# The Mass Function of an X-Ray Flux-Limited Sample of Galaxy Clusters

## 1 Introduction

Distribution functions of physical parameters of galaxy clusters can place important constraints on cosmological scenarios. Comparison of the mass function with analytical or numerical calculations can yield, e. g., the amplitude of the initial density fluctuations. Comparison of the X-ray luminosity, gas temperature or mass function in different redshift bins can give information about the cluster evolution.

Several authors have published an X-ray luminosity function, e. g., , , , , . Also a cluster temperature function has been determined, e. g., , . A cluster gas mass function has been given by Burns et al. (1996), , for an optically selected cluster sample. A gravitational mass function has previously been determined by Bahcall & Cen (1993), , Biviano et al. (1993), , and Girardi et al. . Bahcall & Cen used the galaxy richness and velocity dispersion to relate to cluster masses from the optical side and a temperature-mass relation to convert the temperature function of Henry & Arnaud (1991), , to a mass function from the X-ray side. Biviano et al. and Girardi et al. used velocity dispersions for an optically selected sample to determine the mass function.

Since there is now high quality X-ray data available for the sample selection – using the ROSAT All-Sky Survey (RASS) – and detailed cluster analysis – using ROSAT and ASCA pointed observations – we have derived for the first time the galaxy cluster gravitational mass function using individually determined X-ray masses.

*This article will be published in the Proceedings of the 19<sup>th</sup> Texas Symposium on Relativistic Astrophysics, held in Paris (1998), and is also available at: http://www.xray.mpe.mpg.de/$``$reiprich/act/publi.html*

## 2 The Sample

Completeness of a cluster sample is essential for the construction of the mass function. We compiled the clusters from RASS-based cluster surveys of high completeness (REFLEX, NORAS ) and compared also with other published catalogs , , , , . To avoid the high absorption and the crowded stellar field in which clusters are hardly recognized in the galactic plane, only clusters with a galactic latitude $`|b|20.0`$ have been included. For the same reasons the area around the Magellanic Clouds has been excluded. In addition the Virgo cluster region has been excluded here. The sky coverage is 26,720 deg<sup>2</sup>.

We reanalysed the clusters using mainly ROSAT PSPC pointed observations and determined the X-ray flux $`f_\mathrm{X}`$(0.1–2.4 keV). 63 clusters have a flux greater than or equal to our adopted flux limit $`f_{\mathrm{X}_{\mathrm{lim}}}`$(0.1–2.4 keV)$`=2.010^{11}\mathrm{erg}/\mathrm{s}/\mathrm{cm}^2`$. We call this cluster sample HiFluGCS (the Highest X-ray Flux Galaxy Cluster Sample). The distribution of HiFluGCS in galactic coordinates can be seen in Fig. 1.   

## 3 Data Reduction and Analysis

We used mainly high exposure ROSAT PSPC pointed observations to determine the surface brightness profiles of the clusters, excluding obvious point sources. If no pointed PSPC observations were available in the archive or if clusters were too large for the field of view of the PSPC we used RASS data. To calculate the gas density profile the standard $`\beta `$-model ,  (equ. 1) has been used.

$$\rho _{\mathrm{gas}}(r)=\rho _{\mathrm{gas}}(0)\left(1+\frac{r^2}{r_\mathrm{c}^2}\right)^{\frac{3}{2}\beta }$$
(1)   
$$S_\mathrm{X}(R)=S_\mathrm{X}(0)\left(1+\frac{R^2}{r_\mathrm{c}^2}\right)^{3\beta +\frac{1}{2}}$$
(2)   
Fitting the corresponding surface brightness formula (equ. 2) to the observed surface brightness profiles gives the parameters needed to derive the gas density profile. To check if the often detected central excess emission (central surface brightness of a cluster exceeding the fit value) biases the mass determination we also fitted a double $`\beta `$-model of the form $`S_\mathrm{X}=S_{\mathrm{X}_1}+S_{\mathrm{X}_2}`$ and calculated the gas mass profile by $`\rho _{\mathrm{gas}}=\sqrt{\rho _{\mathrm{gas}_1}^2+\rho _{\mathrm{gas}_2}^2}`$. Comparison of the single and double $`\beta `$-model gas masses shows good agreement.

We compiled the values for the gas temperature from the literature, giving preference to temperatures measured by the ASCA satellite , , , . For clusters for which we did not find a published temperature we used the X-ray luminosity-temperature relation given by Markevitch (1998), .

Assuming hydrostatic equilibrium the gravitational masses for the clusters can be determined. Plugging equ. 1 into the hydrostatic equation and assuming the intracluster gas to be isothermal yields the gravitational mass profile

$$M_{\mathrm{tot}}(r)=\frac{3kT_{\mathrm{gas}}r^3\beta }{\mu m_\mathrm{p}G}\left(\frac{1}{r^2+r_\mathrm{c}^2}\right).$$
(3)   
Having aquired the gravitational mass profiles for the clusters it is now important to determine the radius at which to determine the cluster mass. Simulations by Evrard et al. (1996), , have shown that the assumption of hydrostatic equilibrium is generally valid within a radius where the mean gravitational mass density is greater than or equal to 500 times the critical density $`\rho _\mathrm{c}=4.710^{30}\mathrm{g}\mathrm{cm}^3`$, as long as clusters undergoing strong merger events are excluded. This radius we call $`r_{500}`$. We calculated the gravitational mass at $`r_{500}`$ and also $`r_{200}`$ which is usually referred to as the virial radius. Using these definitions of the outer radius instead of a fixed length also allows the uniform treatment of clusters of different size. Using $`r_{500}`$ also saves us from an extrapolation much beyond the significantly measured cluster emission in general.

## 4 Results

In Fig. 2 we show the X-ray luminosity function of HiFluGCS compared to luminosity functions of other cluster samples. There is good agreement between these determinations, if anything than HiFluGCS shows a marginally higher density.

In Fig. 3 we show the gravitational mass function for HiFluGCS for different definitions of the outer radius. Also shown are the mass functions obtained by Bahcall & Cen (1993), , and Girardi et al. (1998), , for an outer radius of $`3h_{50}^1\mathrm{Mpc}`$. Comparing our $`r_{500}`$ mass function with that of Bahcall & Cen we find increasing discrepancy towards lower mass clusters up to a factor of 7–8. For the $`r_{200}`$ mass function this discrepancy becomes less for the lower mass clusters but a discrepancy arises towards the high mass end. In order to be able to directly compare the mass function for the clusters in HiFluGCS with the two others shown in Fig. 3 we determined the gravitational mass also at a fixed radius of $`3h_{50}^1\mathrm{Mpc}`$. Apart from the highest mass bin we almost exactly reproduce the mass function determined by Bahcall & Cen in this way. The value given by Girardi et al. lying a factor 3–4 higher.

## 5 Discussion

Two major points are of concern when deriving the mass function:   
1) The sample completeness and 2) the reliability of the mass estimates.   
1) We compiled the clusters from RASS-based cluster surveys. These surveys are complete at the 90 % level. The incompleteness of these surveys is likely to be highest at fluxes close to their adopted flux limit, which is much lower (factor $`5`$) than the flux limit adopted for HiFluGCS. Additionally we checked further published X-ray cluster catalogs. Besides the fact that still some clusters need to be checked in more detail we conclude that HiFluGCS is essentially complete.   
2) For the first time we have determined a mass function with cluster masses determined individually and in a homogeneous way for each cluster using high quality X-ray data. However, galaxy clusters are generally not spherically symmetric and hydrostatic equilibrium may not always be reached. Simulations by Schindler (1996), , and Evrard et al. (1996), , however, have shown independently that the determined and true mass do not differ dramatically ($`20\%`$) if extreme merger clusters are excluded. Clusters also may not always be isothermal. For instance Markevitch et al. (1998), , find a general trend that the temperature decreases with increasing radius, with the effect that the assumption of isothermality leeds to an overestimation of the gravitational mass in the outer parts ($`6`$ core radii) of clusters by $`30\%`$. However, also average relative temperature profiles of cluster samples have been found which are consistent with being isothermal, e. g., Irwin et al. (1999), .

## 6 Conclusions

By reanalysing the brightest clusters of RASS-based galaxy cluster surveys we constructed a complete X-ray flux-limited sample of galaxy clusters (HiFluGCS), the sky coverage being roughly 2/3 of the entire sky. We determined global physical parameters for the clusters using mainly high exposure ROSAT PSPC pointed observations. The luminosity function for HiFluGCS agrees well with previous determinations. We determined the mass function for the first time by individually determining the gravitational mass of each cluster in a homogeneous way assuming hydrostatic equilibrium and isothermality. Comparison with previous determinations shows a strong discrepancy especially towards lower mass clusters which is mainly due to the definition of the outer radius. For comparison we also determined the cluster masses at a fixed radius of $`3h_{50}^1\mathrm{Mpc}`$ and apart from the highest mass bin we almost exactly reproduce the mass function determined by Bahcall & Cen. However, we suggest to use as outer boundary a radius which depends on the mean gravitational mass density, e. g. $`r_{500}`$, $`r_{200}`$, in order to treat clusters of different size in a comparable way.

Another consequence of the definition of the outer radius becomes visible when one integrates the mass function to determine the mass density bound in galaxy clusters $`\rho _{\mathrm{bound}}`$. We find $`\rho _{\mathrm{bound}}`$ relative to the critical density $`\rho _\mathrm{c}`$ to be 1.0 % for clusters of masses $`2.510^{13}h_{50}^1\mathrm{M}_{}`$ and higher using $`r_{500}`$. The fraction increases slightly to 1.6 % for clusters of masses $`4.110^{13}h_{50}^1\mathrm{M}_{}`$ and higher when we use $`r_{200}`$. We find a larger increase if we formally calculate the fraction for a fixed radius of $`3h_{50}^1\mathrm{Mpc}`$, which is 3.8 % for clusters of masses $`1.310^{14}h_{50}^1\mathrm{M}_{}`$ and higher. Despite these different results depending on the outer boundary, however, it is clear that only a small portion of the total mass in the Universe is bound in galaxy clusters as the largest collapsed entities, implying that most of the mass must be somewhere else.

## References