Predicting the X-ray brightness distributions of cluster sources

Predictions are presented for the two-dimensional X-ray and Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect distributions of the Coma cluster of galaxies based on the optical data of Godwin and Peach and of Abell and the bremsstrahlung model of cluster X-ray sources. Several simple models of the hot gas give X-ray and microwave temperature diminution ellipticities in the region of epsilon = 0.3, 10 arcmin from the cluster centre, smaller values ruling at larger radii. Consideration of the shapes of the radial X-ray profiles and spectral temperatures should enable a determination as to whether the Coma cluster has more nearly prolate or oblate geometry; prolate models have X-ray distributions which are about twice as compact as those of oblate models with the same temperature structure. New estimates are obtained of the mass of the cluster which make explicit allowance for its spatial and velocity anisotropy.. (author)