Effects of Viscosity on Sloshing Cold Fronts in Galaxy Clusters

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ID: 332219
2026
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Abstract
Abstract The viscous properties of the intracluster medium (ICM) remain poorly constrained. Cold fronts—sharp discontinuities formed during cluster mergers—offer a potential avenue to probe the effective viscosity of the ICM. Velocity shear across these fronts should generate Kelvin–Helmholtz instabilities (KHI), unless viscosity or magnetic tension suppresses them. We perform cluster merger simulations incorporating four ICM viscosity models: (A) inviscid, (B) isotropic Spitzer viscosity, (C) anisotropic Braginskii viscosity, and (D) Braginskii viscosity limited by microinstabilities. The isotropic Spitzer viscosity (case B) strongly suppresses KHI, producing smooth cold front surfaces, while the inviscid (A) and microinstability-limited (D) cases show prominent ripples. The Braginskii case (C) yields intermediate suppression. We also vary the plasma β parameter (β ≈ 100 and 1600) to examine how a changing magnetic field strength affects the results. Stronger magnetic fields further suppress KHI, leading to smoother fronts and reduced differences between different viscosity models, while also widening the range of permitted pressure anisotropies when microinstability-based limiters are present. These results indicate that both viscosity and magnetic fields play crucial roles in stabilising sloshing cold fronts in galaxy clusters.
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Authors Ming-Hsueh Hsieh, H. -Y. Karen Yang, John A. ZuHone
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Journal monthly notices of the royal astronomical society
Year 2026
DOI
10.1093/mnras/stag1937
URL
https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stag1937
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