The XMM cluster survey: exploring scaling relations and completeness of the dark energy survey year 3 redMaPPer cluster catalogue

We cross-match and compare characteristics of galaxy clusters identified in observations from two sky surveys using two completely different techniques. One sample is optically selected from the analysis of 3 years of Dark Energy Survey observations using the redMaPPer cluster detection algorithm. The second is X-ray selected from XMM observations analysed by the XMM Cluster Survey. The samples comprise a total area of 57.4 deg(2), bounded by the area of four contiguous XMM survey regions that overlap the DES footprint. We find that the X-ray-selected sample is fully matched with entries in the redMaPPer catalogue, above lambda > 20 and within 0.1 < z < 0.9. Conversely, only 38 per cent of the redMaPPer catalogue is matched to an X-ray extended source. Next, using 120 optically clusters and 184 X-ray-selected clusters, we investigate the form of the X-ray luminosity-temperature (L-X -T-X ), luminosity-richness (L-X - lambda), and temperature-richness (T-X - lambda) scaling relations. We find that the fitted forms of the L-X -T-X relations are consistent between the two selection methods and also with other studies in the literature. However, we find tentative evidence for a steepening of the slope of the relation for low richness systems in the X-ray-selected sample. When considering the scaling of richness with X-ray properties, we again find consistency in the relations (i.e. L-X - lambda and T-X - lambda) between the optical and X-ray-selected samples. This is contrary to previous similar works that find a significant increase in the scatter of the luminosity scaling relation for X-ray-selected samples compared to optically selected samples.

Automated summary

We compare two samples of galaxy clusters from different sky surveys and techniques. One sample is optically selected using the redMaPPer algorithm from Dark Energy Survey observations, while the other is X-ray selected from XMM observations. The two samples show consistent results in the scaling relations of X-ray luminosity-temperature, X-ray luminosity-richness, and X-ray temperature-richness. However, there is tentative evidence for a steepening slope of the relation in low richness systems for the X-ray-selected sample.