| We propose a description of the enrichment process in large scale structure. Our construct is the first to provide an explanation for much of the phenomenology of metal enrichment in clusters and groups. It sheds light on the lack of redshift evolution in metal abundance, the small scatter of metal abundance profiles, the entropy versus abundance anti-correlation found in cool core clusters, the so-called Fe conundrum and several other aspects of cluster enrichment. Moreover, it allows us to infer properties of other constituents of the large scale structure. We find that: gas not bound to halos must have a metal abundance similar to that of the ICM; only about 1/7 to 1/3 of the Fe in the Universe is locked in stars; a comparable amount is found in gas in groups/clusters and, last but by no means least, about 3/5 is in a tenuous warm/hot gaseous medium in or between galaxies. |
