The radial structure of galaxy groups and clusters

We construct a family of simple analytical models of galaxy clusters at the present epoch and compare its predictions with observational data. We explore two processes that break the self-similarity of galaxy clusters: systematic variation in the dark matter halo concentration and energy injection into the intracluster gas, through their effects on the observed cluster properties. Three observed relations between cluster properties and temperature are employed to constrain th...

Previous comparisons of optical and X-ray observations of clusters of galaxies have lead to the so-called ``$\beta$ - discrepancy'' that has persisted for the last decade. The standard hydrostatic-isothermal model for clusters predicts that the parameter $\beta_{spec} = \sigma_{r}^{2}/(kT/\mu m_{p})$, which describes the ratio of energy per unit mass in galaxies to that in the gas, should equal the parameter $\beta_{fit}$ (where $\rho_{gas}(r) \propto \rho_{gal}(r)^{\beta_{fi...

Modern hydrodynamical simulations offer nowadays a powerful means to trace the evolution of the X-ray properties of the intra-cluster medium (ICM) during the cosmological history of the hierarchical build up of galaxy clusters. In this paper we review the current status of these simulations and how their predictions fare in reproducing the most recent X-ray observations of clusters. After briefly discussing the shortcomings of the self-similar model, based on assuming that gr...

The temperature profile of hot gas in galaxies and galaxy clusters is largely determined by the depth of the total gravitational potential and thereby by the dark matter (DM) distribution. We use high-resolution hydrodynamical simulations of galaxy formation to derive a surprisingly simple relation between the gas temperature and DM properties. We show that this relation holds not just for galaxy clusters but also for equilibrated and relaxed galaxies at radii beyond the cent...

The aim of the present work is to show that, contrary to popular belief, galaxy clusters are **not** expected to be self-similar, even when the only energy sources available are gravity and shock-wave heating. In particular, we investigate the scaling relations between mass, luminosity and temperature of galaxy groups and clusters in the absence of radiative processes. Theoretical expectations are derived from a polytropic model of the intracluster medium and compared with th...

Hot intergalactic gas in clusters, groups, and filaments emanates a continuous background of 0.5-2.0 keV X-rays that ought to be detectable with the new generation of X-ray observatories. Here we present selected results from a program to simulate the surface-brightness distribution of this background with an adaptive-mesh cosmological hydrodynamics code. We show that the bright end of this distribution is well approximated by combining the cluster temperature function with a...

We present radial mass profiles within 0.3 r_vir for 16 relaxed galaxy groups-poor clusters (kT range 1-3 keV) selected for optimal mass constraints from the Chandra and XMM data archives. After accounting for the mass of hot gas, the resulting mass profiles are described well by a two-component model consisting of dark matter (DM), represented by an NFW model, and stars from the central galaxy. The stellar component is required only for 8 systems, for which reasonable stella...

We examine the scalings of X-ray luminosity, temperature, and dark matter or galaxy velocity dispersion for galaxy groups in an LCDM cosmological simulation, which incorporates gravity, gas dynamics, radiative cooling, and star formation, but no substantial non-gravitational heating. In agreement with observations, the simulated L_X-sigma and L_X-T_X relations are steeper than those predicted by adiabatic simulations or self-similar models, with L_X\propto sigma^{4.4} and L_X...

We present XMM-Newton studies of the total mass, gas density, temperature and entropy profiles in nearby hot and cool clusters, together with follow-up observations of distant clusters from the SHARC Survey. The observed structural and scaling properties are compared with the predictions of the self-similar model of cluster formation. These data indicate that clusters do form a self-similar population down to low mass and up to high redshift, and give support to the standard ...

(Abridged) We present in this paper a sample of 14 nearby clusters of galaxies observed with the ROSAT/PSPC. We only select clusters with low galactic nH in order to trace the X-ray emitting intra-cluster medium (ICM) out to large radii. We convert the X-ray surface brightness profiles of the clusters into emission measure profiles scaled to the classical scaling relations based on the spherical collapse model. We sort the clusters into different temperature bins and stack th...