294 research outputs found
Completeness in Photometric and Spectroscopic Searches for Clusters
We investigate, using simulated galaxy catalogues, the completeness of
searches for massive clusters of galaxies in redshift surveys or imaging
surveys with photometric redshift estimates, i.e. what fraction of clusters
(M>10^14/h Msun) are found in such surveys. We demonstrate that the matched
filter method provides an efficient and reliable means of identifying massive
clusters even when the redshift estimates are crude. In true redshift surveys
the method works extremely well. We demonstrate that it is possible to
construct catalogues with high completeness, low contamination and both varying
little with redshift.Comment: ApJ in press, 15 pages, 10 figure
A Redshift Survey of Nearby Galaxy Groups: the Shape of the Mass Density Profile
We constrain the mass profile and orbital structure of nearby groups and
clusters of galaxies. Our method yields the joint probability distribution of
the density slope n, the velocity anisotropy beta, and the turnover radius r0
for these systems. The measurement technique does not use results from N-body
simulations as priors. We incorporate 2419 new redshifts in the fields of 41
systems of galaxies with z < 0.04. The new groups have median velocity
dispersion sigma=360 km/s. We also use 851 archived redshifts in the fields of
8 nearly relaxed clusters with z < 0.1. Within R < 2 r200, the data are
consistent with a single power law matter density distribution with slope n =
1.8-2.2 for systems with sigma < 470 km/s, and n = 1.6-2.0 for those with sigma
> 470 km/s (95% confidence). We show that a simple, scale-free phase space
distribution function f(E,L^2) ~ (-E)^(alpha-1/2) L^(-2 \beta) is consistent
with the data as long as the matter density has a cusp. Using this DF, matter
density profiles with constant density cores (n=0) are ruled out with better
than 99.7% confidence.Comment: 22 pages; accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa
The Effect of the Cosmic Web on Cluster Weak Lensing Mass Estimates
In modern hierarchical theories of structure formation, rich clusters of
galaxies form at the vertices of a weblike distribution of matter, with
filaments emanating from them to large distances and with smaller objects
forming and draining in along these filaments. The amount of mass contained in
structure near the cluster can be comparable to the collapsed mass of the
cluster itself. As the lensing kernel is quite broad along the line of sight
around cluster lenses with typical redshifts near z=0.5, structures many Mpc
away from the cluster are essentially at the same location as the cluster
itself, when considering their effect on the cluster's weak lensing signal. We
use large-scale numerical simulations of structure formation in a
Lambda-dominated cold dark matter model to quantify the effect that large-scale
structure near clusters has upon the cluster masses deduced from weak lensing
analysis. A correction for the scatter in possible observed lensing masses
should be included when interpreting mass functions from weak lensing surveys.Comment: 14 pages, 11 figures. LaTeX2e, uses emulateapj.sty and
onecolfloat.st
Redshifts in the Southern Abell Redshift Survey Clusters. I. The Data
The Southern Abell Redshift Survey contains 39 clusters of galaxies with
redshifts in the range 0.0 < z < 0.31 and a median redshift depth of z =
0.0845. SARS covers the region 0 21h (while
avoiding the LMC and SMC) with b > 40. Cluster locations were chosen from the
Abell and Abell-Corwin-Olowin catalogs while galaxy positions were selected
from the Automatic Plate Measuring Facility galaxy catalog with
extinction-corrected magnitudes in the range 15 <= b_j < 19. SARS utilized the
Las Campanas 2.5 m duPont telescope, observing either 65 or 128 objects
concurrently over a 1.5 sq deg field. New redshifts for 3440 galaxies are
reported in the fields of these 39 clusters of galaxies.Comment: 20 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in the Astronomical
Journal, Table 2 can be downloaded in its entirety from
http://trotsky.arc.nasa.gov/~mway/SARS1/sars1-table2.cs
ROSAT PSPC Observations of the Richest () ACO Clusters
We have compiled an X-ray catalog of optically selected rich clusters of
galaxies observed by the PSPC during the pointed GO phase of the ROSAT mission.
This paper contains a systematic X-ray analysis of 150 clusters with an optical
richness classification of from the ACO catalog (Abell, Corwin, and
Olowin 1989). All clusters were observed within 45' of the optical axis of the
telescope during pointed PSPC observations. For each cluster, we calculate: the
net 0.5-2.0 keV PSPC count rate (or upper limit) in a 1 Mpc radius
aperture, 0.5-2.0 keV flux and luminosity, bolometric luminosity, and X-ray
centroid. The cluster sample is then used to examine correlations between the
X-ray and optical properties of clusters, derive the X-ray luminosity function
of clusters with different optical classifications, and obtain a quantitative
estimate of contamination (i.e, the fraction of clusters with an optical
richness significantly overestimated due to interloping galaxies) in the ACO
catalog
The WARPS Survey: VI. Galaxy Cluster and Source Identifications from Phase I
We present in catalog form the optical identifications for objects from the
first phase of the Wide Angle ROSAT Pointed Survey (WARPS). WARPS is a
serendipitous survey of relatively deep, pointed ROSAT observations for
clusters of galaxies. The X-ray source detection algorithm used by WARPS is
Voronoi Tessellation and Percolation (VTP), a technique which is equally
sensitive to point sources and extended sources of low surface brightness.
WARPS-I is based on the central regions of 86 ROSAT PSPC fields, covering an
area of 16.2 square degrees. We describe here the X-ray source screening and
optical identification process for WARPS-I, which yielded 34 clusters at
0.06<z<0.75. Twenty-two of these clusters form a complete, statistically well
defined sample drawn from 75 of these 86 fields, covering an area of 14.1
square degrees, with a flux limit of F (0.5-2.0 keV) = 6.5 \times 10^{-14} erg
cm^{-2} s^{-1}}. This sample can be used to study the properties and evolution
of the gas, galaxy and dark matter content of clusters, and to constrain
cosmological parameters. We compare in detail the identification process and
findings of WARPS to those from other recently published X-ray surveys for
clusters, including RDCS, SHARC-Bright, SHARC-south and the CfA 160 deg
survey.Comment: v3 reflects minor updates to tables 2 and
Infrared Mass-to-Light Profile Throughout the Infall Region of the Coma Cluster
Using a redshift survey of 1779 galaxies and photometry from the 2-Micron
All-Sky Survey (2MASS) covering 200 square degrees, we calculate independent
mass and light profiles for the infall region of the Coma cluster of galaxies.
The redshift survey is complete to (622 galaxies), 1.2 magnitudes
fainter than at the distance of Coma. We confirm the mass profile
obtained by Geller, Diaferio, & Kurtz. The enclosed mass-to-light ratio
measured in the band is approximately constant to a radius of 10 \Mpc,
where M/L_{K_s}= 75\pm 23\mlsun, in agreement with weak lensing results on
similar scales. Within 2.5\Mpc, X-ray estimates yield similar mass-to-light
ratios (67). The constant enclosed mass-to-light ratio with radius
suggests that K-band light from bright galaxies in clusters traces the total
mass on scales \lesssim10 \Mpc. Uncertainties in the mass profile imply that
the mass-to-light ratio inside may be as much as a factor of 2.5
larger than that outside . These data demonstrate that K-band light is
not positively biased with respect to the mass; we cannot rule out antibias.
These results imply . Estimates of possible
variations in with radius suggest that the density parameter is no
smaller than .Comment: 11 pages, 2 figures, to appear in The Astrophysical Journal Letter
Correlation length of X-ray brightest Abell clusters
We compute the cluster auto-correlation function of an X-ray
flux limited sample of Abell clusters (XBACs, \cite{ebe}). For the total XBACs
sample we find a power-law fit with Mpc
hand consistent with the results of Abell
clusters. We also analyze for subsamples defined by different
X-ray luminosity thresholds where we find a weak tendency of larger values of
with increasing X-ray luminosity although with a low statistical
significance. In the different subsamples analyzed we find Mpc
h and . Our analysis suggests that cluster X-ray
luminosities may be used for a reliable confrontation of cluster spatial
distribution properties in models and observations.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journa
RXJ1716.6+6708: a young cluster at z=0.81
Clusters of galaxies at redshifts nearing one are of special importance since
they may be caught at the epoch of formation. At these high redshifts there are
very few known clusters. We present follow-up ASCA, ROSAT HRI and Keck LRIS
observations of the cluster RXJ1716.6+6708 which was discovered during the
optical identification of X-ray sources in the North Ecliptic Pole region of
the ROSAT All-Sky Survey. At z=0.809, RXJ1716.6+6708 is the second most distant
X-ray selected cluster so far published and the only one with a large number of
spectroscopically determined cluster member velocities. The optical morphology
of RXJ1716.6+6708 resembles an inverted S-shape filament with the X-rays coming
from the midpoint of the filament. The X-ray contours have an elongated shape
that roughly coincide with the weak lensing contours. The cluster has a low
temperature, kT=5.66{+1.37 -0.58} keV, and a very high velocity dispersion
sigma_{los}=1522{+215 -150} km s^{-1}. While the temperature is commensurate
with its X-ray luminosity of (8.19 +/- 0.43)x10^{44} h_{50}^{-2} erg s^{-1}
(2-10 keV rest frame), its velocity dispersion is much higher than expected
from the sigma-T_X relationship of present-day clusters with comparable X-ray
luminosity. RXJ1716.6+6708 could be an example of a protocluster, where matter
is flowing along filaments and the X-ray flux is maximum at the impact point of
the colliding streams of matter.Comment: Latex file, 18 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in the
Astronomical Journa
The Las Campanas Distant Cluster Survey -- The Correlation Function
We present the first non-local (z>0.2) measurement of the cluster-cluster
spatial correlation length, using data from the Las Campanas Distant Cluster
Survey (LCDCS). We measure the angular correlation function for
velocity-dispersion limited subsamples of the catalog at estimated redshifts of
0.35<z_{est}<0.575, and derive spatial correlation lengths for these clusters
via the cosmological Limber equation. The correlation lengths that we measure
for clusters in the LCDCS are consistent both with local results for the APM
cluster catalog and with theoretical expectations based upon the Virgo
Consortium Hubble Volume simulations and the analytic predictions. Despite
samples containing over 100 clusters, our ability to discriminate between
cosmological models is limited because of statistical uncertainty.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, accepted to ApJ (v571, May 20, 2002
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