The multiphase nature of the intracluster medium of some clusters of galaxies

The discovery of EUV and soft X-ray excess emission in clusters of galaxies (the cluster soft excess phenomenon) challenged the notion of the hot (similar to 10(7)-10(8) K) gas as the only dominant thermal component of the intracluster medium (ICM). The spatial analysis of ROSAT PSPC 1/4 keV images presented here reveals compelling evidence for substantial amounts of cold gas (H I) in the ICM of the Coma and Virgo Clusters. This finding bolsters the original interpretation of the soft excess as emission from a "warm" (similar to 10(6) K) gas and points to the scenario of a multiphase ICM where the hot component coexists with gases at subvirial temperatures (the "warm" and "cold" phases).