The X-ray background from groups and clusters of galaxies

Abstract

We present an estimate of the X-ray background (XRB) spectrum from the warm-hot intergalactic medium (IGM) associated with groups and clusters of galaxies, using purely the observationally determined X-ray luminosity function (XLF) and X-ray luminosity (Lx) - temperature (T) relations for groups and clusters. As compared with previous semi-analytic models based on the Press-Schechter mass function, our approach provides a much simpler and more realistic way to evaluate the XRB from groups and clusters in the sense that we make no assumption about the dynamical and heating properties of the IGM, and the intrinsic dispersion in the Lx-T relations due to different physical mechanisms among different groups and clusters can be also included. It shows that the resulting 0.1-10 keV XRB spectrum by summing up the X-ray emission from all groups and clusters is consistent with current upper limits placed on the contribution from diffuse gas to the XRB. This may have profound implications for our understanding of the missing baryons in the universe.

6 pages, 3 figure, accepted for publication in ApJ

References in corpus (5)

• Measuring ${\Omega }_m$ with the ROSAT Deep Cluster Survey
• Cluster Evolution in the ROSAT North Ecliptic Pole Survey
• The X-ray surface brightness distribution from diffuse gas
• Confusion of Diffuse Objects in the X-ray Sky
• Expectations for SZ cluster counts: mass function versus X-ray luminosity function

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• Measuring Feedback Using the Intergalactic Medium State and Evolution Inferred from the Soft X-ray Background
• Upper Limit on Dimming of Cosmological Sources by Intergalactic Grey Dust from the Soft X-ray Background
• Formation of the First Black Holes: Current observational status
• Autocorrelation function of the soft X-ray background produced by warm-hot gas in dark halos
• Cluster contribution to the X-ray background as a cosmological probe
• A Search for X-Ray Reionization Signatures from Cross-Correlation of Wmap and ROSAT Rass Data