# 1 Introduction

## 1 Introduction

The mass function of local ($`z<\text{ }0.1`$) galaxy clusters has been used as a stringent constraint for cosmological models. Independent analyses have shown that $`\sigma _8\mathrm{\Omega }_m^{\gamma \left(\mathrm{\Omega }_m\right)}0.5`$–0.6, where $`\mathrm{\Omega }_m`$ is the density parameter, $`\sigma _8`$ the r.m.s. fluctuation amplitude within a sphere of $`8h^1\mathrm{Mpc}`$ ($`h=H_0/100\mathrm{km}\mathrm{s}^1`$ Mpc<sup>-1</sup>) radius and $`\gamma \left(\mathrm{\Omega }_m\right)0.40.6`$ . The increasing availability of $`X`$–ray temperatures for distant ($`z>\text{ }0.3`$) clusters is providing a handle to estimate the density parameter which best reproduces the evolution of the cluster abundance  (see also Henry, this volume, for a review), A limitation of this approach comes from the small size of the current samples .

An alternative way to trace the evolution of the cluster abundance is to rely on the luminosity and redshift distribution of $`X`$-ray flux–limited cluster samples . The advantage of this approach lies in the availability of large samples, with well understood selection functions. As a limitation, however, one has to face with the uncertain relation between cluster masses and $`X`$–ray luminosities. The ROSAT Deep Cluster Survey (RDCS)  provides a flux–limited complete sample of clusters identified in the ROSAT PSPC archive and including $`>\text{ }100`$ spectroscopically confirmed systems. In the following we will outline the main results of a comparison between the RDCS sample and the predictions of cosmological models. The analysis of RDCS for constraining the evolution of the $`X`$–ray luminosity function is contained in a separate paper (Rosati et al., this volume).

## 2 $`X`$–ray cluster bias: from luminosity to mass

The Press-Schechter approach is used in our analysis, as it provides an accurate mass function in the range of masses probed by the RDCS . The conversion from masses to X-ray luminosities, which is required in analysis of any flux-limited sample is implemented as follows: (a) convert mass into temperature by assuming virialization, hydrostatic equilibrium and isothermal gas distribution; (b) convert temperature into bolometric luminosity according to $`L_{bol}T^\alpha \left(1+z\right)^A`$; (c) compute the bolometric correction to the 0.5-2.0 keV band.

The critical step is represented by the choice for the $`L_{bol}`$$`T_X`$ relation. Low redshift data for $`T>\text{ }3`$keV indicates that $`\alpha 2.7`$–3.5, depending on the sample and the data analysis technique , with a reduction of the scatter after account for the effect of cooling flows in central cluster regions . At lower temperatures, evidence has been found for a steepening of the $`L_{bol}`$$`T_X`$ relation below 1 keV . As for the evolution of the $`L_{bol}`$$`T_X`$ relation, existent data out to $`z0.4`$  and, possibly, out to $`z0.8`$  are consistent with no evolution (i.e., $`A0`$). Instead of assuming a unique mass–luminosity conversion, in the following we will show how final constraints on cosmological parameters changes as the $`L_{bol}`$$`T_X`$ and $`M`$$`T_X`$ relations are varied.

## 3 Analysis and results

The RDCS subsample, that we will use in the following analysis, has a flux–limit of $`S_{lim}=3.5\times 10^{14}\mathrm{erg}\mathrm{s}^1\mathrm{cm}^2`$ and contains 81 clusters with measured redshifts out to $`z=0.85`$ over a 33 sq. deg. area . In order to fully exploit the information provided by the RDCS, we resort to a maximum–likelihood approach, in which model predictions are compared to the RDCS cluster distribution on the $`(L,z)`$ plane. To this purpose, let $`\varphi (L,z)`$ be the Press–Schechter based luminosity function, as predicted by a given model, so that $`\varphi (L,z)\left(dV/dz\right)`$ $`dzdL`$ is the expected number density of clusters in the comoving volume element $`\left(dV/dz\right)dz`$ and in the luminosity interval $`dL`$. Therefore, the expected number of clusters in RDCS lying in the $`dzdL`$ element of the $`(L,z)`$ plane is $`\lambda (z,L)dzdL=\rho (z,L)`$ $`f_{sky}\left[S(z,L)\right]\left(dV/dz\right)dzdL`$. Here $`f_{sky}`$ is the flux–dependent RDCS sky–coverage.

The likelihood function $``$ is defined as the product of the probabilities of observing exactly one cluster in $`dzdL`$ at each of the $`(z_i,L_i)`$ positions occupied by the RDCS clusters, and of the probabilities of observing zero clusters in all the other differential elements of the $`(z,L)`$ plane which are accessible to RDCS. Assuming Poisson statistics for such probabilities and defining $`S=2\text{ln}`$, it is $`S=2_{i=1}^{N_{occ}}\text{ln}\left[\rho (z_i,L_i)\right]+2𝑑z𝑑L\lambda (z,L)`$, where the sum runs over the occupied elements of the $`(z,L)`$ plane. Model predictions are also convolved with statistical errors on measured fluxes, as well as with uncertainties in the luminosity–mass relation associated to a $`30\%`$ scatter in the $`L_{bol}`$$`T_X`$ relation and to a $`20\%`$ uncertainty in the mass–temperature conversion. Best estimates of the model parameters are obtained by minimizing $`S`$.

In Figure 1 we show the resulting constraints on the $`\sigma _8`$$`\mathrm{\Omega }_m`$ plane for different values of the shape parameter $`\mathrm{\Gamma }`$, based on assuming $`\alpha =3.5`$ and $`A=0`$ for the $`L_{bol}`$$`T_X`$ relation. It is clear that low–density models are always preferred, quite independent of $`\mathrm{\Gamma }`$. We find $`\mathrm{\Omega }_m=0.35_{0.25}^{+0.35}`$ and $`\sigma _8=0.76_{0.14}^{+0.38}`$ ($`\mathrm{\Omega }_m=0.42_{0.27}^{+0.35}`$ and $`\sigma _8=0.68_{0.12}^{+0.21}`$) for flat (open) models, where uncertainties correspond to $`3\sigma `$ confidence level for three significant fitting parameter. No significant constraints are instead found for $`\mathrm{\Gamma }`$. In order to verify under which circumstances a critical density model may still be viable, we show in Figure 2 the effect of changing the parameters of the $`L_{bol}`$$`T_X`$ relation. Although best–fitting values of $`\mathrm{\Omega }_m`$ and $`\sigma _8`$ move somewhat on the parameter space, neither a rather strong evolution nor a quite steep profile for the $`L_{bol}`$$`T_X`$ relation can accommodate a critical density Universe: an $`\mathrm{\Omega }_m=1`$ Universe is always a $`>3\sigma `$ event, even allowing for values of the $`A`$ and $`\alpha `$ parameters which are strongly disfavored by present data.

Based on these results, we point out that deep flux–limited $`X`$–ray cluster samples, like RDCS, which cover a large redshift baseline ($`0.1<\text{ }z<\text{ }1.2`$) and include a fairly large number of clusters ($`>\text{ }100`$) do indeed place significant constraints on cosmological models. To this aim, some knowledge of the $`L_{bol}`$$`T_X`$ evolution is needed from a (not necessarily complete) sample of distant clusters out to $`z1`$.