The Galaxy Cluster Luminosity-Temperature Relationship and Iron Abundances - A Measure of Formation History ?

Abstract

Both the X-ray luminosity-temperature (L-T) relationship and the iron abundance distribution of galaxy clusters show intrinsic dispersion. Using a large set of galaxy clusters with measured iron abundances we find a correlation between abundance and the relative deviation of a cluster from the mean L-T relationship. We argue that these observations can be explained by taking into account the range of cluster formation epochs expected within a hierarchical universe. The known relationship of cooling flow mass deposition rate to luminosity and temperature is also consistent with this explanation. From the observed cluster population we estimate that the oldest clusters formed at z>~2. We propose that the iron abundance of a galaxy cluster can provide a parameterization of its age and dynamical history.

13 pages Latex, 2 figures, postscript. Accepted for publication in ApJ Letters

References in corpus (3)

• The Luminosity-Temperature Relation at z=0.4 for Clusters of galaxies
• Lack of Evolution in the Iron Abundance in Clusters of Galaxies and Implications for the Global Star Formation Rate at High Redshift
• The ROSAT Brightest Cluster Sample (BCS): The cluster X-ray luminosity function within z=0.3

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• Models of the ICM with Heating and Cooling: Explaining the Global and Structural X-ray Properties of Clusters
• The Enrichment History of Hot Gas in Poor Galaxy Groups
• XMM-Newton Observation of a Distant X-ray Selected Cluster of Galaxies at z=1.26 with Possible Cluster Interaction
• A multiband study of Hercules A. I. ROSAT observations of the intracluster medium
• Measuring Ω_0 from the Entropy Evolution of Clusters
• Effects of Formation Epoch Distribution on X-Ray Luminosity and Temperature Functions of Galaxy Clusters