Thermal conduction and heating by nonthermal electrons in the X-ray halo of M87

A hydrostatic model for the X-ray halo around the giant elliptical galaxy M87 is presented. The authors show that by taking into account the processes of thermal conduction, and nonthermal heating by relativistic electrons in the radio lobes, a self-consistent hydrostatic model can be constructed. There is no need to invoke radiative accretion or the suppression of thermal conductivity.