A temperature map of the A3266 galaxy cluster has been derived from the ASCA GIS observations .
It shows an asymmetric pattern of heating indicative of an ongoing merger between a group sized sub-cluster and the main cluster .
The galaxy distribution shows two peaks connected in a barlike structure running NE to SW through the central region of the main cluster , defining the merger axis .
The temperature of the intergalactic medium generally decreases from SW to NE along the merger axis with a peak of 13.2 +3.4/-2.0 keV in a region which is perpendicular to the merger axis and extends through the main cluster density peak .
The central bar has a velocity dispersion of \sim 1300 km s ^ { -1 } , compared to \sim 1000 km s ^ { -1 } for the surrounding cluster .
The central bar also has two distinct density peaks in the distribution of galaxies , yet it has a velocity distribution which is consistent with a single Gaussian .
This implies a merger in the plane of the sky .
The optical and X-ray data taken together show that a loose group of about \sim 30 galaxies has penetrated the main cluster from the SW , decoupling from their original intergroup medium and passing through a strong shock front .
Two radio galaxies , one a wide angle tail morphology ( WAT ) and the other a narrow angle tail ( NAT ) , are located to the SW of the main cluster in the post-shock gas .
Since the merger is in the plane of the sky , a dynamical analysis can not be applied to derive the velocity of the merger .
Alternatively , using the pre- and post-shock gas temperature and assuming an adiabatic shock , we calculate a relative gas velocity of \sim 1400 km s ^ { -1 } .
The alignment of the NAT and WAT relative to the shock front combined with the high gas velocity from the merger implies that the observed radio morphologies formed via ram-pressure as a result of the merger .