Baryonic Gas Research Articles

ComPACT: combined Atacama Cosmology Telescope + Planck galaxy cluster catalogue

ABSTRACT Galaxy clusters are the most massive gravitationally bound systems consisting of dark matter, hot baryonic gas, and stars. They play an important role in observational cosmology and galaxy evolution studies. We develop a deep learning model for segmentation of Sunyaev–Zeldovich (SZ) signal on Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) + Planck intensity maps and construct a pipeline for microwave cluster detection in the ACT footprint. The proposed model allows us to identify previously unknown galaxy clusters, i.e. it is capable of detecting SZ sources below the detection threshold adopted in the published galaxy clusters catalogues [such as ACT DR5 and Planck Sunyaev–Zeldovich 2 (PSZ2)]. In this paper, we use the derived SZ signal map to considerably improve a cluster purity in the extended catalogue of Sunyaev–Zeldovich objects from Planck data (SZcat) in the ACT footprint. From SZcat, we create a new microwave galaxy cluster catalogue (ComPACT), which includes 2962 SZ objects with cluster purity conservatively estimated as ≳74–84 per cent. We categorize objects in the catalogue into three categories, based on their cluster reliability. Within the ComPACT catalogue, there are ≳977 new clusters with respect to the ACT DR5 and PSZ2 catalogues.

Baryon-induced Collapse of Dark Matter Cores into Supermassive Black Holes

Nonlinear structure formation for fermionic dark matter particles leads to dark matter density profiles with a degenerate compact core surrounded by a diluted halo. For a given fermion mass, the core has a critical mass that collapses into a supermassive black hole (SMBH). Galactic dynamics constraints suggest a ∼100 keV/c 2 fermion, which leads to ∼107 M ⊙ critical core mass. Here, we show that baryonic (ordinary) matter accretion drives an initially stable dark matter core to SMBH formation and determines the accreted mass threshold that induces it. Baryonic gas density ρ b and velocity v b inferred from cosmological hydrosimulations and observations produce sub-Eddington accretion rates triggering the baryon-induced collapse in less than 1 Gyr. This process produces active galactic nuclei in galaxy mergers and the high-redshift Universe. For TXS 2116–077, merging with a nearby galaxy, the observed 3 × 107 M ⊙ SMBH, for Qb=ρb/vb3=0.125M⊙/(100kms−1pc)3 , forms in ≈0.6 Gyr, consistent with the 0.5–2 Gyr merger timescale and younger jet. For the farthest central SMBH detected by the Chandra X-ray satellite in the z = 10.3 UHZ1 galaxy observed by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the mechanism leads to a 4 × 107 M ⊙ SMBH in 87–187 Myr, starting the accretion at z = 12–15. The baryon-induced collapse can also explain the ≈107–108 M ⊙ SMBHs revealed by JWST at z ≈ 4–6. After its formation, the SMBH can grow to a few 109 M ⊙ in timescales shorter than 1 Gyr via sub-Eddington baryonic mass accretion.

The relationship between the shape of SPARC rotation curves to the galactic mass model: a chi-square test of independence

Rotation curves of galaxies are strongly related to dark matter and baryonic matter. The gravitational attraction of baryonic matter, e.g., stars and gas, is the dominant force in the inner regions of galaxies, and its distribution determines the shape of the inner rotation curve. In contrast, the outer regions of galaxies are dominated by the gravitational force of dark matter, which is thought to be distributed in a spherical halo around a galaxy. Since the ratio of rotational speed in the inner regions and maximum rotational speed (η rot) is related to the shape of the galaxy rotation curve, it might be a significant association between this ratio and each combination of matters, or the mass models. Specifically, for dark matter, we assume the Navarro-Frenk-White (NFW) profile. This study explores the use of SPARC data (Spitzer Photometry and Accurate Rotation Curves) and categorizes shapes of galaxy rotation curves according to η rot. For mass models, we classify galaxies by considering the reduced chi-square of the best-fit parameter of each model. To determine whether there is a significant association between η rot and the mass models, we utilize the chi-square test of independence. The study suggests with a 95% confidence level that there is no relation between the mass models and η rot.

Cosmic metal invaders: Intergalactic O VII as a tracer of the warm-hot intergalactic medium within cosmic filaments in the EAGLE simulation

Context. The current observational status of the hot (log T(K) > 5.5) intergalactic medium (IGM) remains incomplete. While recent X-ray emission and Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect observations from stacking large numbers of Cosmic Web filaments have yielded statistically significant detections of this phase, direct statistically significant measurements of single objects remain scarce. The lack of such a sample currently prevents a robust analysis of the cosmic baryon content composed of the hot IGM, which would potentially help solve the cosmological missing baryons problem. Aims. In order to improve the observationally challenging search for the missing baryons, we utilise the theoretical avenue afforded by the EAGLE simulations. Our aim is to get insights into the metal enrichment of the Cosmic Web and the distribution of highly ionised metals in the IGM. Our goal is to aid in the planning of future X-ray observations of the hot intergalactic plasma. Methods. We detected the filamentary network by applying the Bisous formalism to galaxies in the EAGLE simulation. We characterised the spatial distributions of oxygen and O VII and studied their mass and volume filling fractions in the filaments. Since oxygen is formed in and expelled from galaxies, we also studied the surroundings of haloes. We used this information to construct maps of the O VII column density and determine the feasibility of detecting it via absorption with Athena X-IFU. Results. Within EAGLE, the oxygen and O VII number densities drop dramatically beyond the virial radii of haloes. In the most favourable scenario, the median extent of O VII above the Athena X-IFU detection limit is ≈700 kpc. Since galaxies are relatively far apart from one another, only ∼1% of the filament volumes are filled with O VII at high enough column densities to be detectable by X-IFU. The highly non-homogeneous distribution of the detectable O VII complicates the usage of the measurements of the intergalactic O VII absorbers for tracing the missing baryons and estimating their contribution to the cosmic baryon budget. Instead, the detectable volumes form narrow and dense envelopes around haloes, while the rest of the O VII is diluted at low densities within the full filament volumes. This localised nature, in turn, results in a low chance (∼10−20% per sight line) of detecting intergalactic O VII with Athena X-IFU within the observational SDSS catalogue of nearby filaments. Fortunately, with deeper filament samples, such as those provided via the future 4MOST 4HS survey, the chances of intercepting an absorbing system are expected to increase up to a comfortable level of ∼50% per sight line. Conclusions. Based on EAGLE results, targeting the Cosmic Web with Athena may only result in tip-of-the-iceberg detections of the intergalactic O VII, which is located in the galaxy outskirts. This would not be enough to conclusively solve the missing baryon problem. However, the projection of many filaments into a single line of sight will enable a useful X-ray observation strategy with Athena X-IFU for the hot cosmic baryon gas, reducing the amount of baryons still missing by up to ∼25%.

A new residual distribution hydrodynamics solver for astrophysical simulations

ABSTRACT Many astrophysical systems can only be accurately modelled when the behaviour of their baryonic gas components is well understood. The residual distribution (RD) family of partial differential equation (PDE) solvers produce approximate solutions to the corresponding fluid equations. We present a new implementation of the RD method. The solver efficiently calculates the evolution of the fluid, with up to second order accuracy in both time and space, across an unstructured triangulation, in both 2D and 3D. We implement a novel variable time stepping routine, which applies a drifting mechanism to greatly improve the computational efficiency of the method. We conduct extensive testing of the new implementation, demonstrating its innate ability to resolve complex fluid structures, even at very low resolution. We can resolve complex structures with as few as 3–5 resolution elements, demonstrated by Kelvin–Helmholtz and Sedov blast tests. We also note that we find cold cloud destruction time scales consistent with those predicted by a typical PPE solver, albeit the exact evolution shows small differences. The code includes three residual calculation modes, the LDA, N, and blended schemes, tailored for scenarios from smooth flows (LDA), to extreme shocks (N), and both (blended). We compare our RD solver results to state-of-the-art solvers used in other astrophysical codes, demonstrating the competitiveness of the new approach, particularly at low resolution. This is of particular interest in large scale astrophysical simulations, where important structures, such as star forming gas clouds, are often resolved by small numbers of fluid elements.

XGASS: the connection between angular momentum, mass, and atomic gas fraction in nearby galaxies

ABSTRACT We use a sample of 559 disc galaxies extracted from the eXtended GALEX Arecibo SDSS Survey to study the connection between baryonic angular momentum, mass, and atomic gas fraction in the local Universe. Baryonic angular momenta are determined by combining H i and H2 integrated profiles with 2D stellar mass surface density profiles. In line with previous work, we confirm that specific angular momentum and atomic gas fraction are tightly correlated, but we find a larger scatter than previously observed. This is most likely due to the wider range of galaxy properties covered by our sample. We compare our findings with the predictions of the analytical stability model developed by Obreschkow et al. and find that, while the model provides a very good first-order approximation for the connection between baryonic angular momentum, mass, and gas fraction, it does not fully match our data. Specifically, we find that at fixed baryonic mass, the dependence of specific angular momentum on gas fraction is significantly weaker, and at fixed gas fraction, the slope of the angular momentum versus mass relation is shallower than what was predicted by the model. The reasons behind this tension remain unclear, but we speculate that multiple factors may simultaneously play a role, all related to the fact that the model is not able to encapsulate the full diversity of galaxy properties in our sample.

Dark stars powered by self-interacting dark matter

Dark matter annihilation might power the first luminous stars in the Universe. These types of stars, known as dark stars, could form in $(10^6\mathrm{-}10^8)\,M_\odot$ protohalos at redshifts $z \sim 20$, and they could be much more luminous and larger in size than ordinary stars powered by nuclear fusion. We investigate the formation of dark stars in the self-interacting dark matter (SIDM) scenario. We present a concrete particle physics model of SIDM that can simultaneously give rise to the observed dark matter density, satisfy constraints from astrophysical and terrestrial searches, and address the various small-scale problems of collisionless dark matter via the self-interactions. In this model, the power from dark matter annihilation is deposited in the baryonic gas in environments where dark stars could form. We further study the evolution of SIDM density profiles in the protohalos at $z \sim 20$. As the baryon cloud collapses due to the various cooling processes, the deepening gravitational potential can speed up gravothermal evolution of the SIDM halo, yielding sufficiently high dark matter densities for dark stars to form. We find that SIDM-powered dark stars can have similar properties, such as their luminosity and size, as dark stars predicted in collisionless dark matter models.

Simultaneous Dependence of Matter Clustering on Scale and Environment

In this work, we propose new statistical tools that are capable of characterizing the simultaneous dependence of dark matter and gas clustering on the scale and the density environment, and these are the environment-dependent wavelet power spectrum (env-WPS), the environment-dependent bias function (env-bias), and the environment-dependent wavelet cross-correlation function (env-WCC). These statistics are applied to the dark matter and baryonic gas density fields of the TNG100-1 simulation at redshifts of z=3.0-0.0, and to Illustris-1 and SIMBA at z = 0. The measurements of the env-WPSs suggest that the clustering strengths of both the dark matter and the gas increase with increasing density, while that of a Gaussian field shows no density dependence. By measuring the env-bias and env-WCC, we find that they vary significantly with the environment, scale, and redshift. A noteworthy feature is that at z = 0.0, the gas is less biased in denser environments of Δ ≳ 10 around 3 h Mpc−1, due to the gas reaccretion caused by the decreased AGN feedback strength at lower redshifts. We also find that the gas correlates more tightly with the dark matter in both the most dense and underdense environments than in other environments at all epochs. Even at z = 0, the env-WCC is greater than 0.9 in Δ ≳ 200 and Δ ≲ 0.1 at scales of k ≲ 10 h Mpc−1. In summary, our results support the local density environment having a non-negligible impact on the deviations between dark matter and gas distributions up to large scales.

Massive star-forming galaxies have converted most of their halo gas into stars

In the local Universe, the efficiency for converting baryonic gas into stars is very low. In dark matter halos where galaxies form and evolve, the average efficiency varies with galaxy stellar mass and has a maximum of about 20% for Milky-Way-like galaxies. The low efficiency at higher mass is believed to be the result of some quenching processes, such as the feedback from active galactic nuclei. We perform an analysis of weak lensing and satellite kinematics for SDSS central galaxies. Our results reveal that the efficiency is much higher, more than 60%, for a large population of massive star-forming galaxies around 1011 M⊙. This suggests that these galaxies acquired most of the gas in their halos and converted it into stars without being significantly affected by quenching processes. This population of galaxies is not reproduced in current galaxy formation models, indicating that our understanding of galaxy formation is incomplete. The implications of our results on circumgalactic media, star-formation quenching, and disk galaxy rotation curves are discussed. We also examine systematic uncertainties in halo-mass and stellar-mass measurements that might influence our results.

Cosmological evolution of gas and supermassive black holes in idealized isolated haloes

ABSTRACT We study the evolution of baryonic gas in cosmologically growing dark matter haloes. To accurately model both the inner and outer regions of the haloes, we use a dark matter density profile that transitions smoothly from the Navarro–Frenk–White profile within the virial radius to a more realistic flat profile far beyond the halo. We construct a dark matter gravitational potential consistent with this density profile, and we use a ‘cosmological’ potential that accounts for gas evolution consistent with Hubble expansion at large radii. Gas is initialized with a density ≈ 0.2 times the dark matter density, consistent with the universal baryon fraction ρg/(ρg + ρDM) ≈ 0.17. We study the formation of the virial shock and evolution of the baryon fraction, including the effects of radiative cooling and active galactic nucleus jet feedback. The feedback is powered by the accretion of cold gas on to a central supermassive black hole (SMBH). The cores of the halo exhibit heating and cooling cycles, whose strength and duration depend on the feedback efficiency and the halo mass. The central SMBH initially grows exponentially with time in the early quasar phase, but the growth slows down at later times. The baryon fraction in the core decreases with increasing feedback efficiency and decreasing halo mass. While the halo outskirts evolve self-similarly, the core density is non-evolving, in agreement with cluster observations. We analyse the correlations between the properties of the gas and the central SMBH, and explore the existence of a Fundamental Plane.

Adiabatic accretion onto black holes in Einstein-Maxwell-scalar theory

We study the adiabatic accretion process of ordinary baryonic gas onto spherically symmetric black holes in Einstein-Maxwell-scalar theory, with two parameters α and β in the coupling term. Especially, we demonstrate the range of the transonic points in terms of the charge-to-mass ratio squared and the dimensionless coordinate radius, in two important classes of black holes as examples. Further, we find that the two coupling parameters give modifications to the mass accretion rate at different orders of the sound speed at infinity. We also present their different effects on the temperature ratios of the accreted gas.

Magnetic field strength in cosmic web filaments

ABSTRACT We used the rotation measure (RM) catalogue derived from the LOFAR Two-metre Sky Survey Data Release 2 (LoTSS DR2) at 144 MHz to measure the evolution with redshift of the extragalactic RM (RRM: Residual RM) and the polarization fraction (p) of sources in low-density environments. We also measured the same at 1.4 GHz by cross-matching with the NRAO VLA Sky Survey RM catalogue. We find that RRM versus redshift is flat at 144 MHz, but, once redshift-corrected, it shows evolution at high significance. Also, p evolves with redshift with a decrement by a factor of ∼8 at z ∼ 2. Comparing the 144-MHz and 1.4-GHz data, we find that the observed RRM and p are most likely to have an origin local to the source at 1.4 GHz, while a cosmic web filament origin is favoured at 144 MHz. If we attribute the entire signal to filaments, we infer a mean rest-frame RRM per filament of RRM$_{\rm 0,f} = 0.71 \pm 0.07 \, \, \rm rad\, m^{-2}$ and a magnetic field per filament of Bf = 32 ± 3 nG. This is in agreement with estimates obtained with a complementary method based on synchrotron emission stacking, and with cosmological simulations if primordial magnetic fields are amplified by astrophysical source field seeding. The measurement of an RRM0, f supports the presence of diffuse baryonic gas in filaments. We also estimated a conservative upper limit of the filament magnetic turbulence of $\sigma _{\rm RRM_{\rm 0,f}} =0.039 \pm 0.001 \, \, \rm rad\, m^{-2}$, concluding that the ordered magnetic field component dominates in filaments.

A multi-messenger view of cosmic dawn: Conquering the final frontier

The epoch of Cosmic Dawn, when the first stars and galaxies were born, is widely considered as the final frontier of observational cosmology today. Mapping the period between Cosmic Dawn and the present-day provides access to more than 90% of the baryonic (normal) matter in the universe, and unlocks several thousand times more Fourier modes of information than available in today’s cosmological surveys. We review the progress in modeling baryonic gas observations as tracers of the cosmological large-scale structure from Cosmic Dawn to the present day. We illustrate how the description of dark matter haloes can be extended to describe baryonic gas abundances and clustering. This innovative approach allows us to fully utilize our current knowledge of astrophysics to constrain cosmological parameters from future observations. Combined with the information content of multi-messenger probes, this will also elucidate the properties of the first supermassive black holes at Cosmic Dawn. We present a host of fascinating implications for constraining physics beyond the [Formula: see text]CDM model, including tests of the theories of inflation and the cosmological principle, the effects of nonstandard dark matter, and possible deviations from Einstein’s general relativity on the largest scales.

Profiles of Cosmic Filaments Since z = 4.0 in Cosmological Hydrodynamical Simulation

Abstract A large portion of the baryons at low redshifts are still missing from detection. Most of the missing baryons are believed to reside in large-scale cosmic filaments. Understanding the distribution of baryons in filaments is crucial to the search for missing baryons. We investigate the properties of cosmic filaments since z = 4.0 in a cosmological hydrodynamic simulation, focusing on the density and temperature profiles perpendicular to the filament spines. Our quantitative evaluation confirms the rapid growth of thick and prominent filaments after z = 2. We find that the local linear density of filaments shows a correlation with the local diameter since z = 4.0. The averaged density profiles of both dark matter and baryonic gas in filaments of different widths show self-similarity, and can be described by an isothermal single-beta model. The typical gas temperature increases as the filament width increases, and is hotter than 106 K for filaments with width D fil ≳ 4.0 Mpc, which would be the optimal targets for the search of missing baryons via the thermal Sunyaev–Zel’dovich effect. The temperature rises significantly from the boundary to the inner core regime in filaments with D fil ≳ 4.0 Mpc, probably due to heating by accretion shock, while the temperature rises modestly in filaments with D fil < 4.0 Mpc.

The Observed Cosmic Star Formation Rate Density Has an Evolution that Resembles a Γ(a, bt) Distribution and Can Be Described Successfully by Only Two Parameters

Abstract A debate is emerging regarding the recent inconsistent results of different studies for the cosmic star formation rate density (CSFRD) at high-z. We employ UV and IR data sets to investigate the SFR function (SFRF) at z ∼ 0–9. We find that the SFRFs derived from the dust-corrected UV (UVcorr) data contradict those from IR on some key issues because they are described by different distributions (Schechter versus double power law), imply different physics for galaxy formation (UVcorr data suggest an SFR limit/strong mechanism that diminish the number density of highly star-forming systems with respect to IR) and compare differently with the stellar mass density evolution obtained from spectral energy distribution fitting (UVcorr is in agreement, while IR differs up to 0.5 dex). However, both tracers agree on a constant CSFRD evolution at z ∼ 1–4 and point to a plateau instead of a peak. In addition, using both indicators, we demonstrate that the evolution of the observed CSFRD can be described by only two parameters and a function that has the form of a Gamma distribution (Γ(a, bt)). In contrast to previous parameterizations used in the literature, our framework connects the parameters to physical properties such as the SFR depletion time and cosmic baryonic gas density. The build-up of stellar mass occurs in Γ(a, bt) distributed steps and is the result of gas consumption up to the limit at which no eligible gas for SF at t = ∞ remains, resulting in a final cosmic stellar mass density of ∼ 0.5 × 10 9 M ⊙ Mpc 3 .

A revisited study of the cosmic matter recombination in expanding universes

It is generally believed by cosmologists that the universe back in its past was hot, and matter was completely ionized and in thermal equilibrium, while in the present era matter, due to a strong cosmic temperature decrease, has recombined to neutral atoms. As we argue here, contrary to general assumption, a non-equilibrium state predominates at this phase of the recombination and the usually used Saha-Eggert theorem hence is inapplicable. In a preceding paper, we had already derived a specific kinetic transport equation which describes the distribution function of cosmic baryon gas (i.e. hydrogen atoms) just after cosmic matter recombination. We could solve the relevant kinetic transport equation for that period and found the gas distribution function f(v,t) as function of the particle velocity v and of the cosmic time . However here, in this paper, we shall go one important step further back in the cosmic evolution and do study in more detail, how in successive steps the recombination of cosmic electrons and protons did actually occur. We clearly show that matter and radiation in the phase of cosmic recombination is not anymore in a thermodynamic equilibrium state, since matter and radiation do cool off in different forms, and a thermodynamic situation predominates where protons, electrons and photons have different temperatures, and collision-based energy transfer processes operate between them. Hence cosmic recombination, thought to have occured about 400000 years after the Big-Bang, does not take place starting from a thermodynamic equilibrium state as generally presumed, and hence the standard Saha-Eggert assumptions and predictions on the ionization degree of cosmic matter as function of the system temperature can not be used. We follow in detail the processional track how the cosmic radiation and the cosmic matter behave in this critical non-equilibrium phase and show that the recombination of cosmic matter actually occurs, though there is a yet unrespected tendency that freely moving particles in an expanding universe become heated by the action of the differential Hubble drifts which, in a first glance, should impede their recombination.

Dynamical properties ofz∼4.5 dusty star-forming galaxies and their connection with local early-type galaxies

ABSTRACTThere is a large consensus that gas in high-z galaxies is highly turbulent, because of a combination of stellar feedback processes and gravitational instabilities driven by mergers and gas accretion. In this paper, we present the analysis of a sample of five Dusty Star Forming Galaxies (DSFGs) at 4 ≲ z ≲ 5. Taking advantage of the magnifying power of strong gravitational lensing, we quantified their kinematic and dynamical properties from ALMA observations of their [C ii] emission line. We combined the dynamical measurements obtained for these galaxies with those obtained from previous studies to build the largest sample of z ∼ 4.5 galaxies with high-quality data and sub-kpc spatial resolutions, so far. We found that all galaxies in the sample are dynamically cold, with rotation-to-random motion ratios, V/σ, between 7 and 15. The relation between their velocity dispersions and their star formation rates indicates that stellar feedback is sufficient to sustain the turbulence within these galaxies and no further mechanisms are needed. In addition, we performed a rotation curve decomposition to infer the relative contribution of the baryonic (gas, stars) and dark matter components to the total gravitational potentials. This analysis allowed us to compare the structural properties of the studied DSFGs with those of their descendants, the local early type galaxies. In particular, we found that five out of six galaxies of the sample show the dynamical signature of a bulge, indicating that the spheroidal component is already in place at z ∼ 4.5.

The baryon distribution function in the expanding universe after the recombination era

In this paper, we derive a specific kinetic transport equation which as a partial differential equation describes the distribution function of cosmic H-gas (i.e. hydrogen atoms). We can infact solve this transport equation and find the gas distribution function as function f(v,t) of the particle velocity v and of the cosmic time t, with the surprising result that the effective temperature of these cosmic particles is not decreasing, but increasing with cosmic time. At the end of the cosmic recombination era, about 400000 years after the Big-Bang, electrons and protons are thought to recombine to neutral cosmic H-atoms. The question poses itself, what happens to this hydrogen (baryon) gas in thermodynamic terms, when it is exposed to the cosmic expansion dynamics of a Robertson-Walker Hubble universe. The result presented here is explained as due to the Hubble-induced velocity drift of the particles in velocity space.

Resummed kinetic field theory: a model of coupled baryonic and dark matter

We present a new analytical description of cosmic structure formation in a mixture of dark and baryonic matter, using the framework of Kinetic Field Theory (KFT)—a statistical field theory for classical particle dynamics. So far, KFT has only been able to describe a single type of particles, sufficient to consider structure growth due to the gravitational interactions between dark matter. However, the influence of baryonic gas dynamics becomes increasingly relevant when describing smaller scales. In this paper, we thus demonstrate how to extend the KFT formalism as well as a previously presented resummation scheme towards describing such mixtures of two particle species. Thereby, the gas dynamics of baryons are accounted for using the recently developed model of Mesoscopic Particle Hydrodynamics. Assuming a flat ΛCDM Universe and a simplified model for the thermal gas evolution, we demonstrate the validity of this approach by computing the linear evolution of the individual and total matter power spectra between the epoch of recombination and today. Our results correctly reproduce the expected behaviour, showing a suppression of both baryonic and dark matter structure growth on scales smaller than the baryonic Jeans length, in good agreement with results from the numerical Boltzmann solver CLASS. Nonlinear corrections within this approach will be investigated in upcoming works.

Testing emergent gravity with mass densities of galaxy clusters

We use a sample of 23 galaxy clusters to test the predictions of emergent gravity (EG) as alternative to dark matter. Our sample has both weak-lensing inferred total mass profiles as well as x-ray inferred baryonic gas mass profiles. Using nominal assumptions about the weak-lensing and x-ray mass profiles, we find that the EG predictions (based on no dark matter) are acceptable fits only near the virial radius. In the cores and in the outskirts, the mass profile shape differences allow us to confirm previous results that the EG model can be ruled out at $>5\sigma$. However, when we account for systematic uncertainties in the observed weak-lensing and x-ray profiles, we find good agreement for the EG predictions. For instance, if the weak-lensing total mass profiles are shallow in the core and the x-ray gas density profiles are steep in the outskirts, EG can predict the observed dark matter profile in $0.3 \le r \le 1$R$_{200}$, where R$_{200}$ is the radius which encloses 200$\times$ the critical density of the Universe. The required x-ray and lensing shapes are within the current observational systematics-limited errors on cluster profiles. We also show that EG itself allows flexibility in its predictions, which can allow for good agreement between the observations and the predictions. We conclude that we cannot formally rule our EG as an alternative to dark matter on the cluster scale and that we require better constraints on the weak-lensing and gas mass profile shapes in the region $0.3 \le r \le 1$R$_{200}$.