a weak interaction, and these leptons can cool rapidly in high-redshift rapidly star-forming environments, predominantly via inverse Compton and synchrotron losses, injecting a sea of leptons into the protogalactic interstellar medium (ISM). These can act as a scattering target for X-rays emitted by the protogalaxy, perhaps driving an enhanced heating effect. We construct a simple model to estimate the protogalactic X-ray emission due to Inverse Compton scattering on the Cosmological Microwave Background, accreting X-Ray sources and Supernovae. We then estimate the production rate of leptons resulting from charged pion decays in the ISM and use this to compute the development of irradiative X-Ray heating in the galaxy.

Chandra and XMM-Newton X-ray spectra of the black hole candidate IGR J17091-3624 in quiescence

Margarita Pereyra (Southampton)

We analyze the quiescent X-ray spectrum of the black hole candidate IGR J17091-3624 using five observations from Chandra and XMM-Newton archive, all of which are presented here for the first time. By analyzing the different components found in the spectrum of this kind of objects it is possible to infer the nature of the source. In the quiescent state, a soft thermal component has been observed in many neutron stars systems while for black hole transients such component is always absent (Rutledge et al. 1999, McClintock et al. 2004). The data from the XMM-Newton observations can be well fitted using a simple absorbed power-law model with a column density of 1.122 x 10^22 cm^−2 and a photon index of 1.8±0.2 . These results are very consistent with the values found for accreting black holes in quiescent state (Reynolds et al. 2014). Since each of the four Chandra observations were taken within one month apart, the analysis of these spectra will allows to study the changes, if there is any, of the residual accretion occurring on to the black hole and the advection-dominated accretion flow (ADAF) which is frequently associated to the X- ray emission of black holes in the quiescent state.

Pulse Phase Dependence of Low Energy Emission Lines in an X-ray pulsar 4U 1626-67 during its spin-up and spin-down phase

Aru Beri (Southampton)

We will present the results obtained from the new observation of an ultra-compact X-ray binary pulsar 4U 1626-67, carried out with the XMM-Newton observatory. 4U 1626-67, a unique accretion powered pulsar underwent two torque reversals since its discovery in 1977. Pulse phase resolved spectroscopy of this source performed using the data from the XMM-Newton observatory during its spin-down phase revealed the dependence of the emission lines on the pulse phase. O VII emission line at 0.569 keV showed the maximum variation by factor of 4. These variations were interpreted due to warps in the accretion disk (Beri et al. 2015). Radiation pressure induced warping is also believed to be the cause for spin-down. In light of this possible explanation for spin-down torque reversal we expect different line variability during the spin-up phase. We will discuss the implications of the results obtained after performing pulse phase resolved spectroscopy using data from the EPIC-pn during the current spin-up phase. Detailed study of the prominent Neon and Oxygen line complexes with the high resolution Reflection Grating Spectrometer (RGS) on-board XMM-Newton will also be presented.

Multi-temperature structure of the intracluster medium close to the Bondi radius in M87

Joanna Piotrowska (Cambridge IoA)

We present new Chandra observations of the hot gas atmosphere close to the Bondi accretion radius of the supermassive black hole at the centre of M87. It is the brightest cluster galaxy (BCG) of the closest cluster, Virgo, and the second brightest extragalactic soft X-ray source. Due to its brightness, the direct vicinity of the nucleus was subject to significant pileup in previous data sets, while these 9 short frame-time observations of total 300 ks exposure time successfully reduce it to only 5%. Proximity of M87 allows resolution of complex structure such as X-ray cavities, which can deliver important information on active galactic nucleus (AGN) interaction with the intracluster medium (ICM). Analysis of the temperature and density structure of the ICM X-ray gas in direct vicinity of the AGN can also set constraints on the fuelling mechanism of the SMBH.  In this work we produce temperature and metallicity maps, which reflect the cavity structure and exhibit a metallicity drop within approximately 10’' from the nucleus, which could not be detected in earlier piled up datasets. We then construct temperature and density radial profiles for three different segmentsaround the AGN, to find that the gas distribution is not uniform close to the Bondi radius in M87.