ASCA Image of Isolated Elliptical NGC1132
Contour map of the X-ray emission (ASCA GIS2) in NGC 1132 overlaid on the STScI
Digital Sky Survey (field of view 1 degree x 1 degree).
The coordinate scale is in J2000. The contours correspond to 5, 15,
30, 50 and 60 sigma above the background level.
The ASCA data have been smoothed with a Gaussian profile of width=30 arcseconds.
While the
center of the X-ray emission is slightly offset from the optical
center of NGC 1132, the observed offset is less than the 90%
pointing
accuracy of ASCA, so the X-ray center is consistent with the optical
position.
The extent, temperature, luminosity and gas metallicity
of the X-ray halo in NGC 1132 comparable to the
X-ray halos found in
poor groups of galaxies. This suggests that NGC 1132 may be the remnant of a merged
group of galaxies.
More Information on Isolated Ellipticals