Infall Regions and Scaling Relations of X-ray Selected Groups

TL;DR

This study extends the analysis of infall patterns and mass profiles to low-mass X-ray-selected galaxy groups using SDSS data, revealing their scaling relations and the impact of merging systems.

Contribution

It applies the caustic technique to measure mass profiles of smaller galaxy groups at large radii, expanding the understanding of group scaling relations beyond previous surveys.

Findings

Most low-mass groups show recognizable infall patterns.

Scaling relation L_X ∝ σ_p^{3.4±1.6} is consistent with previous results.

Merging groups are outliers in scaling relations.

Abstract

We use the Fifth Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey to study X-ray-selected galaxy groups and compare their properties to clusters. We search for infall patterns around the groups and use these to measure group mass profiles to large radii. In previous work, we analyzed infall patterns for an X-ray-selected sample of 72 clusters from the ROSAT All-Sky Survey. Here, we extend this approach to a sample of systems with smaller X-ray fluxes selected from the 400 Square Degree serendipitous survey of clusters and groups in ROSAT pointed observations. We identify 16 groups with SDSS DR5 spectroscopy, search for infall patterns, and compute mass profiles out to 2-6 Mpc from the group centers with the caustic technique. No other mass estimation methods are currently available at such large radii for these low-mass groups, because the virial estimate requires dynamical equilibrium and the gravitational lensing signal is too weak. Despite the small masses of these groups, most display recognizable infall patterns. We use caustic and virial mass estimates to measure the scaling relations between different observables, extending these relations to smaller fluxes and luminosities than many previous surveys. Close inspection reveals that three of the groups are subclusters in the outskirts of larger clusters. A fourth group is apparently undergoing a group-group merger. These four merging groups represent the most extreme outliers in the scaling relations. Excluding these groups, we find $L_X\propto\sigma_p^{3.4\pm1.6}$, consistent with previous determinations for both clusters and groups. Understanding cluster and group scaling relations is crucial for measuring cosmological parameters from clusters.