Galaxy Cluster Gas Mass Fraction Research Articles

Non-parametric reconstruction of the fine structure constant with galaxy clusters

Testing possible variations in fundamental constants of nature is a crucial endeavor in observational cosmology. This paper investigates potential cosmological variations in the fine structure constant (α) through a non-parametric approach, using galaxy cluster observations as the primary cosmological probe. We employ two methodologies based on galaxy cluster gas mass fraction measurements derived from X-ray and Sunyaev–Zeldovich observations, along with luminosity distances from type Ia supernovae. We also explore how different values of the Hubble constant (H0) impact the variation of α across cosmic history. When using the Planck satellite’s H0 observations, a constant α is ruled out at approximately the 3σ confidence level for z≲0.5. Conversely, employing local estimates of H0 restores agreement with a constant α.

Unveiling the Hubble constant through galaxy cluster gas mass fractions

In this work, we obtain Hubble constant (H0) estimates by using two galaxy cluster gas mass fraction measurement samples, Type Ia supernovae luminosity distances, and the validity of the cosmic distance duality relation. Notably, the angular diameter distance (ADD) to each galaxy cluster in the samples is determined by combining its gas mass fraction measurement with galaxy clustering observations, more precisely, the Ωb/Ωm ratio. Such a combination results in a H0 estimate that is independent of a specific cosmological framework. In one of the samples, the gas fraction measurements were calculated in spherical shells at radii near r2500 (44 data points), while in the other (103 data points) the measurements were calculated within r500. We find H0=72.7−5.6+6.3 km/s/Mpc at 68% CL for the joint analysis of these data sets. We also investigate the impact on the H0 determination by exploring the precision and number of gas mass fraction data by performing a data Monte Carlo simulation. Our simulations show that future measurements could achieve a precision of up to 5% for H0.

Observational constraints on varying fundamental constants in a minimal CPC model

ABSTRACT A minimal model based on the Co-varying Physical Couplings (CPC) framework for gravity is proposed. The CPC framework is based on the assumptions of a metric-compatible four-dimensional Riemannian manifold, where a covariantly conserved stress-energy tensor acts as source of the field equations, which are formally the same as Einstein field equations, but where the couplings {G, c, Λ} are allowed to vary simultaneously. The minimal CPC model takes Λ as a genuine constant while c and G vary in an entangled way that is consistent with Bianchi identity and the aforementioned assumptions. The model is constrained using the most recent galaxy cluster gas mass fraction observational data. Our result indicates that the functions c(z) and G (z) = G0 (c/c0)4 are compatible with constant couplings for the two different parametrizations of c = c(z) adopted here.

A search for the variation of speed of light using galaxy cluster gas mass fraction measurements

In this paper, we implement a new method to test the invariance of the speed of light (c) as a function of redshift, by combining the measurements of galaxy cluster gas mass fraction, H(z) from cosmic chronometers, and Type-Ia supernovae (SNe Ia). In our analyses, we consider both a constant depletion factor (which corresponds to the ratio by which the cluster gas mass fraction is depleted with respect to the universal baryonic mean) and one varying with redshift. We also consider the influence of different H 0 estimates on our results. We look for a variation of c, given by c(z) = c 0(1+c 1 z). We find a degeneracy between our final results on c variation and the assumptions on the gas mass fraction depletion factor. Most of our analyses indicate negligible variation ofthe speed of light.

Galaxy clusters, cosmic chronometers and the Einstein equivalence principle

The Einstein equivalence principle in the electromagnetic sector can be violated in modifications of gravity theory generated by a multiplicative coupling of a scalar field to the electromagnetic Lagrangian. In such theories, deviations of the standard result for the cosmic distance duality relation, and a variation of the fine structure constant are expected and are unequivocally intertwined. In this paper, we search for these possible cosmological signatures by using galaxy cluster gas mass fraction measurements and cosmic chronometers. No significant departure from general relativity is found regardless of our assumptions about cosmic curvature or a possible depletion factor evolution in cluster measurements.

Is the non-isothermal double β-model incompatible with no time evolution of galaxy cluster gas mass fraction?

In this paper, we propose a new method to obtain the depletion factor γ(z), the ratio by which the measured baryon fraction in galaxy clusters is depleted with respect to the universal mean. We use exclusively galaxy cluster data, namely, X-ray gas mass fraction (fgas) and angular diameter distance measurements from Sunyaev–Zel’dovich effect plus X-ray observations. The galaxy clusters are the same in both data set and the non-isothermal spherical double β-model was used to describe their electron density and temperature profiles. In order to compare our results with those from recent cosmological hydrodynamical simulations, we suppose a possible time evolution for γ(z), such as, γ(z)=γ0(1+γ1z). As main conclusions we found that: the γ0 value is in full agreement with the simulations. On the other hand, although the γ1 value found in our analysis is compatible with γ1=0 within 2σ c.l., our results show a non-negligible time evolution for the depletion factor, unlike the results of the simulations. However, we also put constraints on γ(z) by using the fgas measurements and angular diameter distances obtained from the flat ΛCDM model (Planck results) and from a sample of galaxy clusters described by an elliptical profile. For these cases no significant time evolution for γ(z) was found. Then, if a constant depletion factor is an inherent characteristic of these structures, our results show that the spherical double β-model used to describe the galaxy clusters considered does not affect the quality of their fgas measurements.

Testing X-ray measurements of galaxy cluster gas mass fraction using the cosmic distance-duality relation

We propose a consistency test for some recent X-ray gas mass fraction (fgas) measurements in galaxy clusters, using the cosmic distance-duality relation, ηtheory = DL(1 + z)−2/DA, with luminosity distance (DL) data from the Union2 compilation of type Ia supernovae. We set ηtheory ≡ 1, instead of assigning any redshift parameterizations to it, and constrain the cosmological information preferred by fgas data along with supernova observations. We adopt a new binning method in the reduction of the Union2 data, in order to minimize the statistical errors. Four data sets of X-ray gas mass fraction, which are reported by Allen et al. (two samples), LaRoque et al. and Ettori et al., are analyzed in detail in the context of two theoretical models of fgas. The results from the analysis of Allen et al.'s samples demonstrate the feasibility of our method. It is found that the preferred cosmology by LaRoque et al.'s sample is consistent with its reference cosmology within the 1σ confidence level. However, for Ettori et al.'s fgas sample, the inconsistency can reach more than a 3σ confidence level and this dataset shows special preference to an ΩΛ = 0 cosmology.

Constraining Dark Matter-Dark Energy Interaction with Gas Mass Fraction in Galaxy Clusters

AbstractThe recent observational evidence for the current cosmic acceleration have stimulated renewed interest in alternative cosmologies, such as scenarios with interaction in the dark sector (dark matter and dark energy). In general, such models contain an unknown negative-pressure dark component coupled with the pressureless dark matter and/or with the baryons that results in an evolution for the Universe rather different from the one predicted by the standard ΛCDM model. In this work we test the observational viability of such scenarios by using the most recent galaxy cluster gas mass fraction versus redshift data (42 X-ray luminous, dynamically relaxed galaxy clusters spanning the redshift range 0.063 < z < 1.063), Allen et al. (2008), to place bounds on the parameter ε that characterizes the dark matter/dark energy coupling. The resulting are consistent with, and typically as constraining as, those derived from other cosmological data. Although a time-independent cosmological constant (ΛCDM model) is a good fit to these galaxy cluster data, an interacting energy component cannot yet be ruled out.

CONSTRAINTS ON DARK ENERGY FROM BARYON ACOUSTIC PEAK AND GALAXY CLUSTER GAS MASS MEASUREMENTS

We use baryon acoustic peak measurements by Eisenstein et al. (2005) and Percival et al. (2007a) and galaxy cluster gas mass fraction measurements of Allen et al. (2008) to constrain parameters of three different dark energy models. For time-independent dark energy, the Percival et al. (2007a) constraints, which make use of the WMAP measurement of the apparent acoustic horizon angle, most effectively constrain a cosmological parameter close to spatial curvature and favor a close to spatially flat model. In a spatially-flat model the Percival et al. (2007a) data less effectively constrain time-varying dark energy. The joint baryon acoustic peak and galaxy cluster gas mass constraints are consistent with but tighter than those derived from other data. A time-independent cosmological constant in a spatially-flat model provides a good fit to the joint data, but slowly-evolving dark energy can not yet be ruled out.

Constraints on Dark Energy from Galaxy Cluster Gas Mass Fraction versus Redshift Data

We use the Allen et al. (2008) galaxy cluster gas mass fraction versus redshift data to constrain parameters of three different dark energy models: a cosmological constant dominated one ($\Lambda$CDM); the XCDM parameterization of dark energy; and a slowly-rolling scalar field model with inverse-power-law potential energy density. (Instead of using the Monte Carlo Markov Chain method, when integrating over nuisance parameters we use an alternative method of introducing an auxiliary random variable.) The resulting constraints are consistent with, and typically more constraining than, those derived from other cosmological data. A time-independent cosmological constant is a good fit to the galaxy cluster data, but slowly evolving dark energy cannot yet be ruled out.

Cosmological Constraints from Hubble Parameter versus Redshift Data

We use the Simon, Verde, & Jimenez (2005) determination of the redshift dependence of the Hubble parameter to constrain cosmological parameters in three dark energy cosmological models. We consider the standard $\Lambda$CDM model, the XCDM parameterization of the dark energy equation of state, and a slowly rolling dark energy scalar field with an inverse power-law potential. The constraints are restrictive, consistent with those derived from Type Ia supernova redshift-magnitude data, and complement those from galaxy cluster gas mass fraction versus redshift data.

SUPERNOVA Ia AND GALAXY CLUSTER GAS MASS FRACTION CONSTRAINTS ON DARK ENERGY

We use the Riess et al. (2004)1 supernova Ia apparent magnitude versus redshift data and the Allen et al. (2004)2 galaxy cluster gas mass fraction versus redshift data to constrain dark energy models. These data provide complementary constraints that when combined together significantly restrict model parameters and favor slowly-evolving dark energy density models, close to the Einstein cosmological constant limit of dark energy.

Challenges for Precision Cosmology with X‐Ray and Sunyaev‐Zeldovich Effect Gas Mass Measurements of Galaxy Clusters

We critically analyze the measurement of galaxy cluster gas masses, which is central to cosmological studies that rely on the galaxy cluster gas mass fraction. Using synthetic observations of numerically simulated clusters viewed through their X-ray emission and thermal Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect (SZE), we reduce the observations to obtain measurements of the cluster gas mass. We quantify the possible sources of uncertainty and systematic bias associated with the common simplifying assumptions used in reducing real cluster observations, including isothermality and hydrostatic equilibrium. We find that intrinsic variations in clusters limit the precision of observational gas mass estimation to ~10% to 1 σ confidence, excluding instrumental effects. Gas mass estimates show surprisingly little trending in the scatter as a function of cluster redshift. For the full cluster sample, methods that use SZE profiles out to roughly the virial radius are the simplest, most accurate, and unbiased way to estimate cluster mass. X-ray methods are systematically more precise mass estimators than are SZE methods if merger and cool-core systems are removed, but slightly overestimate (5%-10%) the cluster gas mass on average. We find that cool-core clusters in our samples are particularly poor candidates for observational mass estimation, even when excluding emission from the core region. The effects of cooling in the cluster gas alter the radial profile of the X-ray and SZE surface brightness even outside the cool-core region. Finally, we find that methods using a universal temperature profile estimate cluster masses to higher precision than those assuming isothermality.