Temperature and total mass profiles of the A3571 cluster of galaxies

We present BeppoSAX results of a spatially resolved spectral analysis of A3 571, a relaxed nearby cluster of galaxies. In the central 2 ' (130 h(50)(-1 ) kpc) radius the metal abundance is 0.49 +/- 0.08 solar and the absorption (1.13 +/- 0.28) 10(21) atom cm(-2), whereas elsewhere within an 8 ' (520 h (50)(-1) kpc) radius the abundance is 0.32 +/- 0.05 solar and she absorptio n consistent with the galactic value of 4.4 10(20) atom cm(-2). The signifi cant central metal abundance enhancement is consistent with the supernova e nrichment scenario. The excess absorption may be attributed to the cooling flow, whose mass flow rate is 80 +/- 40 M-circle dot yr(-1) from our spectr al fit. The BeppoSAX and ASCA radial temperature profiles agree over the en tire overlapping radial range r < 25<prime> = 1.6 h(50)(-1) Mpc. The combin ed BeppoSAX and ASCA temperature profile exhibits a constant value out to a radius of similar to 10 ' (650 h(50)(-1) kpc) and a significant decrease ( T proportional to r(-0.55), corresponding to gamma = 1.28) at larger radii. These temperature data are used to derive the total mass profile. The best fit NFW dark matter density model results in a temperature profile that is not convectively stable, but the model is acceptable within the uncertaint ies of the data. The temperature profile is acceptably modeled with a "core " model for the dark matter density, consisting of a core radius with a con stant slope at larger radii. With this model the total mass and for mal 90% confidence errors within the virial radius r(178) (2.5 h(50)(-1) Mpc) are 9.1(-1.5)(+3.6) 10(14) h(50)(-1) M-circle dot, by a factor of 1.4 smaller t han the isothermal value. The gas mass fraction increases with radius, reac hing f(gas) (r(178)) = 0.26(-0.10)(+0.05) x h(50)(-3/2). Assuming that the measured gas mass fraction is the lower limit to the primordial baryonic fr action gives Omega (m) < 0.4. at 90% confidence.