Resolving AGN Feedback in Galaxy Clusters with XRISM and Chandra with Hannah McCall

Identifying how active galactic nuclei (AGN) couple to their surrounding atmospheres is central to understanding the regulation of star formation in massive galaxies, groups, and clusters. In this talk, I present a comprehensive view of AGN feedback that combines complementary spectroscopic and imaging diagnostics. New high-resolution spectroscopic measurements from XRISM/Resolve directly probe the kinematics and chemical structure of the intracluster medium. I highlight results from M87 in the Virgo Cluster, where we detect some of the highest gas velocities and super-solar abundances on kiloparsec scales, and from the Perseus Cluster, where extensive mapping observations allow us to disentangle AGN-driven energy injection from large-scale processes. I also introduce an imaging technique, “X-arithmetic,” which decomposes surface brightness perturbations in feedback-dominated regions of galaxy groups and clusters into components dominated by (1) weak shocks and sound waves, (2) jet-inflated bubbles, or (3) isobaric perturbations linked to cooling and slow gas motions. This method efficiently identifies the physical origin of feedback-driven structures in Chandra images without requiring spatially resolved spectroscopy. Together, these results provide new insight into how AGN impact cluster cores, laying the groundwork for future investigations and numerical models.

Sponsored by the McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences.