Spatial distributions of the REFLEX-DXL galaxy clusters at z~0.3 observed by XMM-Newton

TL;DR

This study analyzes the temperature profiles of galaxy clusters at z~0.3 using XMM-Newton, revealing diverse temperature gradients and indications of warm-hot gas, with implications for cluster mass estimates.

Contribution

First detailed spatially resolved temperature profiles of a volume-limited galaxy cluster sample at z~0.3 using XMM-Newton.

Findings

Diverse temperature gradients observed at outer radii.

Indications of warm-hot gas around clusters.

Mass estimates within 25% accuracy up to r_500.

Abstract

We present XMM-Newton results on the spatially resolved temperature profiles of eight massive galaxy clusters of a volume-limited sample at redshifts $z\sim0.3$ (REFLEX-DXL sample) and an additional luminous cluster at $z=0.2578$, selected from the REFLEX survey. Useful temperature measurements could be performed out to radii with overdensity 500 ($r_{500}$). The scaled temperature distributions show good similarities. We discovered diversities in the temperature gradients at the outer cluster radii with examples of both flat and strongly decreasing profiles which call for different physical interpretations. We found an indication of the 'warm-hot' gas existing in or around the hot clusters. Using RXCJ0307.0-2840 we demonstrate that the errors on the mass estimates are within 25% up to r_{500}.