Abstract The merger shocks generated by the collision of galaxy clusters elevate the pressure within the intracluster medium, significantly influencing the evolution of embedded cluster galaxies. We detect a merger shock (Mach number ∼1.3) on the northwest side of the closest rich galaxy cluster Norma (A3627), using XMM-Newton and Chandra data. The textbook ram pressure stripping (RPS) galaxy ESO 137-001 appears to be located in the postshock region. The shock boosts RPS and may induce the formation of the brightest known X-ray tail behind a cluster late-type galaxy. Another prominent head–tail radio galaxy, ESO 137-007, with one of the longest radio continuum tails (>500 kpc), is also likely in the postshock region. The shock may have reversed the upstream jet to a one-sided radio head–tail morphology. Moreover, the shock can strip and roll the jet cocoon into a vortex ring structure like a “smoke ring” behind the end of the jet as observed by the ASKAP data. Therefore, the cluster merger shock can remarkably change cluster galaxies. Furthermore, Norma is the second brightest non-cool-core cluster following the Coma cluster, with a cool core remnant on its southeast side. Its original cool core may be disrupted by cluster mergers and/or active galactic nuclei.
Ge et al. (2026) studied this question.