Letter to the Editor

The galaxy cluster X-ray luminosity–gravitational mass relation in the light of the WMAP 3rd year data

Argelander Institute for Astronomy (AIfA), Bonn University, Auf dem Hügel 71, 53121 Bonn, Germany e-mail: thomas@reiprich.net

Received: 29 April 2006
Accepted: 18 May 2006

Abstract

Context.The 3rd year WMAP results mark a shift in best fit values of cosmological parameters compared to the 1st year data and the concordance cosmological model.

Aims.We test the consistency of the new results with previous constraints on cosmological parameters from the HIFLUGCS galaxy cluster sample and the impact of this shift on the X-ray luminosity–gravitational mass relation.

Methods.The measured X-ray luminosity function combined with the observed luminosity–mass relation are compared to mass functions predicted for given cosmological parameter values.

Results.The luminosity function and luminosity–mass relation derived previously from HIFLUGCS are in perfect agreement with mass functions predicted using the best fit parameter values from the 3rd year WMAP data () and inconsistent with the concordance cosmological model (), assuming a flat Universe. Trying to force consistency with the concordance model requires artificially decreasing the normalization of the luminosity–mass relation by a factor of 2.

Conclusions.The shift in best fit values for and has a significant impact on predictions of cluster abundances. The new WMAP results are now in perfect agreement with previous results on the relation determined from the mass function of HIFLUGCS clusters and other X-ray cluster samples (the “low cluster normalization”). We conclude that – unless the true values of and differ significantly from the 3rd year WMAP results – the luminosity–mass relation is well described by their previous determination from X-ray observations of clusters, with a conservative upper limit on the bias factor of 1.5. These conclusions are currently being tested directly in a complete follow-up program of all HIFLUGCS clusters with Chandra and XMM-Newton.