Non Thermal Pressure Fractions

In the standard model of galaxy clusters, gas is assumed to be in hydrostatic equilibrium, where thermal pressure balances gravitational collapse. However, simulations and X-ray/SZ observations indicate a significant fraction (often 20-30% or more) of the total pressure support comes from non-thermal sources such as turbulent bulk motions, cosmic rays, and magnetic fields. This "non-thermal pressure fraction" introduces systematic biases in cluster mass estimates (hydrostatic mass bias) which are crucial for cosmological constraints. The persistence of high non-thermal pressure, even in seemingly relaxed clusters, challenges the assumption that clusters have had sufficient time to thermalize and settle, suggesting ongoing dynamic processes or heating mechanisms that are not fully captured by standard hierarchical accretion models (Nelson et al. 2014; Shi & Komatsu 2014). SCT must explain the origin and maintenance of this excess non-thermal support without relying on standard merger rates.

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