7th ICM Theory & Computation Workshop

Workshop Overview

Clusters of galaxies are at the crossroads of cosmology and astrophysics. Progress in our understanding of these systems, and in their use as precision cosmological probes, requires a holistic view of clusters. Unlike individual galaxies, clusters of galaxies are massive enough to be “closed boxes” that retain essentially all their gaseous matter despite the enormous feedback energy input from supermassive black holes (SMBH). This feedback is responsible for preventing excessive radiative-cooling-driven mass accretion rates in the intracluster medium (ICM) and thus reconciling models with observational constraints. The ICM, therefore, contains a wealth of information about the process of galaxy formation, including the efficiency with which intergalactic gas is converted into stars and the effects of the SMBH feedback processes on galaxy evolution. Unlike in other astrophysical systems, the effects of this feedback can be directly imaged in galaxy clusters thus enabling direct tests of the physics of the ICM and AGN feedback.  

This workshop brings together researchers across a broad spectrum, from theory to computation to observation/experimentation, with the aim of cross-fertilizing knowledge and driving advances in understanding of the ICM from the magnetodynamical and thermochemical perspectives.  

Workshop Topics

• role of plasma instabilities in regulating energy and momentum transport

• role of cosmic rays, thermal conduction, and viscosity in heating the ICM

• thermal instability and mixing of multi-temperature plasma phases

• amplification of magnetic fields in the ICM

• models of AGN feedback (coupling of thermal, kinetic, and cosmic ray AGN energy to the ICM) 

• powering mechanisms of extended optical / H⍺ filaments 

• cold fronts

• non-thermal pressure due to turbulence and magnetic fields

• cosmic ray electron acceleration and radio halos

• numerical methods for modeling cluster plasma