Diagnostics of the outburst in Hercules A

The intracluster medium (ICM) of the Hercules A Cluster shows the imprint of avery energetic outburst from a central active galactic nucleus. The radio lobesof Hercules A appear to be driving a shock front into the ICM. A deep XMMNewtonobservation would enable us to confirm that this is a shock front and to betterquantify its properties by making accurate measurements of the temperaturedistribution. By examining the ICM on large scales, we can look for theindividual and cumulative effects of earlier outbursts. The unusual Xraycavities in Hercules A may have been created by shock heating of the ICM and wewill attempt to detect the hot gas that should fill them if this is so. The datawill also be used to measure the Xray spectrum of the eastern radio jet. truncated!, Please see actual data for full text [truncated!, Please see actual data for full text]