The Lx − T Relation and Temperature Function for Nearby Clusters Revisited

The X-ray luminosity-temperature relation for nearby T ≃ 3.5 − 10 keV clusters is rederived using new ASCA temperatures (Markevitch et al. 1998a) and ROSAT luminosities. Both quantities are derived by directly excluding the cooling flow regions. This correction results in a greatly reduced scatter in the LX − T relation; cooling flow clusters are similar to others outside the small cooling flow regions. For a fit of the form Lbol ∝ T , we obtain α = 2.64±0.27 (90%) and a residual rms scatter in logLbol of 0.10. The derived relation can be directly compared to theoretical predictions that do not include radiative cooling. It also provides an accurate reference point for future evolution searches and comparison to cooler clusters. The new temperatures and LX − T relation together with a newly selected cluster sample are used to update the temperature function at z ∼ 0.05. The resulting function is generally higher and flatter than, although within the errors of, the previous estimates by Edge et al. (1990) and Henry & Arnaud (1991, as rederived by Eke et al. 1996). For a qualitative estimate of constraints that the new data place on the density fluctuation spectrum, we apply the Press-Schechter formalism for Ω0 = 1 and 0.3. For Ω0 = 1, assuming cluster isothermality, the temperature function implies σ8 = 0.55± 0.03, while taking into account the observed cluster temperature profiles, σ8 = 0.51± 0.03, consistent with the previously derived range. The dependence of σ8 on Ω0 differs from earlier findings, because of our treatment of the slope of the fluctuation spectrum n as a free parameter. For the considered values of Ω0, n = −(2.0 − 2.3)± 0.3, somewhat steeper than derived from the earlier temperature function data, in agreement with the local slope of the galaxy fluctuation spectrum from the APM survey (Baugh & Gaztañaga 1996), and significantly steeper than the standard CDM prediction. Subject headings: Cooling flows — cosmology — galaxies: clusters: individual — intergalactic medium — X-rays: galaxies