The radius-mass relation for clusters of galaxies - Cosmological scenarios versus observations

Journal Article · Wed Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1989 · Astrophysical Journal; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/168036· OSTI ID:7143556

West, M J; Oemler, A Jr; Dekel, A ^[1]

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1. Yale Univ., New Haven, CT (USA) Jerusalem, Hebrew Univ. (Israel)

The relationship between the characteristic radii and masses (luminosities) of rich clusters of galaxies is studied using N-body simulations in comparison with observations. Various scenarios for the formation of the large-scale structure of the universe within the gravitational instability picture are considered, including hierarchical clustering, pancake, and hybrid scenarios. A well-defined radius-mass relation is found for the simulated clusters in each model, the slope of which depends on the form of the initial density fluctuation spectrum. The radius-luminosity relation is also studied for a sample of 29 Abell clusters, and a well-defined correlation is found to exist. If M/L is roughly the same among clusters, and if the distributions of light and mass are similar, then best agreement with the observations is found for an initial spectrum with an effective slope of -1 to 0 on the scale of protoclusters, as is expected in such scenarios as cold dark matter, isocurvature baryonic models, and certain hybrid scenarios. The pancake scenario, on the other hand, may have difficulty reproducing the observed radius-luminosity relation. 57 refs.

• OSTI ID: 7143556
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal; (USA), Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal; (USA) Vol. 346; ISSN ASJOA; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640106* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Cosmology
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
DISTRIBUTION
GALACTIC EVOLUTION
GALAXY CLUSTERS
GRAVITATION
GRAVITATIONAL INSTABILITY
INSTABILITY
LUMINOSITY
MANY-BODY PROBLEM
MASS
MASS DISTRIBUTION
NONLUMINOUS MATTER
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PLASMA INSTABILITY
SIMULATION
SIZE
SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION
UNIVERSE