The warm-hot intergalactic medium in inter-cluster filaments

Context. Cosmological simulations indicate that nearly half of the baryons in the nearby Universe are in the warm-hot intergalactic medium (WHIM) phase, and about a half them reside in cosmic filaments connecting galaxy clusters. Recent observational studies using stacked survey data and deep exposures of galaxy cluster outskirts have detected soft X-ray excesses associated with optically identified filaments. However, the physical characteristics of WHIM in filaments remain largely undetermined due to a lack of direct spectral diagnostics of individual targets, which are limited by the spectral resolution of current instruments in the soft X-ray band. Aims. We aim to select appropriate targets for WHIM characterization through pointing observations with the future Hot Universe Baryon Surveyor (HUBS) mission, which is designed with eV-level energy resolution in the 0.1–2.0 keV band and a one-square-degree field of view, thus complementing other planned microcalorimetry missions such as Athena. Methods. We built a sample of 1577 inter-cluster filaments based on the first eROSITA All-Sky Survey (eRASS1) supercluster catalog and estimated their soft X-ray emission. Their modeled emission and geometrical properties were used to select candidate targets for HUBS observations. Results. Four inter-cluster filaments were selected as the most appropriate candidates. By simulating and analyzing their mock observations, we demonstrated that with 200 ks HUBS exposure for each candidate, the gas properties of individual filaments can be accurately determined, with the temperature constrained to ±0.01 keV, metallicity constrained to ≤ ± 0.03 solar, and density constrained to < ± 10%. Elemental abundances of O, Ne, Mg, and Fe can be measured separately, providing unprecedented insights into the chemical history of the filament gas. We also show that direct mapping of the WHIM distribution is promising with narrowband imaging of the O VIII line. Conclusions. Our work forecasts that next-generation X-ray missions such as HUBS will provide substantial improvement in our understanding of the physical status and evolution history of the diffuse WHIM gas in the cosmic large-scale structure.