Metal distribution in clusters of galaxies and the prospect of Astro-E2

This paper reviews recent progress on the X-ray measurement of metal abundance distribution in clusters of galaxies. Inhomogeneous distribution of metals is recognized from Centaurus, 2A0335+096 and A1060 clusters with ASCA and Chandra. Detailed metallicity profiles are obtained for M87 with XMM-Newton, and abundance profiles for Fe and Si are steeper than those for O and Mg: indicating systematic difference between products from SN Ia and SN II. Brief description is given on the microcalorimeter instrument on Astro-E2, scheduled for launch in 2005, and the expected new science based on the superior energy resolution are also discussed