X-ray measurements of the gravitational potential profile in the central region of the Abell 1060 cluster of galaxies

X-ray spectral and imaging data from ASCA and ROSAT were used to measure th e total mass profile in the central region of Abell 1060, a nearby and rela tively poor cluster of galaxies. The ASCA X-ray spectra, after being correc ted for the spatial response of the X-ray telescope, show an isothermal dis tribution of the intracluster medium (ICM) within at least similar to 12' ( or 160 h(70)(-1) kpc; H-0 = 70 h(70) km s(-1) Mpc(-1)) in radius of the clu ster center. The azimuthally averaged surface brightness profile from the R OSAT Position Sensitive Proportional Counter (PSPC) exhibits a central exce ss above an isothermal beta model. The ring-sorted ASCA Gas Imaging Spectro meter spectra and the radial surface brightness distribution from the ROSAT PSPC were simultaneously utilized to constrain the gravitational potential profile. Some analytic models of the total mass density profile were exami ned. The ICM density profile was also specified by analytic forms. The ICM temperature distribution was constrained to satisfy the hydrostatic equilib rium and to be consistent with the data. Then, the total mass distribution was found to be described better by the universal dark halo profile recentl y proposed by Navarro, Frenk, & White than by a King-type model with a flat density core. A profile with a central cusp together with a logarithmic ra dial slope of similar to 1.5 was also consistent with the data. Discussions are presented concerning the estimated dark matter distribution around the cluster center.