2002ApJ...565..877G

The cluster of galaxies A2319 was observed in 1999 for ∼160 ks by the PCA and HEXTE instruments aboard the Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) satellite. No noticeable variability is seen in the emission measured by either instrument over the ∼8 week observation. The quality of the data allows, for the first time, a meaningful search for emission whose spectral properties are distinct from those of the primary thermal emission with (previously measured) mean temperature in the range 8-10 keV. Fitting the RXTE data by a single thermal component, we obtain kT=8.6±0.1 (all errors are 90% confidence limits), a low iron abundance Z_Fe∼0.16±0.02, and large positive residuals below 6 keV and between 15 to 30 keV. The quality of the fit is drastically improved if a second component is added. A two-temperature model yields kT₁≃10.1±0.6, kT₂≃2.8±0.6, and of Z_Fe∼0.23±0.03, which is consistent with previously measured values. An equally good fit is obtained by a combination of a primary thermal and a secondary nonthermal component with kT≃8.9±0.6 and a power-law (photon) index α≃2.4±0.3. We have repeated the analysis by performing joint fits to both these RXTE measurements and archival ASCA data. At most, 25% of the RXTE secondary component could be present in the ASCA data. Allowing for this difference, very similar results were obtained with only somewhat different values for the temperature (kT=9.2±0.5) and power-law index (α≃2.5±0.3) in the latter model. The deduced value of α is consistent with the measured spectrum of extended radio emission in A2319. Identifying the power-law emission as Compton scattering of the radio-emitting electrons by the cosmic microwave background (CMB), we obtain B∼0.1-0.3 µG for the volume-averaged magnetic field, and ∼4x10^–14(R/2Mpc)^–3 ergs.cm^–3 for the mean energy density of the emitting electrons in the central region (radius R) of A2319.