Showing 1–50 of 84 results for author: Ghirardini, V

Simulation-Based Inference for Cluster Cosmology with Set-Based Neural Network Architectures

Authors: S. Zelmer, E. Bulbul, K. Lehman, S. Krippendorf, E. Artis, S. Grandis, N. Clerc, Z. Ding, L. Fiorino, V. Ghirardini, M. Kluge, N. Malavasi, A. Merloni, T. Mistele, K. Nandra, M. E. Ramos-Ceja, J. S. Sanders, F. Pacaud, A. von der Linden, J. Weller, X. Zhang

Abstract: The unprecedented statistical power of galaxy cluster catalogs from the SRG (Spectrum Roentgen Gamma)/eROSITA All-Sky Survey provides a unique opportunity to place stringent constraints on cosmological models through measurements of structure growth. Fully exploiting the potential of these large X-ray-selected cluster samples, however, requires robust statistical frameworks that accurately connect… ▽ More The unprecedented statistical power of galaxy cluster catalogs from the SRG (Spectrum Roentgen Gamma)/eROSITA All-Sky Survey provides a unique opportunity to place stringent constraints on cosmological models through measurements of structure growth. Fully exploiting the potential of these large X-ray-selected cluster samples, however, requires robust statistical frameworks that accurately connect observable quantities to the underlying cosmological parameters. We develop and implement a simulation-based inference (SBI) framework for cosmological parameter estimation using a realistic mock-generation pipeline calibrated on eRASS1 simulations. Synthetic galaxy cluster catalogs are propagated through the survey selection function to produce mock eRASS1 observations that reproduce the data's statistical properties. At the core of the method lies a set-based neural network (GNN on sets) that encodes information from individual clusters and is coupled to a masked autoregressive flow for flexible posterior density estimation. This approach enables the use of the full cluster-level information content without compressing the observables into binned summary statistics. Our framework recovers the input cosmologies within the inferred uncertainties, and passes calibration tests, demonstrating robustness in the presence of realistic survey effects. We obtain mock constraints of 11.5% on $Ω_m$ and 4.4% on $σ_8$ averaged over a suite of simulated cluster catalogs matching the effective sample size of the data set (3,259 clusters). We achieve a precision comparable to that obtained with traditional MCMC analyses based on substantially larger cluster samples. The framework is readily extensible to more complex forward models and additional observables. This work highlights the potential of SBI methods for next-generation large-scale structure analyses with forthcoming X-ray cluster surveys. △ Less

Submitted 25 June, 2026; originally announced June 2026.

Comments: 18 pages, 11 figures, submitted to A&A

CHEX-MATE: Are we getting cluster thermodynamics right?

Authors: R. Seppi, D. Eckert, E. Rasia, S. T. Kay, K. Dolag, V. Biffi, Y. E. Bahar, H. Bourdin, F. De Luca, M. De Petris, S. Ettori, M. Gaspari, F. Gastaldello, V. Ghirardini, L. Lovisari, P. Mazzotta, G. W. Pratt, E. Pointecouteau, M. Rossetti, J. Sayers, M. Sereno, G. Yepes

Abstract: Galaxy clusters offer powerful insights into the large-scale structure of the Universe and the physics of baryons in hot state. Their scientific exploitation, however, hinges on our ability to accurately measure key thermodynamic properties. In this work, we aim to assess the reliability of current analysis techniques in reconstructing these properties, with particular focus on samples similar to… ▽ More Galaxy clusters offer powerful insights into the large-scale structure of the Universe and the physics of baryons in hot state. Their scientific exploitation, however, hinges on our ability to accurately measure key thermodynamic properties. In this work, we aim to assess the reliability of current analysis techniques in reconstructing these properties, with particular focus on samples similar to those observed in the Cluster HEritage project with XMM-Newton (CHEX-MATE). We develop a suite of dedicated end-to-end simulations of CHEX-MATE-like clusters selected from large scale hydrodynamical simulations, and processed through a newly developed realistic XMM-Newton simulator. We apply a full X-ray data analysis pipeline to the mock datasets, including imaging, spectral fitting, and profile reconstruction. The gas density profiles can be robustly recovered across a wide radial range, when using azimuthal mean surface brightness profiles. Our reconstruction techniques are able to reproduce the intrinsic density profile with the correct scatter, with deviations of at most 10% between 0.1 and 1xR500c. The gas mass is reconstructed with better than 1% accuracy. Accurate measurement of temperature profiles is more challenging and possibly subject to biases, particularly in the presence of azimuthal variations and multi-temperature gas along the line of sight, which dominate over projection effects. Our results highlight the need for caution in interpreting cluster temperature measurements and underscore the value of tailored mock observations for understanding observational systematics. These findings also suggest that biases in X-ray temperature measurements may alter the interpretation of the thermodynamical state of the intra-cluster medium, an outlook particularly relevant in light of recent low velocity measurements from the XRISM mission. △ Less

Submitted 3 March, 2026; originally announced March 2026.

Comments: Submitted to A&A

Gas rotation and turbulence in the galaxy cluster Abell 2029

Authors: T. Bartalesi, A. Simionescu, S. Ettori, C. Nipoti, V. Ghirardini, A. Sarkar, M. Sun

Abstract: We constrain the rotation and turbulent support of the intracluster medium (ICM) in Abell 2029 (A2029), using dynamical equilibrium models and a combination of state-of-the-art X-ray datasets. We reduce and conduct the spectral analysis of the XRISM/Resolve data. The rotating, turbulent ICM in the model has a composite polytropic distribution in equilibrium in a spherically-symmetric, cosmologic… ▽ More We constrain the rotation and turbulent support of the intracluster medium (ICM) in Abell 2029 (A2029), using dynamical equilibrium models and a combination of state-of-the-art X-ray datasets. We reduce and conduct the spectral analysis of the XRISM/Resolve data. The rotating, turbulent ICM in the model has a composite polytropic distribution in equilibrium in a spherically-symmetric, cosmologically motivated dark halo. The profile of rotation velocity and the distribution of turbulent velocity dispersion are described with flexible functional forms, consistent with the properties of synthetic clusters formed in cosmological simulations. Adopting realistic profiles for the metallicity distribution of the ICM and for the point spread function of XRISM and XMM-Newton, we tune via a Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm the observables of the intrinsic quantities of the plasma in our model to reproduce the radial profiles of the thermodynamic quantities as derived from the spectral analysis of the XMM-Newton and Planck maps and the measurements of the line-of-sight (LOS) non-thermal velocity dispersion and redshift (probing the LOS velocity) in the XRISM pointings. Our model accurately reproduces the measurements of redshift and LOS non-thermal velocity dispersion, as further demonstrated by simulating and analyzing synthetic counterparts of the XRISM spectra, in accordance with the posterior distribution of our model. We find turbulence-to-total pressure ratio $\approx$ 2% across the (0 - 650) kpc radial range, and a rotation-to-dispersion velocity ratio peaking at 0.15 between 200 - 600 kpc. The hydrostatic-to-total mass ratio is $\approx$ 0.97 at r2500, the radius enclosing an overdensity of 2500 times the average value. △ Less

Submitted 24 March, 2026; v1 submitted 5 January, 2026; originally announced January 2026.

Comments: 15 pages, 5 figures

Journal ref: A&A 709, A155 (2026)

The SRG/eROSITA all-sky survey: The morphologies of clusters of galaxies: II. The intrinsic distributions of morphological parameters

Authors: J. S. Sanders, Y. E. Bahar, E. Bulbul, N. Clerc, J. Comparat, M. Kluge, A. Liu, N. Malavasi, M. E. Ramos-Ceja, T. H. Reiprich, F. Balzer, V. Ghirardini, F. Pacaud, X. Zhang

Abstract: X-ray selected surveys of clusters of galaxies have been reported to contain more regular cool core clusters compared to samples selected using the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) effect. Morphology population studies on X-ray selected clusters will be biased without taking into account selection, as cool cores are more easily detected at low redshifts, but can be mistaken for point sources at high redshi… ▽ More X-ray selected surveys of clusters of galaxies have been reported to contain more regular cool core clusters compared to samples selected using the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) effect. Morphology population studies on X-ray selected clusters will be biased without taking into account selection, as cool cores are more easily detected at low redshifts, but can be mistaken for point sources at high redshift. eROSITA, aboard SRG, found over 12000 optically-identified clusters in its first survey, eRASS1. Taking account of the selection function obtained from simulations, we obtain using a Bayesian framework the intrinsic distribution of morphological parameters, including the concentration, central density, cuspiness, ellipticity and slosh. We construct scaling relations for the parameters as a function of redshift (z) and luminosity (LX), and study their distribution within z or LX bins. We find that the concentration in a scaled aperture evolves positively with LX, similarly to the central scaled density, and negatively with z. When using a fixed aperture, its evolution with LX is lower, but also dependent on the choice of cluster centre. The mean ellipticity does not significantly evolve with z or LX. eRASS1 clusters show indications of higher concentrations compared to SZ-selected objects, even after taking account the selection; this suggests that if our X-ray selection model is correct SZ-selected clusters may also suffer from morphological selection effects. We compare different parameter distribution models in bins of z and LX. The distribution of concentration and ellipticity is generally consistent with a normal one, but other parameters such as the central density and cuspiness strongly favour more complex distributions. However, modelling of all clusters as a single population generally prefers non-normal distributions. [abridged] △ Less

Submitted 2 January, 2026; originally announced January 2026.

Comments: 19 pages, 10 figures, accepted by A&A

Journal ref: A&A 706, A334 (2026)

The eROSITA Final Equatorial-Depth Survey (eFEDS): X-ray stacking analysis of Subaru's optically selected clusters spanning low richness regime

Authors: N. T. Nguyen-Dang, N. Ota, N. Okabe, M. Oguri, I. Mitsuishi, T. H. Reiprich, F. Pacaud, E. Bulbul, J. S. Sanders, M. Brüggen, A. Liu, Y. Tsujita, I. Chiu, V. Ghirardini, S. Grandis, M. Klein, K. Migkas, H. Miyatake, S. Miyazaki, M. E. Ramos-Ceja

Abstract: This is the second paper in a series exploring the X-ray properties of galaxy clusters optically selected by the Subaru Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) survey, using data from the SRG/eROSITA Final Equatorial-Depth Survey (eFEDS). We aim to investigate scaling relations between observable cluster properties and mass, and to study the radial X-ray profiles of a large sample of optically selected clusters.… ▽ More This is the second paper in a series exploring the X-ray properties of galaxy clusters optically selected by the Subaru Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) survey, using data from the SRG/eROSITA Final Equatorial-Depth Survey (eFEDS). We aim to investigate scaling relations between observable cluster properties and mass, and to study the radial X-ray profiles of a large sample of optically selected clusters. We analyze a sample of 997 CAMIRA clusters with richness $N > 15$ and redshifts of $0.1 < z < 1.3$. Using bolometric luminosities derived from count rates and a weak-lensing mass calibration, we study the $L-M$ and $N-M$ scaling relations through stacking analysis, while accounting for selection effects and redshift evolution. We also compare clusters with and without X-ray counterparts in the eFEDS catalog in terms of their scaling relations and surface brightness profiles. The best-fit $L-M$ slope ($1.56^{+0.14}_{-0.12}$) is slightly steeper than the self-similar prediction, yet remains consistent with our previous findings. The $N-M$ slope ($0.766^{+0.070}_{-0.060}$) broadly agrees with theoretical expectations and other optical samples. The data do not require any additional redshift evolution beyond the standard self-similar scaling, although current constraints on evolution remain weak. X-ray detected clusters exhibit a marginally steeper $L-M$ slope, higher central surface brightness, and more centrally concentrated X-ray profiles than undetected systems. Our results highlight systematic differences in the X-ray properties between optically and X-ray selected cluster samples. This study extends scaling relation analyses into lower mass and luminosity regimes, demonstrating the value of combining deep X-ray and optical surveys like eROSITA and Subaru HSC. △ Less

Submitted 15 April, 2026; v1 submitted 5 December, 2025; originally announced December 2025.

Comments: 18 pages, 12 figures, A&A accepted

Journal ref: A&A 710, A202 (2026)

The impact of strong feedback on galaxy group scaling relations

Authors: D. Eckert, R. Seppi, J. Braspenning, A. Finoguenov, F. Gastaldello, L. Lovisari, E. O'Sullivan, S. Ettori, B. D. Oppenheimer, M. A. Bourne, D. -W. Kim, M. Sun, H. Khalil, G. Gozaliasl, Y. E. Bahar, V. Ghirardini, W. Cui, K. Kolokythas, S. McGee

Abstract: Feedback from active supermassive black holes alters the distribution of matter in the Universe by injecting energy in the neighbouring hot gaseous medium, which leads to ejection of gas from the halos of galaxy groups and massive galaxies. Recent cosmological simulations such as FLAMINGO calibrate their feedback model on the baryon fractions of galaxy groups to tune the efficiency of gas ejection… ▽ More Feedback from active supermassive black holes alters the distribution of matter in the Universe by injecting energy in the neighbouring hot gaseous medium, which leads to ejection of gas from the halos of galaxy groups and massive galaxies. Recent cosmological simulations such as FLAMINGO calibrate their feedback model on the baryon fractions of galaxy groups to tune the efficiency of gas ejection. However, recent observational constraints from optically selected groups and the kinetic Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect yield lower baryon fractions than previous studies, which indicates that feedback may be more ejective than previously thought. Here we show that models involving highly ejective feedback are inconsistent with the scaling relations of local galaxy groups in the mass range $10^{13}-10^{14}M_\odot$. We study the X-ray luminosity-temperature relation in a sample of 44 galaxy groups with high-quality XMM-Newton observations. We show that highly ejective models under-predict the luminosity of galaxy groups at fixed mass at high significance ($5.7σ$). This conclusion is robust against selection effects and is obtained from directly measurable and minimally correlated quantities. We point out that turning observable quantities into gas fraction estimates is challenging, especially in the context of stacking large samples of heterogeneous systems. We argue that calibrating feedback models on baryon fractions is prone to systematic uncertainties and that observable scaling relations are better suited for this task. △ Less

Submitted 19 May, 2026; v1 submitted 3 December, 2025; originally announced December 2025.

Comments: Matching the version published in A&A letters

Journal ref: A&A 709, L4 (2026)

The life of central radio galaxies in clusters: AGN-ICM studies of eRASS1 clusters in the ASKAP fields

Authors: Angie Veronica, Thomas H. Reiprich, Florian Pacaud, Marcus Brüggen, Bärbel Koribalski, Thomas Pasini, Tessa Vernstrom, Stefan W. Duchesne, Kathrin Böckmann, Jeremy S. Sanders, Y. Emre Bahar, Fabian Balzer, Lachlan J. Barnes, Esra Bulbul, Nicolas Clerc, Jessica E. M. Craig, Johan Comparat, Simon Dannhauer, Jakob Dietl, Klaus Dolag, Vittorio Ghirardini, Sebastian Grandis, Duy Hoang, Andrew M. Hopkins, Zsofi Igo , et al. (13 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: The mechanical feedback from the central AGNs can be crucial for balancing the radiative cooling of the intracluster medium at the cluster centre. We aim to understand the relationship between the power of AGN feedback and the cooling of gas in the centres of galaxy clusters by correlating the radio properties of the brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) with the X-ray properties of their host cluster… ▽ More The mechanical feedback from the central AGNs can be crucial for balancing the radiative cooling of the intracluster medium at the cluster centre. We aim to understand the relationship between the power of AGN feedback and the cooling of gas in the centres of galaxy clusters by correlating the radio properties of the brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) with the X-ray properties of their host clusters. We used catalogues from the first SRG/eROSITA All-Sky Survey (eRASS1) along with ASKAP radio data. In total, we identified 134 radio sources associated with BCGs of the 151 eRASS1 clusters located in the PS1, PS2, and SWAG-X ASKAP fields. Non-detections were treated as upper limits. We correlated BCG radio luminosity, largest linear size (LLS), and BCG offset with the integrated X-ray luminosity of their host clusters. To characterise cool cores (CCs) and non-cool cores (NCCs), we used the concentration parameter $c_{R_{500}}$ and combined it with the BCG offset to assess cluster dynamical state. We analysed the correlation between radio mechanical power and X-ray luminosity within the CC subsample. We observe a potential positive trend between LLS and BCG offset, suggesting an environmental effect on radio-source morphology. We find a weak trend where more luminous central radio galaxies are found in clusters with higher X-ray luminosity. Within the CC subsample, there is a positive but highly scattered relationship between the mechanical luminosity of AGN jets and the X-ray cooling luminosity. This finding is supported by bootstrap resampling and flux-flux analyses. The correlation indicates that AGN feedback is ineffective in high-luminosity (high-mass) clusters. At a cooling luminosity of $L_{\mathrm{X},~r<R_\mathrm{cool}}\approx 5.50\times10^{43}$ erg/s, on average, AGN feedback appears to contribute only about 13%-22% of the energy needed to offset the radiative losses in the ICM. △ Less

Submitted 27 January, 2026; v1 submitted 27 November, 2025; originally announced November 2025.

Comments: Accepted for publication in PASA on 25-Nov-2025: 22 pages, 7 figures (main text), 6 figures (appendix)

Journal ref: Publ. Astron. Soc. Aust. 43 (2026) e001

The SRG/eROSITA all-sky survey: X-ray scaling relations of galaxy groups and clusters in the western Galactic hemisphere

Authors: M. E. Ramos-Ceja, L. Fiorino, E. Bulbul, V. Ghirardini, N. Clerc, A. Liu, J. S. Sanders, Y. E. Bahar, J. Dietl, M. Kluge, F. Pacaud, E. Artis, F. Balzer, J. Comparat, Z. Ding, N. Malavasi, A. Merloni, T. Mistele, K. Nandra, R. Seppi, S. Zelmer, X. Zhang

Abstract: The soft X-ray telescope on board the Spectrum-Roentgen-Gamma (SRG) mission, eROSITA (extended ROentgen Survey with an Imaging Telescope Array), has produced the largest sample to date of galaxy groups and clusters detected via their intracluster/intragroup medium (ICM/IGrM) emission. Scaling relations between the intrinsic properties of these systems provide valuable insight into their formation… ▽ More The soft X-ray telescope on board the Spectrum-Roentgen-Gamma (SRG) mission, eROSITA (extended ROentgen Survey with an Imaging Telescope Array), has produced the largest sample to date of galaxy groups and clusters detected via their intracluster/intragroup medium (ICM/IGrM) emission. Scaling relations between the intrinsic properties of these systems provide valuable insight into their formation and evolution. In this work, we investigate the scaling relations between key physical properties, such as soft band X-ray luminosity, temperature, gas mass, and the low-scatter mass proxy $Y_{\rm X}$, for the galaxy groups and clusters detected in the first eROSITA All-Sky Survey (eRASS1). Our analysis fully accounts for selection effects and the redshift evolution of the observable distributions. We construct a high-purity sample of $3061$ galaxy groups and clusters spanning the redshift range $0.05<z<1.07$ and mass range of $1.1\times10^{13}<M_{500}/$M$_{\odot}<1.6\times10^{15}$. This represents the largest sample to date used for scaling relation analysis. The selection function, derived from state-of-the-art simulations of the eROSITA sky, is rigorously incorporated into our modeling. We report best-fit parameters - normalization, slope, redshift evolution, and intrinsic scatter - for a set of scaling relations: $L_{\mathrm{X}}-T$, $L_{\mathrm{X}}-M_{\rm gas}$, $L_{\mathrm{X}}-Y_{\rm X}$, as well as the $M_{\rm gas}-T$ relation. Our best-fit models indicate that the slopes of the scaling relations deviate significantly from self-similar expectations, while the redshift evolution remains consistent with the self-similar model. The fits exhibit small statistical uncertainties, likely owing to the large sample size. Our results are in good agreement with previous observational studies that account for selection effects, as well as with simulations that incorporate non-gravitational physics. △ Less

Submitted 18 November, 2025; originally announced November 2025.

Comments: 13 pages, 18 figures. Submitted to A&A

The SRG/eROSITA All-Sky Survey. Detection of shock-heated gas beyond the halo boundary into the accretion region

Authors: X. Zhang, E. Bulbul, B. Diemer, Y. E. Bahar, J. Comparat, V. Ghirardini, A. Liu, N. Malavasi, T. Mistele, M. Ramos-Ceja, J. S. Sanders, Y. Zhang, E. Artis, Z. Ding, L. Fiorino, M. Kluge, A. Merloni, K. Nandra, S. Zelmer

Abstract: The hot gas in the outskirts of galaxy cluster-sized halos, extending around and beyond the virial radius into nearby accretion regions, remains among one of the least explored baryon components of the large-scale cosmic structure. We present a stacking analysis of 680 galaxy clusters located in the western Galactic hemisphere, using data from the first two years of the SRG/eROSITA All-Sky Survey.… ▽ More The hot gas in the outskirts of galaxy cluster-sized halos, extending around and beyond the virial radius into nearby accretion regions, remains among one of the least explored baryon components of the large-scale cosmic structure. We present a stacking analysis of 680 galaxy clusters located in the western Galactic hemisphere, using data from the first two years of the SRG/eROSITA All-Sky Survey. The stacked X-ray surface brightness (SB) profile reveals a statistically significant signal extending out to 2 r_200m (~4.5 Mpc). The best-fit SB profile is well described by a combination of terms describing orbiting and infalling gas, with a transition occurring around r_200m. At this radius, the gas number density corresponds to a baryon overdensity of about 30. By integrating the density profile out to r_200m, we inferred a gas fraction exceeding the universal baryon fraction, assuming a typical halo concentration. However, correcting for possible clumping effects reduces the baryon fraction by more than 20%. Additionally, we examined the distribution of hot gas in massive clusters in the IllustrisTNG simulations, from the halo center to the accretion region. This analysis reveals differences in radial gas profiles depending on whether the direction points toward voids or toward nearby cosmic filaments. Beyond r_200m, the density profile along the filament direction exceeds that along the void direction. This pattern aligns with the observed transition radius between the one-halo and two-halo terms, suggesting that r_200m is the approximate radius marking the location at which cosmic filaments connect to galaxy clusters. Meanwhile, comparisons of the gas density and gas fraction profiles between the observation and the IllustrisTNG simulation suggest that the feedback processes in the stacking sample are more efficient at distributing gas to large radii than the IllustrisTNG model. △ Less

Submitted 7 March, 2026; v1 submitted 29 September, 2025; originally announced September 2025.

Comments: 14 pages, 9 figures. Accepted for publication in A&A. Abstract is truncated

Journal ref: A&A 709, A72 (2026)

The SRG/eROSITA All-Sky Survey $J$-Band Follow-Up Observations for Selected High-Redshift Galaxy Cluster Candidates

Authors: N. Zimmermann, M. Kluge, S. Grandis, T. Schrabback, F. Balzer, E. Bulbul, J. Comparat, B. Csizi, V. Ghirardini, H. Jansen, F. Kleinebreil, A. Liu, A. Merloni, M. E. Ramos-Ceja, J. Sanders, X. Zhang, P. Aschenbrenner, F. Enescu, S. Keiler, M. Märk, M. Rinner, P. Schweitzer, E. Silvestre-Rosello, L. Stepman

Abstract: We select galaxy cluster candidates from the high-redshift (BEST_Z > 0.9) end of the first SRG/eROSITA All-Sky Survey (eRASS1) galaxy cluster catalogue, for which we obtain moderately deep J-band imaging data with the OMEGA2000 camera at the 3.5m telescope of the Calar Alto Observatory. We include J-band data of four additional targets obtained with the three-channel camera at the 2m Fraunhofer te… ▽ More We select galaxy cluster candidates from the high-redshift (BEST_Z > 0.9) end of the first SRG/eROSITA All-Sky Survey (eRASS1) galaxy cluster catalogue, for which we obtain moderately deep J-band imaging data with the OMEGA2000 camera at the 3.5m telescope of the Calar Alto Observatory. We include J-band data of four additional targets obtained with the three-channel camera at the 2m Fraunhofer telescope at the Wendelstein Observatory. We complement the new J-band photometric catalogue with forced photometry in the i- and z-bands of the tenth data release of the Legacy Survey (LSDR10) to derive the radial colour distribution around the eRASS1 clusters. Without assuming a priori to find a cluster red sequence at a specific colour, we try to find a radially weighted colour over-density to confirm the presence of high-redshift optical counterparts for the X-ray emission. We compare our confirmation with optical properties derived in earlier works based on LSDR10 data to refine the existing high-redshift cluster confirmation of eROSITA-selected clusters. We attempt to calibrate the colour-redshift-relation including the new J-band data by comparing our obtained photometric redshift estimate with the spectroscopic redshift of a confirmed, optically selected, high-redshift galaxy cluster. We confirm 9 out of 18 of the selected galaxy cluster candidates with a radial over-density of similar coloured galaxies for which we provide a photometric redshift estimate. We can report an increase in the relative colour measurement precision from 8% to 4% when including J-band data. In conclusion, our findings indicate a not insignificant spurious contaminant fraction at the high-redshift end (BEST_Z > 0.9) of the eROSITA/eRASS1 galaxy cluster catalogue, as well as it underlines the necessity for wide and deep near infrared imaging data for confirmation and characterisation of high-$z$ galaxy clusters. △ Less

Submitted 16 September, 2025; v1 submitted 14 September, 2025; originally announced September 2025.

Comments: 24 pages, 13 figures, 8 tables, submitted to A&A, changed affiliations, added acknowledgement

Journal ref: A&A 706, A212 (2026)

The CosmoVerse White Paper: Addressing observational tensions in cosmology with systematics and fundamental physics

Authors: Eleonora Di Valentino, Jackson Levi Said, Adam Riess, Agnieszka Pollo, Vivian Poulin, Adrià Gómez-Valent, Amanda Weltman, Antonella Palmese, Caroline D. Huang, Carsten van de Bruck, Chandra Shekhar Saraf, Cheng-Yu Kuo, Cora Uhlemann, Daniela Grandón, Dante Paz, Dominique Eckert, Elsa M. Teixeira, Emmanuel N. Saridakis, Eoin Ó Colgáin, Florian Beutler, Florian Niedermann, Francesco Bajardi, Gabriela Barenboim, Giulia Gubitosi, Ilaria Musella , et al. (516 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: The standard model of cosmology has provided a good phenomenological description of a wide range of observations both at astrophysical and cosmological scales for several decades. This concordance model is constructed by a universal cosmological constant and supported by a matter sector described by the standard model of particle physics and a cold dark matter contribution, as well as very early-t… ▽ More The standard model of cosmology has provided a good phenomenological description of a wide range of observations both at astrophysical and cosmological scales for several decades. This concordance model is constructed by a universal cosmological constant and supported by a matter sector described by the standard model of particle physics and a cold dark matter contribution, as well as very early-time inflationary physics, and underpinned by gravitation through general relativity. There have always been open questions about the soundness of the foundations of the standard model. However, recent years have shown that there may also be questions from the observational sector with the emergence of differences between certain cosmological probes. In this White Paper, we identify the key objectives that need to be addressed over the coming decade together with the core science projects that aim to meet these challenges. These discordances primarily rest on the divergence in the measurement of core cosmological parameters with varying levels of statistical confidence. These possible statistical tensions may be partially accounted for by systematics in various measurements or cosmological probes but there is also a growing indication of potential new physics beyond the standard model. After reviewing the principal probes used in the measurement of cosmological parameters, as well as potential systematics, we discuss the most promising array of potential new physics that may be observable in upcoming surveys. We also discuss the growing set of novel data analysis approaches that go beyond traditional methods to test physical models. [Abridged] △ Less

Submitted 4 August, 2025; v1 submitted 2 April, 2025; originally announced April 2025.

Comments: 416 pages, 81 figures

Journal ref: Phys. Dark Univ. 49 (2025) 101965

The SRG/eROSITA All-Sky Survey. The Weak-Lensing Mass Calibration and the Stellar Mass-to-Halo Mass Relation from the Hyper Suprime-Cam Subaru Strategic Program

Authors: I-Non Chiu, Vittorio Ghirardini, Sebastian Grandis, Nobuhiro Okabe, Emmanuel Artis, Esra Bulbul, Y. Emre Bahar, Fabian Balzer, Nicolas Clerc, Johan Comparat, Bau-Ching Hsieh, Florian Kleinebreil, Matthias Kluge, Ang Liu, Rogerio Monteiro-Oliveira, Masamune Oguri, Florian Pacaud, Miriam Ramos Ceja, H. Thomas Reiprich, Jeremy Sanders, Tim Schrabback, Riccardo Seppi, Martin Sommer, Sut-Ieng Tam, Keiichi Umetsu , et al. (1 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: We present the weak-lensing mass calibration and constrain the BCG (brightest cluster galaxy) stellar-mass-to-halo-mass-and-redshift ($M_{\star,\mathrm{BCG}}-M-z$) relation for a sample of $124$ galaxy clusters and groups at redshift $0.1<z<0.8$ from the first Data Release of the $eROSITA$ All-Sky Survey (eRASS1), using data from the Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) Subaru Strategic Program. The cluster su… ▽ More We present the weak-lensing mass calibration and constrain the BCG (brightest cluster galaxy) stellar-mass-to-halo-mass-and-redshift ($M_{\star,\mathrm{BCG}}-M-z$) relation for a sample of $124$ galaxy clusters and groups at redshift $0.1<z<0.8$ from the first Data Release of the $eROSITA$ All-Sky Survey (eRASS1), using data from the Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) Subaru Strategic Program. The cluster survey is conducted by the $eROSITA$ X-ray telescope aboard the Spectrum-Roentgen-Gamma (SRG) space observatory. The cluster sample is X-ray-selected and optically confirmed with a negligibly low contamination rate ($\approx5%$). On a basis of individual clusters, the shear profiles of $96$ clusters are derived using the HSC Three-Year (HSC-Y3) weak-lensing data, while the BCG stellar masses of $101$ clusters are estimated using the SED template fitting to the HSC five-band ($grizY$) photometry. The observed X-ray photon count rate is used as the mass proxy, based on which individual halo masses are obtained at the given count rate in a population modelling while accounting for systematic uncertainties in the weak-lensing modelling through a simulation-calibrated weak-lensing mass-to-halo-mass relation. The count rate and BCG stellar mass relations are simultaneously constrained in a forward and population modelling. In agreement with the results based on the weak-lensing data from the DES and KiDS surveys, we obtain a count rate relation with a self-similar redshift scaling and a mass trend that is steeper than the self-similar prediction. Our results suggest that the BCG stellar mass at a fixed halo mass has remained stable with a moderate increase at a level of $\left(20\pm8\right)%$ since redshift $z\approx0.8$. This finding supports the picture of the ``rapid-then-slow'' BCG formation, where the majority of the stellar mass must have been assembled at much earlier cosmic time. △ Less

Submitted 17 September, 2025; v1 submitted 1 April, 2025; originally announced April 2025.

Comments: 28 pages, 10 figures. Accepted for publication in A&A

Journal ref: A&A 704, A110 (2025)

CHEX-MATE: Multi-probe analysis of Abell 1689

Authors: L. Chappuis, D. Eckert, M. Sereno, A. Gavidia, J. Sayers, J. Kim, M. Rossetti, K. Umetsu, H. Saxena, I. Bartalucci, R. Gavazzi, A. Rowlands Doblas, E. Pointecouteau, S. Ettori, G. W. Pratt, H. Bourdin, R. Cassano, F. De Luca, M. Donahue, M. Gaspari, F. Gastaldello, V. Ghirardini, M. Gitti, B. Maughan, P. Mazzotta , et al. (3 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: The nature of the elusive dark matter can be probed by comparing the predictions of the cold dark matter framework with the gravitational field of massive galaxy clusters. However, a robust test of dark matter can only be achieved if the systematic uncertainties in the reconstruction of the gravitational potential are minimized. Techniques based on the properties of intracluster gas rely on the as… ▽ More The nature of the elusive dark matter can be probed by comparing the predictions of the cold dark matter framework with the gravitational field of massive galaxy clusters. However, a robust test of dark matter can only be achieved if the systematic uncertainties in the reconstruction of the gravitational potential are minimized. Techniques based on the properties of intracluster gas rely on the assumption that the gas is in hydrostatic equilibrium within the potential well, whereas gravitational lensing is sensitive to projection effects. Here we attempt to minimize systematics in galaxy cluster mass reconstructions by jointly exploiting the weak gravitational lensing signal and the properties of the hot intracluster gas determined from X-ray and millimeter (Sunyaev-Zel'dovich) observations. We construct a model to fit the multi-probe information within a common framework, accounting for non-thermal pressure support and elongation of the dark matter halo along the line of sight. We then apply our framework to the massive cluster Abell 1689, which features unparalleled multi-wavelength data. In accordance with previous works, we find that the cluster is significantly elongated along the line of sight. Accounting for line-of-sight projections, we require a non-thermal pressure support of $30\text{-}40\%$ at $r_{500}$ to match the gas and weak lensing observables. The joint model retrieves a concentration $c_{200}\sim7$, which is lower and more realistic than the high concentration retrieved from weak lensing data alone under the assumption of spherical symmetry ($c_{200}\sim15$). Application of our method to a larger sample will allow us to study at the same time the shape of dark matter mass profiles and the level of non-thermal pressure support in galaxy clusters. △ Less

Submitted 28 March, 2025; originally announced March 2025.

Journal ref: A&A 699, A141 (2025)

eROSITA clusters dynamical state and their impact on the BCG luminosity

Authors: A. Zenteno, M. Kluge, R. Kharkrang, D. Hernandez-Lang, G. Damke, A. Saro, R. Monteiro-Oliveira, E. R. Carrasco, M. Salvato, J. Comparat, M. Fabricius, J. Snigula, P. Arevalo, H. Cuevas, J. L. Nilo Castellon, A. Ramirez, S. Véliz Astudillo, M. Landriau, A. D. Myers, E. Schlafly, F. Valdes, B. Weaver, J. J. Mohr, S. Grandis, M. Klein , et al. (8 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: The Spectrum Roentgen Gamma/eROSITA first public release contains 12,247 clusters and groups. We use the offset between the Brightest Cluster Galaxy (BCG) and the X--ray peak (D$_{\rm BCG-X}$) to classify the cluster dynamical state of 3,946 galaxy clusters and groups. The X--ray peaks come from the eROSITA survey while the BCG positions come from the DECaLS DR10 optical data, which includes the D… ▽ More The Spectrum Roentgen Gamma/eROSITA first public release contains 12,247 clusters and groups. We use the offset between the Brightest Cluster Galaxy (BCG) and the X--ray peak (D$_{\rm BCG-X}$) to classify the cluster dynamical state of 3,946 galaxy clusters and groups. The X--ray peaks come from the eROSITA survey while the BCG positions come from the DECaLS DR10 optical data, which includes the DECam eROSITA Survey optical data. We aim to investigate the evolution of the merger and relaxed cluster distributions with redshift and mass, and their impact on the BCG. We model the distribution of D$_{\rm BCG-X}$ as the sum of two Rayleigh distributions representing the cluster's relaxed and disturbed populations, and explore their evolution with redshift and mass. To explore the impact of the cluster's dynamical state on the BCG luminosity, we separate the main sample according to the dynamical state. We define clusters as relaxed if D$_{\rm BCG-X}$ < 0.25$r_{500}$, disturbed if D$_{\rm BCG-X}$>0.5$r_{500}$, and as `diverse' otherwise. We find no evolution of the merging fraction in redshift and mass. We observe that the width of the relaxed distribution to increase with redshift, while the width of the two Rayleigh distributions decreases with mass. The analysis reveals that BCGs in relaxed clusters are brighter than BCGs in both the disturbed and diverse cluster population. The most significant differences are found for high mass clusters at higher redshift. The results suggest that BCGs in low-mass clusters are less centrally bound than those in high-mass systems, irrespective of dynamical state. Over time, BCGs in relaxed clusters progressively align with the potential center. This alignment correlates with their luminosity growth relative to BCGs in dynamically disturbed clusters, underscoring the critical role of the clusters dynamical state in regulating BCG evolution. [Abridged] △ Less

Submitted 26 March, 2025; originally announced March 2025.

Comments: 10 pages, 6 figures, accepted in A&A

Journal ref: A&A 698, A171 (2025)

The SRG/eROSITA All-Sky Survey : Subaru/HSC-SSP weak-lensing mass measurements for the eRASS1 Galaxy Clusters

Authors: Nobuhiro Okabe, Thomas H. Reiprich, Sebastian Grandis, I-Non Chiu, Masamune Oguri, Keiichi Umetsu, Esra Bulbul, Emre Bahar, Fabian Balzer, Nicolas Clerc, Johan Comparat, Vittorio Ghirardini, Florian Kleinebreil, Matthias Kluge, Ang Liu, Rogério Monteiro-Oliveira, Florian Pacaud, Miriam Ramos Ceja, Jeremy Sanders, Tim Schrabback, Riccardo Seppi, Martin Sommer, Xiaoyuan Zhang

Abstract: We performed individual weak-lensing (WL) mass measurements for 78 eROSITA's first All-Sky Survey (eRASS1) clusters in the footprint of Hyper Suprime-Cam Subaru Strategic Program (HSC-SSP) S19A. We did not adopt priors on the eRASS1 X-ray quantities or assumption of the mass and concentration relation. In the sample, we found three clusters are misassociated with optical counterparts and 12 cluste… ▽ More We performed individual weak-lensing (WL) mass measurements for 78 eROSITA's first All-Sky Survey (eRASS1) clusters in the footprint of Hyper Suprime-Cam Subaru Strategic Program (HSC-SSP) S19A. We did not adopt priors on the eRASS1 X-ray quantities or assumption of the mass and concentration relation. In the sample, we found three clusters are misassociated with optical counterparts and 12 clusters are poorly fitted with an NFW profile. The average mass for the 12 poor-fit clusters changes from $\sim 10^{14}h_{70}^{-1}M_\odot$ to $\sim 2\times 10^{13}h_{70}^{-1}M_\odot$ when lensing contamination from surrounding mass structures is taken into account. The scaling relations between the true mass and cluster richness and X-ray count-rate agree well with the results of the eRASS1 western Galactic hemisphere region based on count-rate-inferred masses, which were calibrated with the HSC-SSP, DES, and KiDS surveys. We developed a Bayesian framework for inferring the mass-concentration relation of the cluster sample, explicitly incorporating the effects of weak-lensing mass calibration in the mass-concentration parameter space. The redshift-dependent mass and concentration relation is in excellent agreement with predictions of dark-matter-only numerical simulations and previous studies using X-ray-selected clusters. Based on the two-dimensional (2D) WL analysis, the offsets between the WL-determined centers and the X-ray centroids for 36 eRASS1 clusters with high WL S/N can be described by two Gaussian components. We find that the miscentering effect with X-ray centroids is smaller than that involving peaks in the galaxy maps. Stacked mass maps support a small miscentering effect, even for clusters with a low WL S/N. The projected halo ellipticity is $\langle \varepsilon \rangle=0.45$ at $M_{200}\sim 4\times10^{14}h_{70}^{-1}M_\odot$. △ Less

Submitted 25 June, 2025; v1 submitted 12 March, 2025; originally announced March 2025.

Comments: 27 pages, 24 figures; accepted for publication in A&A

Journal ref: A&A 700, A46 (2025)

The SRG/eROSITA all-sky survey: View of the Fornax galaxy cluster

Authors: T. H. Reiprich, A. Veronica, F. Pacaud, P. Stöcker, V. Nazaretyan, A. Srivastava, A. Pandya, J. Dietl, J. S. Sanders, M. C. H. Yeung, A. Chaturvedi, M. Hilker, B. Seidel, K. Dolag, J. Comparat, V. Ghirardini, M. Kluge, A. Liu, N. Malavasi, X. Zhang, E. Hernández-Martínez

Abstract: The Fornax cluster is one of the closest X-ray-bright galaxy clusters. Previous observations of the intracluster medium were limited to less than R500. We aim to significantly extend the X-ray coverage. We used data from 5 SRG/eROSITA all-sky surveys and performed a detailed 1- and 2-dimensional X-ray surface brightness analysis, tracing hot gas emission from kpc to Mpc scales with a single instru… ▽ More The Fornax cluster is one of the closest X-ray-bright galaxy clusters. Previous observations of the intracluster medium were limited to less than R500. We aim to significantly extend the X-ray coverage. We used data from 5 SRG/eROSITA all-sky surveys and performed a detailed 1- and 2-dimensional X-ray surface brightness analysis, tracing hot gas emission from kpc to Mpc scales with a single instrument. We compared the results to those from a recent numerical simulation of the local Universe (SLOW) and correlated the X-ray emission distribution with that of other tracers, including cluster member galaxies, ultra-compact dwarf galaxies, intracluster globular clusters, and HI-tail galaxies. We detect X-ray emission beyond the virial radius, R100=2.2 deg. In the inner regions within R500, we see previously known features, such as a large-scale spiral-shaped edge; however, we do not find obvious evidence of the bow shock several hundred kpc south of the cluster center predicted by previous numerical simulations of the Fornax cluster. Instead, we discover emission fingers beyond R500 to the west and southeast and excesses that stretch out far beyond the virial radius. They might be due to gas being pushed outward by the previous merger with NGC 1404 or due to warm-hot gas infall along large-scale filaments. Intriguingly, we find the distributions of the other tracers - galaxies and globular clusters - to be correlated with the X-ray-excess regions, favoring the infall scenario. Interestingly, we also discover an apparent bridge of low-surface-brightness emission beyond the virial radius connecting to the Fornax A galaxy group, which is also traced by the member galaxy and globular cluster distribution. The gas distribution in the SLOW simulation shows similar features as those we have discovered with eROSITA. With eROSITA, we witness the growth of a cluster along large-scale filaments. △ Less

Submitted 18 September, 2025; v1 submitted 4 March, 2025; originally announced March 2025.

Comments: 12 pages plus 4 pages appendix, accepted by Astronomy & Astrophysics on 2025-08-08; updated figures and extended text, conclusions unchanged

Journal ref: A&A 703, A9 (2025)

The SRG/eROSITA all-sky survey: Constraints on Ultra-light Axion Dark Matter through Galaxy Cluster Number Counts

Authors: S. Zelmer, E. Artis, E. Bulbul, S. Grandis, V. Ghirardini, A. von der Linden, Y. E. Bahar, F. Balzer, M. Brüggen, I. Chiu, N. Clerc, J. Comparat, F. Kleinebreil, M. Kluge, S. Krippendorf, A. Liu, N. Malavasi, A. Merloni, H. Miyatake, S. Miyazaki, K. Nandra, N. Okabe, M. E. Ramos-Ceja, J. S. Sanders, T. Schrabback , et al. (3 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: Ultralight axions are hypothetical scalar particles that influence the evolution of large-scale structures of the Universe. Depending on their mass, they can potentially be part of the dark matter component of the Universe as candidates commonly referred to as fuzzy dark matter. While strong constraints have been established for pure fuzzy dark matter models, the more general scenario where ultral… ▽ More Ultralight axions are hypothetical scalar particles that influence the evolution of large-scale structures of the Universe. Depending on their mass, they can potentially be part of the dark matter component of the Universe as candidates commonly referred to as fuzzy dark matter. While strong constraints have been established for pure fuzzy dark matter models, the more general scenario where ultralight axions constitute only a fraction of the dark matter has been limited to only a few observational probes. In this work, we use the galaxy cluster number counts obtained from the first All-Sky Survey (eRASS1) of the SRG/eROSITA mission together with gravitational weak lensing data from the Dark Energy Survey, the Kilo-Degree Survey, and the Hyper Suprime-Cam to constrain the fraction of ultralight axions in the mass range $10^{-32}$ eV to $10^{-24}$ eV. We put upper bounds on the ultralight axion relic density $Ω_\mathrm{a}$ in independent logarithmic axion mass bins by performing a full cosmological parameter inference. We find an exclusion region in the intermediate ultralight axion mass regime with the tightest bounds reported so far in the mass bins around $m_\text{a} = 10^{-27}$ eV with $Ω_\text{a} < 0.0035$ and $m_\text{a} = 10^{-26}$ eV with $Ω_\text{a} < 0.0079$ (95% C.L.). When combined with cosmic microwave background probes, these bounds are tightened to $Ω_\text{a} < 0.0030$ in the $m_\text{a} = 10^{-27}$ eV mass bin and $Ω_\text{a} < 0.0058$ in the $m_\mathrm{a} = 10^{-26}$ eV mass bin (95% C.L.). This is the first time that constraints on ultralight axions have been obtained using the growth of structure measured by galaxy cluster number counts. These results pave the way for large surveys, which can be utilized to obtain tight constraints on the mass and relic density of ultralight axions with better theoretical modeling of the abundance of halos. △ Less

Submitted 9 April, 2026; v1 submitted 5 February, 2025; originally announced February 2025.

Comments: 18 pages, 13 figures, Accepted for publication by A&A

Journal ref: A&A, 704, A346 (2025)

The SRG/eROSITA all-sky survey: The morphologies of clusters of galaxies I: A catalogue of morphological parameters

Authors: J. S. Sanders, Y. E. Bahar, E. Bulbul, V. Ghirardini, A. Liu, N. Clerc, M. E. Ramos-Ceja, T. H. Reiprich, F. Balzer, J. Comparat, M. Kluge, F. Pacaud, X. Zhang

Abstract: The first SRG/eROSITA all-sky X-ray survey, eRASS1, resulted in a catalogue of over twelve thousand optically-confirmed galaxy groups and clusters in the western Galactic hemisphere. Using the eROSITA images of these objects, we measure and study their morphological properties, including their concentration, central density and slope, ellipticity, power ratios, photon asymmetry, centroid shift and… ▽ More The first SRG/eROSITA all-sky X-ray survey, eRASS1, resulted in a catalogue of over twelve thousand optically-confirmed galaxy groups and clusters in the western Galactic hemisphere. Using the eROSITA images of these objects, we measure and study their morphological properties, including their concentration, central density and slope, ellipticity, power ratios, photon asymmetry, centroid shift and Gini coefficient. We also introduce new forward-modelled parameters which take account of the instrument point spread function (PSF), which are slosh, which measures how asymmetric the surface brightness distribution is, and multipole magnitudes, which are analogues to power ratios. Using simulations, we find some non forward-modelled parameters are strongly biased due to PSF and data quality. For the same clusters, we find similar values of concentration and central density compared to results by ourselves using Chandra and previous results from XMM-Newton. The population as a whole has log concentrations which are typically around 0.3 dex larger than South Pole Telescope or Planck-selected samples and the deeper eFEDS sample. The exposure time, detection likelihood threshold, extension likelihood threshold and number of counts affect the concentration distribution, but generally not enough to reduce the concentration to match the other samples. The concentration of clusters in the survey strongly affects whether they are detected as a function of redshift and luminosity. We introduce a combined disturbance score based on a Gaussian mixture model fit to several of the parameters. For brighter clusters, around 1/4 of objects are classified as disturbed using this score, which may be due to our sensitivity to concentrated objects. △ Less

Submitted 4 February, 2025; originally announced February 2025.

Comments: Accepted by A&A, 32 pages, 24 figures

Journal ref: A&A 695, A160 (2025)

The First SRG/eROSITA All-Sky Survey. Characterization of clusters of galaxies misclassified in the eRASS1 point source catalog

Authors: F. Balzer, E. Bulbul, M. Kluge, A. Liu, M. Salvato, M. Fabricius, R. Seppi, E. Artis, Y. E. Bahar, R. Bender, N. Clerc, J. Comparat, V. Ghirardini, S. Grandis, S. Krippendorf, G. Lamer, N. Malavasi, A. Merloni, K. Nandra, M. E. Ramos-Ceja, J. S. Sanders, X. Zhang, S. Zelmer

Abstract: The detection of the extended X-ray-emission of the intracluster medium by the first SRG/eROSITA All-Sky Survey (eRASS1), combined with optical and near-infrared follow-up, resulted in the identification of more than 12000 galaxy clusters, yielding precise constraints on cosmological parameters. However, some clusters of galaxies can be misclassified as point sources by eROSITA's source detection… ▽ More The detection of the extended X-ray-emission of the intracluster medium by the first SRG/eROSITA All-Sky Survey (eRASS1), combined with optical and near-infrared follow-up, resulted in the identification of more than 12000 galaxy clusters, yielding precise constraints on cosmological parameters. However, some clusters of galaxies can be misclassified as point sources by eROSITA's source detection algorithm due to the interplay between the point-spread function, the shallow depth of the survey, compact (cool core) X-ray emission, and bright active galactic nuclei hosted in their centers or their vicinity. To identify such misclassified galaxy clusters and groups, we apply optical follow-up to the eRASS1 X-ray point sources analogously to the treatment of the extent-selected catalog. After rigorous filtering to ensure purity, we find a total of 8347 clusters of galaxies, of which 5819 are novel detections, in a redshift range $0.05 < z \lesssim 1.1$. This corresponds to a 70 % discovery rate, a fraction similar to that of the extent-selected sample. To facilitate finding new exceptional clusters such as the Phoenix cluster (which is recovered in our sample), we divide the clusters into five classes based on the optical properties of likely single-source counterparts to the X-ray emission. We further investigate potential biases in our selection process by analyzing the optical and X-ray data. With this work, we provide a catalog of galaxy clusters and groups in the eRASS1 point source catalog, including their optical and X-ray properties along with a meaningful classification. △ Less

Submitted 28 January, 2025; originally announced January 2025.

Comments: 23 pages, 16 figures

Journal ref: A&A 701, A283 (2025)

Gas thermodynamics meets galaxy kinematics: Joint mass measurements for eROSITA galaxy clusters

Authors: Pengfei Li, Ang Liu, Matthias Kluge, Johan Comparat, Yong Tian, Mariana P. Júlio, Marcel S. Pawlowski, Jeremy Sanders, Esra Bulbul, Axel Schwope, Vittorio Ghirardini, Xiaoyuan Zhang, Y. Emre Bahar, Miriam E. Ramos-Ceja, Fabian Balzer, Christian Garrel

Abstract: The mass of galaxy clusters is a critical quantity for probing cluster cosmology and testing theories of gravity, but its measurement could be biased given assumptions are inevitable. In this paper, we employ and compare two mass proxies for galaxy clusters: thermodynamics of the intracluster medium and kinematics of member galaxies. We select 22 galaxy clusters from the cluster catalog in the fir… ▽ More The mass of galaxy clusters is a critical quantity for probing cluster cosmology and testing theories of gravity, but its measurement could be biased given assumptions are inevitable. In this paper, we employ and compare two mass proxies for galaxy clusters: thermodynamics of the intracluster medium and kinematics of member galaxies. We select 22 galaxy clusters from the cluster catalog in the first SRG/eROSITA All-Sky Survey (eRASS1) that have sufficient optical and near-infrared observations. We generate multi-band images in the energy range of (0.3, 7) keV for each cluster, and derive their temperature profiles, gas mass profiles and hydrostatic mass profiles using a parametric approach that does not assume dark matter halo models. With spectroscopically confirmed member galaxies collected from multiple surveys, we numerically solve the spherical Jeans equation for their dynamical mass profiles. Our results quantify the correlation between dynamical mass and line-of-sight velocity dispersion with an rms scatter of 0.14 dex. We find the two mass proxies lead to roughly the same total mass, with no observed systematic bias. As such, the $σ_8$ tension is not specific to hydrostatic mass or weak lensing shears, but also appears with galaxy kinematics. We also compare our hydrostatic masses with the latest weak lensing masses inferred with scaling relations. The comparison shows the weak lensing mass is significantly higher than our hydrostatic mass by $\sim$110%. This might explain the significantly larger value of $σ_8$ from the latest measurement using eRASS1 clusters than almost all previous estimates in the literature. Finally, we test the radial acceleration relation (RAR) established in disk galaxies. We confirm the missing baryon problem in the inner region of galaxy clusters using three independent mass proxies for the first time. △ Less

Submitted 14 November, 2024; originally announced November 2024.

Comments: 14 pages, 9 figures, 2 tables, with 12-page appendix for additional figures and tables. Accepted for publication in A&A

Journal ref: A&A 692, A253 (2024)

CHEX-MATE: the intracluster medium entropy distribution in the gravity-dominated regime

Authors: G. Riva, G. W. Pratt, M. Rossetti, I. Bartalucci, S. T. Kay, E. Rasia, R. Gavazzi, K. Umetsu, M. Arnaud, M. Balboni, A. Bonafede, H. Bourdin, S. De Grandi, F. De Luca, D. Eckert, S. Ettori, M. Gaspari, F. Gastaldello, V. Ghirardini, S. Ghizzardi, M. Gitti, L. Lovisari, B. J. Maughan, P. Mazzotta, S. Molendi , et al. (4 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: We characterise the entropy profiles of 32 very high mass ($M_{500}>7.75\times10^{14}~M_{\odot}$) galaxy clusters (HIGHMz), selected from the CHEX-MATE sample, to study the intracluster medium (ICM) entropy distribution in a regime where non-gravitational effects are minimised. Using XMM-Newton measurements, we measure the entropy profiles up to ~$R_{500}$ for all objects. The scaled profiles exhi… ▽ More We characterise the entropy profiles of 32 very high mass ($M_{500}>7.75\times10^{14}~M_{\odot}$) galaxy clusters (HIGHMz), selected from the CHEX-MATE sample, to study the intracluster medium (ICM) entropy distribution in a regime where non-gravitational effects are minimised. Using XMM-Newton measurements, we measure the entropy profiles up to ~$R_{500}$ for all objects. The scaled profiles exhibit large dispersion in the central regions, but converge rapidly to the expectation from pure gravitational collapse beyond the core. We quantify the correlation between the ICM morphological parameters and scaled entropy as a function of radius, showing that morphologically relaxed (disturbed) objects have low (high) central entropy. We compare our data to other observational samples, finding differences in normalisation which are linked to the average mass of the samples in question. We find that a weaker mass dependence than self-similar in the scaling (Am ~ -0.25) allows us to minimise the dispersion in the radial range [0.3-0.8]$R_{500}$ for clusters spanning over a decade in mass. The deviation from self-similarity is radially dependent and is more pronounced at small and intermediate radii than at $R_{500}$. We also investigate the distribution of central entropy $K_0$, finding no evidence for bimodality, and outer slopes $α$, which peaks at ~1.1. Using weak lensing masses, we find indication for a small suppression of the scatter (~30%) beyond the core when using masses derived from Yx in the rescaling. Finally, we compare to recent cosmological numerical simulations from THE THREE HUNDRED and MACSIS, finding good agreement with our observational data. These results provide a robust observational benchmark in the gravity-dominated regime and will serve as a future reference for samples at lower mass, higher redshifts, and for ongoing work using cosmological numerical simulations. △ Less

Submitted 15 October, 2024; originally announced October 2024.

Comments: 26 pages, 18 figures, 6 tables. Accepted for publication in A&A

Journal ref: A&A 691, A340 (2024)

The SRG/eROSITA All-Sky Survey : Constraints on the structure growth from cluster number counts

Authors: E. Artis, E. Bulbul, S. Grandis, V. Ghirardini, N. Clerc, R. Seppi, J. Comparat, M. Cataneo, A. von der Linden, Y. E. Bahar, F. Balzer, I. Chiu, D. Gruen, F. Kleinebreil, M. Kluge, S. Krippendorf, X. Li, A. Liu, N. Malavasi, A. Merloni, H. Miyatake, S. Miyazaki, K. Nandra, N. Okabe, F. Pacaud , et al. (7 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: Beyond testing the current cosmological paradigm, cluster number counts can also be utilized to investigate the discrepancies currently affecting current cosmological measurements. In particular, cosmological studies based on cosmic shear and other large-scale structure probes routinely find a value of the amplitude of the fluctuations in the universe S8 smaller than the one inferred from the prim… ▽ More Beyond testing the current cosmological paradigm, cluster number counts can also be utilized to investigate the discrepancies currently affecting current cosmological measurements. In particular, cosmological studies based on cosmic shear and other large-scale structure probes routinely find a value of the amplitude of the fluctuations in the universe S8 smaller than the one inferred from the primary cosmic microwave background. In this work, we investigate this tension by measuring structure evolution across cosmic time as probed by the number counts of the massive halos with the first SRG/eROSITA All-Sky Survey cluster catalog in the Western Galactic Hemisphere complemented with the overlapping Dark Energy Survey Year-3, KiloDegree Survey, and Hyper Suprime-Cam data for weak lensing mass calibration, by implementing two different parameterizations and a model-agnostic method. In the first model, we measure the cosmic linear growth index as γ = 1.19 \pm 0.21, in tension with the standard value of γ = 0.55, but in good statistical agreement with other large-scale structures probes. The second model is a phenomenological scenario in which we rescale the linear matter power spectrum at low redshift to investigate a potential reduction of structure formation, providing similar results. Finally, in a third strategy, we consider a standard ΛCDM cosmology, but we separate the cluster catalog into five redshift bins, measuring the cosmological parameters in each and inferring the evolution of the structure formation, finding hints of a reduction. Interestingly, the S8 value inferred from eRASS1 cluster number counts, when we add a degree of freedom to the matter power spectrum, recovers the value inferred by cosmic shear studies. △ Less

Submitted 12 October, 2024; originally announced October 2024.

Journal ref: A&A 696, A5 (2025)

The SRG/eROSITA all-sky survey. X-ray emission from the warm-hot phase gas in long cosmic filaments

Authors: X. Zhang, E. Bulbul, N. Malavasi, V. Ghirardini, J. Comparat, M. Kluge, A. Liu, A. Merloni, Y. Zhang, Y. E. Bahar, E. Artis, J. S. Sanders, C. Garrel, F. Balzer, M. Brüggen, M. Freyberg, E. Gatuzz, S. Grandis, S. Krippendorf, K. Nandra, G. Ponti, M. Ramos-Ceja, P. Predehl, T. H. Reiprich, A. Veronica , et al. (2 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: The properties of the warm-hot intergalactic medium (WHIM) in cosmic filaments are among the least quantified units in modern astrophysics. The Spectrum Roentgen Gamma/eROSITA All Sky Survey ((SRG/eRASS) provides a unique opportunity to study the X-ray emission of the WHIM. We applied both imaging and spectroscopic stacking techniques to the data of the first four eRASS scans to inspect the X-ray… ▽ More The properties of the warm-hot intergalactic medium (WHIM) in cosmic filaments are among the least quantified units in modern astrophysics. The Spectrum Roentgen Gamma/eROSITA All Sky Survey ((SRG/eRASS) provides a unique opportunity to study the X-ray emission of the WHIM. We applied both imaging and spectroscopic stacking techniques to the data of the first four eRASS scans to inspect the X-ray emissions from 7817 cosmic filaments identified from Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) optical galaxy samples. We obtained a $9σ$ significant detection of the total X-ray signal from filaments in the 0.3--1.2~keV band. Here, we introduce a novel method to estimate the contamination fraction from unmasked X-ray halos, active galactic nuclei, and X-ray binaries associated with filament galaxies. We found an approximately 40\% contamination fraction for these unmasked sources, suggesting that the remaining 60\% of the signal could be coming from the WHIM and a $5.4σ$ detection significance of the WHIM. Moreover, we modeled the temperature and baryon density contrast of the detected WHIM by fitting the stacked spectrum and surface brightness profile. The best-fit temperature $\log(T/\mathrm{K})=6.84\pm0.07$, obtained by using a single temperature model, is marginally higher than in the simulation results. This could be due to the fitting of a single temperature model on a multi-temperature spectrum. Assuming a 0.2 solar abundance, the best-fit baryon density contrast $\logΔ_\mathrm{b}=1.88\pm0.18$ is in general agreement with the X-ray emitting phases in the IllustrisTNG simulation. This result suggests that the broadband X-ray emission traces the high end of the temperature and density values that characterize the entire WHIM population. △ Less

Submitted 16 September, 2024; v1 submitted 31 May, 2024; originally announced June 2024.

Comments: 15+8 pages, 11+7 figures, accepted for publication in A&A

Journal ref: A&A 691, A234 (2024)

The SRG/eROSITA All-Sky Survey: Exploring halo assembly bias with X-ray selected superclusters

Authors: A. Liu, E. Bulbul, T. Shin, A. von der Linden, V. Ghirardini, M. Kluge, J. S. Sanders, S. Grandis, X. Zhang, E. Artis, Y. E. Bahar, F. Balzer, N. Clerc, N. Malavasi, A. Merloni, K. Nandra, M. E. Ramos-Ceja, S. Zelmer

Abstract: We explore halo assembly bias on cluster scales using large samples of superclusters. Leveraging the largest-ever X-ray galaxy cluster and supercluster samples obtained from the first SRG/eROSITA all-sky survey, we construct two subsamples of galaxy clusters which consist of supercluster members (SC) and isolated clusters (ISO) respectively. After correcting the selection effects on redshift, mass… ▽ More We explore halo assembly bias on cluster scales using large samples of superclusters. Leveraging the largest-ever X-ray galaxy cluster and supercluster samples obtained from the first SRG/eROSITA all-sky survey, we construct two subsamples of galaxy clusters which consist of supercluster members (SC) and isolated clusters (ISO) respectively. After correcting the selection effects on redshift, mass, and survey depth, we compute the excess in the concentration of the intracluster gas of isolated clusters with respect to supercluster members, defined as $δc_{\rm gas} \equiv c_{\rm gas,ISO}/c_{\rm gas,SC}-1$, to investigate the environmental effect on the concentration of clusters, an inference of halo assembly bias on cluster scales. We find that the average gas mass concentration of isolated clusters is a few percent higher than that of supercluster members, with a maximum significance of $2.8σ$. The result on $δc_{\rm gas}$ varies with the overdensity ratio $f$ in supercluster identification, cluster mass proxies, and mass ranges, but remains positive in all the measurements. We measure slightly larger $δc_{\rm gas}$ when adopting a higher $f$ in supercluster identification. $δc_{\rm gas}$ is also larger for low-mass and low-redshift clusters. We perform weak lensing analyses to compare the total mass concentration of the two classes and find a similar trend as obtained from gas mass concentration. Our results are consistent with the prediction of HAB on cluster scales, where halos located in denser environments are less concentrated, and this trend is stronger for halos with lower mass and at lower redshifts. These phenomena can be interpreted by the fact that clusters in denser environments such as superclusters have experienced more mergers than isolated clusters in their assembling history. △ Less

Submitted 22 May, 2024; v1 submitted 26 April, 2024; originally announced April 2024.

Comments: Accepted for publication in A&A

Journal ref: A&A 688, A186 (2024)

The SRG/eROSITA All-Sky Survey: Large-scale view of the Centaurus cluster

Authors: Angie Veronica, Thomas H. Reiprich, Florian Pacaud, Jeremy S. Sanders, Efrain Gattuzz, Michael C. H. Yeung, Esra Bulbul, Vittorio Ghirardini, Ang Liu, Caroline Mannes, Alexander Morelli, Naomi Ota

Abstract: Methods. We utilized the combined five SRG/eROSITA All-Sky Survey data (eRASS:5) to perform X-ray imaging and spectral analyses of the Centaurus cluster in various directions to large radii. Surface brightness (SB) profiles out to $2R_{200}$ were constructed. We acquired gas temperature, metallicity, and normalization per area profiles out to $R_{200}$. We compared our results with previous Centau… ▽ More Methods. We utilized the combined five SRG/eROSITA All-Sky Survey data (eRASS:5) to perform X-ray imaging and spectral analyses of the Centaurus cluster in various directions to large radii. Surface brightness (SB) profiles out to $2R_{200}$ were constructed. We acquired gas temperature, metallicity, and normalization per area profiles out to $R_{200}$. We compared our results with previous Centaurus studies, cluster outskirts measurements, and simulations. Comprehensive sky background analysis was done across the FoV, in particular, to assess the variation of the eROSITA Bubble emission that partially contaminates the field. Results. The processed X-ray images show the known sloshing-induced structures in the core. The core ($r\leq11~\mathrm{kpc}$) is better described with a 2T model than a 1T model. Here, we measured lower T from the cooler component (~1.0 keV) and higher Z ($\sim\!1.6Z_\odot$), signifying an iron bias. In the intermediate radial range, we observed prominent SB and normalization per area excesses in the eastern sector (Cen 45 location), reaching out to $R_{500}$. Temperature enhancements near the location of Cen 45 imply that the gas is shock-heated due to the interaction with Cen 30, the significant excess behind Cen 45 center might be the tail/ram-pressure-stripped gas. We found good agreement between the outskirt temperatures with the profile from simulations and fit from Suzaku outskirts measurements. We detected significant SB emission to the sky background level out to $R_{200}$ with a $3.5σ$ and followed by $2.9σ$ at $1.1R_{200}$. The metallicity at $R_{500}-R_{200}$ is low but within the ranges of other outskirts studies. Conclusions. We present the first measurement of ICM morphology and properties of Centaurus cluster sampling the whole azimuth beyond $30'$, increasing the probed volume by a factor of almost 30. △ Less

Submitted 13 January, 2025; v1 submitted 7 April, 2024; originally announced April 2024.

Comments: Accepted for publication by the Astronomy & Astrophysics journal (December 17, 2024): 19 pages, 9 figures (main text), 6 figure (appendix)

Journal ref: A&A 694, A168 (2025)

The Galaxy Group Merger Origin of the Cloverleaf Odd Radio Circle System

Authors: E. Bulbul, X. Zhang, M. Kluge, M. Brueggen, B. Koribalski, A. Liu, E. Artis, Y. E. Bahar, F. Balzer, C. Garrel, V. Ghirardini, N. Malavasi, A. Merloni, K. Nandra, M. E. Ramos-Ceja, J. S. Sanders, S. Zelmer

Abstract: Odd radio circles (ORCs) are a newly discovered class of extended faint radio sources of unknown origin. We report the first detection of diffuse X-ray gas at the location of a low-redshift ORC (z=0.046) known as Cloverleaf ORC. This observation was performed with the XMM-Newton X-ray telescope. The physical extent of the diffuse X-ray emission corresponds to a region of approximately 230 kpc by 1… ▽ More Odd radio circles (ORCs) are a newly discovered class of extended faint radio sources of unknown origin. We report the first detection of diffuse X-ray gas at the location of a low-redshift ORC (z=0.046) known as Cloverleaf ORC. This observation was performed with the XMM-Newton X-ray telescope. The physical extent of the diffuse X-ray emission corresponds to a region of approximately 230 kpc by 160 kpc, lying perpendicular to the radio emission detected by ASKAP. The X-ray spectrum shows characteristics of thermal multiphase gas with temperatures of 1.10+/-0.08 keV and 0.22+/-0.01 keV and a central density of $(4.9\pm0.6)\times10^{-4}$ cm$^{-3}$, indicating that the Cloverleaf ORC resides in a low-mass galaxy group. Using X-ray observations, with hydrostatic equilibrium and isothermal assumptions, we measure the galaxy group to have a gas mass and a total mass of $(7.7\pm 0.8) \times 10^{11}$ M$_{\rm sun}$ and $2.6\pm0.3\times10^{13}$~$M_{\rm sun}$ within the overdensity radius R$_{500}$. The presence of a high-velocity subgroup identified in optical data, the orientation of the brightest cluster galaxy, the disturbed morphologies of galaxies toward the east of the Cloverleaf ORC, and the irregular morphology of the X-ray emission suggest that this system is undergoing a galaxy group merger. The radio power of the ORC could be explained by the shock reacceleration of fossil cosmic rays generated by a previous episode of black hole activity in the central active galactic nucleus. △ Less

Submitted 15 April, 2024; v1 submitted 14 March, 2024; originally announced March 2024.

Comments: Accepted for publication in A&A Letters. 8 pages, 6 figures, 2 tables

The SRG/eROSITA All-Sky Survey: Tracing the Large-Scale Structure with a clustering study of galaxy clusters

Authors: R. Seppi, J. Comparat, V. Ghirardini, C. Garrel, E. Artis, A. G. Sanchez, A. Liu, N. Clerc, E. Bulbul, S. Grandis, M. Kluge, T. H. Reiprich, A. Merloni, X. Zhang, Y. E. Bahar, S. Shreeram, J. Sanders, M. Ramos-Ceja, M. Krumpe

Abstract: The spatial distribution of galaxy clusters provides a reliable tracer of the large-scale distribution of matter in the Universe. The clustering signal depends on intrinsic cluster properties and cosmological parameters. The ability of eROSITA onboard Spectrum-Roentgen-Gamma (SRG) to discover galaxy clusters allows probing the association of extended X-ray emission to dark matter haloes. We aim to… ▽ More The spatial distribution of galaxy clusters provides a reliable tracer of the large-scale distribution of matter in the Universe. The clustering signal depends on intrinsic cluster properties and cosmological parameters. The ability of eROSITA onboard Spectrum-Roentgen-Gamma (SRG) to discover galaxy clusters allows probing the association of extended X-ray emission to dark matter haloes. We aim to measure the projected two-point correlation function to study the occupation of dark matter halos by clusters and groups detected by the first eROSITA all-sky survey (eRASS1). We create five volume-limited samples probing clusters with different redshift and X-ray luminosity. We interpret the correlation function with halo occupation distribution (HOD) and halo abundance matching (HAM) models. We simultaneously fit cosmological parameters and halo bias of a flux-limited sample of 6493 clusters with purity > 96%. Results. We obtain a detailed view of the halo occupation for eRASS1 clusters. The fainter population at low redshift (S0: LX = 4.63E43 erg/s, 0.1 < z < 0.2) is the least biased compared to dark matter, with b = 2.95 $\pm$ 0.21. The brightest clusters up to higher redshift (S4: LX = 1.77E44 erg/s , 0.1 < z < 0.6) exhibit a higher bias b = 4.34 $\pm$ 0.62. Satellite groups are rare, with a satellite fraction < 14.9% (8.1) for the S0 (S4) sample. We combine the HOD prediction with a HAM procedure to constrain the scaling relation between LX and mass in a new way and find a scatter of 0.36. We obtain cosmological constraints for the physical cold dark matter density 0.12+0.03-0.02 and an average halo bias b = 3.63+1.02-0.85. We model the clustering of galaxy clusters with a HOD approach for the first time, paving the way for future studies combining eROSITA with 4MOST, SDSS, Euclid, Rubin, and DESI to unravel the cluster distribution in the Universe. △ Less

Submitted 13 February, 2024; originally announced February 2024.

Comments: Submitted to A&A, 17 pages, 15 figures

Journal ref: A&A 686, A196 (2024)

The SRG-eROSITA All-Sky Survey : Constraints on f(R) Gravity from Cluster Abundance

Authors: E. Artis, V. Ghirardini, E. Bulbul, S. Grandis, C. Garrel, N. Clerc, R. Seppi, J. Comparat, M. Cataneo, Y. E. Bahar, F. Balzer, I. Chiu, D. Gruen, F. Kleinebreil, M. Kluge, S. Krippendorf, X. Li, A. Liu, A. Merloni, H. Miyatake, S. Miyazaki, K. Nandra, N. Okabe, F. Pacaud, P. Predehl , et al. (6 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: The evolution of the cluster mass function traces the growth of the linear density perturbations and can be utilized for constraining the parameters of cosmological and alternative gravity models. In this context, we present new constraints on potential deviations from general relativity by investigating the Hu-Sawicki parametrization of the f(R) gravity with the first SRG-eROSITA All-Sky Survey (… ▽ More The evolution of the cluster mass function traces the growth of the linear density perturbations and can be utilized for constraining the parameters of cosmological and alternative gravity models. In this context, we present new constraints on potential deviations from general relativity by investigating the Hu-Sawicki parametrization of the f(R) gravity with the first SRG-eROSITA All-Sky Survey (eRASS1) cluster catalog in the Western Galactic Hemisphere in combination with the overlapping Dark Energy Survey Year 3, KiloDegree Survey and Hyper Supreme Camera data for weak lensing mass calibration. For the first time, we present constraints obtained from cluster abundances only. When we consider massless neutrinos, we find a strict upper limit of log |fR0| < -4.31 at 95% confidence level. Massive neutrinos suppress structure growth at small scales, and thus have the opposite effect of f(R) gravity. We consequently investigate the joint fit of the mass of the neutrinos with the modified gravity parameter. We obtain log |fR0| < -4.12 jointly with \sum m_ν< 0.44 e.V. at 95% confidence level, tighter than the limits in the literature utilizing cluster counts only. At log |fR0|= - 6, the number of clusters is not significantly changed by the theory. Consequently, we do not find any statistical deviation from general relativity from the study of eRASS1 cluster abundance. Deeper surveys with eROSITA, increasing the number of detected clusters, will further improve constraints on log |fR0| and investigate alternative gravity theories. △ Less

Submitted 13 February, 2024; originally announced February 2024.

Comments: 13 pages, 6 figures, submitted to A&A

Journal ref: A&A 691, A301 (2024)

The SRG/eROSITA all-sky survey: Cosmology constraints from cluster abundances in the western Galactic hemisphere

Authors: V. Ghirardini, E. Bulbul, E. Artis, N. Clerc, C. Garrel, S. Grandis, M. Kluge, A. Liu, Y. E. Bahar, F. Balzer, I. Chiu, J. Comparat, D. Gruen, F. Kleinebreil, S. Krippendorf, A. Merloni, K. Nandra, N. Okabe, F. Pacaud, P. Predehl, M. E. Ramos-Ceja, T. H. Reiprich, J. S. Sanders, T. Schrabback, R. Seppi , et al. (24 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: The cluster mass function traces the growth of linear density perturbations and provides valuable insights into the growth of structures, the nature of dark matter, and the cosmological parameters governing the Universe. The primary science goal of eROSITA, on board the {\it Spectrum Roentgen Gamma (SRG)} mission, launched in 2019, is to constrain cosmology through the evolution of cluster mass fu… ▽ More The cluster mass function traces the growth of linear density perturbations and provides valuable insights into the growth of structures, the nature of dark matter, and the cosmological parameters governing the Universe. The primary science goal of eROSITA, on board the {\it Spectrum Roentgen Gamma (SRG)} mission, launched in 2019, is to constrain cosmology through the evolution of cluster mass function. In this paper, we present the cosmological constraints obtained from 5259 clusters of galaxies detected over an area of 12791~deg$^2$ in the Western Galactic Hemisphere of the eROSITA's first All-Sky Survey (eRASS1). The common footprint region between the eROSITA Survey and DES, KiDS, and HSC surveys is used for calibration of the scaling between X-ray count rate and their total mass through measurements of their weak gravitational lensing signal. eRASS1 cluster abundances constrain the $Λ$CDM parameters, which are the energy density of the total matter to $Ω_{\mathrm{m}}=0.29^{+0.01}_{-0.02}$, and the normalization of the density fluctuations to $σ_8=0.88\pm0.02$ and their combination yields $S_8=σ_8 (Ω_\mathrm{m} / 0.3)^{0.5}=0.86\pm0.01$, consistent and at a similar precision with the state-of-the-art CMB measurements. eRASS1 cosmological experiment places a most stringent upper limit on the summed masses of left-handed light neutrinos to $\sum m_ν< 0.22\mathrm{~eV}$ (95\% confidence interval). Combining eRASS1 cluster abundance measurements with CMB and ground-based neutrino oscillation experiments, we measure the summed neutrino masses to be $\sum m_ν=0.08_{-0.02}^{+0.03}\mathrm{~eV}$ or $\sum m_ν=0.12_{-0.01}^{+0.03}\mathrm{~eV}$ depending on the mass hierarchy scenario for neutrino eigenstates. eRASS1 cluster abundances significantly improve the constraints on the dark energy equation of state parameter to $w=-1.12\pm0.12$. (ABRIDGED) △ Less

Submitted 25 July, 2024; v1 submitted 13 February, 2024; originally announced February 2024.

Comments: 41 pages, 22 figures, Accepted for publication by A&A

Journal ref: A&A 689, A298 (2024)

The SRG/eROSITA All-Sky Survey: X-ray selection function models for the eRASS1 galaxy cluster cosmology

Authors: N. Clerc, J. Comparat, R. Seppi, E. Artis, Y. E. Bahar, F. Balzer, E. Bulbul, T. Dauser, C. Garrel, V. Ghirardini, S. Grandis, C. Kirsch, M. Kluge, A. Liu, F. Pacaud, M. E. Ramos-Ceja, T. H. Reiprich, J. S. Sanders, J. Wilms, X. Zhang

Abstract: Characterising galaxy cluster populations from catalog of sources selected in astronomical surveys requires knowledge of sample incompleteness, known as selection function. The first All-Sky Survey (eRASS1) by eROSITA onboard Spectrum Roentgen Gamma (SRG) has enabled the collection of large samples of galaxy clusters detected in the soft X-ray band over the Western Galactic hemisphere. The driving… ▽ More Characterising galaxy cluster populations from catalog of sources selected in astronomical surveys requires knowledge of sample incompleteness, known as selection function. The first All-Sky Survey (eRASS1) by eROSITA onboard Spectrum Roentgen Gamma (SRG) has enabled the collection of large samples of galaxy clusters detected in the soft X-ray band over the Western Galactic hemisphere. The driving goal consists in constraining cosmological parameters, which puts stringent requirements on accuracy, flexibility and explainability of the selection function models. We use a large set of mock observations of the eRASS1 survey and we process simulated data identically to the real eRASS1 events. We match detected sources to simulated clusters and we associate detections to intrinsic cluster properties. We train a series of models to build selection functions depending only on observable surface brightness data. We develop a second series of models relying on global cluster characteristics such as X-ray luminosity, flux, and expected instrumental count-rate as well as on morphological properties. We validate our models using our simulations and we rank them according to selected performance metrics. We validate the models with datasets of clusters detected in X-rays and via the Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect. We present the complete Bayesian population modelling framework developed for this purpose. Our results reveal the surface brightness characteristics most relevant to cluster selection in the eRASS1 sample, in particular the ambiguous role of central surface brightness at the scale of the instrument resolution. We have produced a series of user-friendly selection function models and demonstrated their validity and their limitations. Our selection function for bright sources reproduces well the catalog matches with external datasets. (abridged) △ Less

Submitted 13 February, 2024; originally announced February 2024.

Comments: 24 pages, 31 figures, 2 tables. Submitted to A&A

Journal ref: A&A 687, A238 (2024)

The SRG/eROSITA All-Sky Survey: Weak-Lensing of eRASS1 Galaxy Clusters in KiDS-1000 and Consistency Checks with DES Y3 & HSC-Y3

Authors: Florian Kleinebreil, Sebastian Grandis, Tim Schrabback, Vittorio Ghirardini, I-Non Chiu, Ang Liu, Matthias Kluge, Thomas H. Reiprich, Emmanuel Artis, Emre Bahar, Fabian Balzer, Esra Bulbul, Nicolas Clerc, Johan Comparat, Christian Garrel, Daniel Gruen, Xiangchong Li, Hironao Miyatake, Satoshi Miyazaki, Miriam E. Ramos-Ceja, Jeremy Sanders, Riccardo Seppi, Nobuhiro Okabe, Xiaoyuan Zhang

Abstract: We aim to participate in the calibration of the X-ray photon count rate to halo mass scaling relation of galaxy clusters selected in the first eROSITA All-Sky Survey on the Western Galactic Hemisphere (eRASS1) using KiDS-1000 weak-lensing (WL) data. We measure the radial shear profiles around eRASS1 galaxy clusters using background galaxies in KiDS-1000, as well as the cluster member contamination… ▽ More We aim to participate in the calibration of the X-ray photon count rate to halo mass scaling relation of galaxy clusters selected in the first eROSITA All-Sky Survey on the Western Galactic Hemisphere (eRASS1) using KiDS-1000 weak-lensing (WL) data. We measure the radial shear profiles around eRASS1 galaxy clusters using background galaxies in KiDS-1000, as well as the cluster member contamination. Furthermore we provide consistency checks with the other stage-III WL surveys who take part in the eRASS1 mass calibration, DES Y3 and HSC-Y3. We determine the cluster member contamination of eRASS1 clusters present in KiDS-1000 based on source number density profiles, where we account for the obscuration caused by cluster galaxies. The extracted shear profiles, together with the contamination model and the lens sample selection, are then analysed through a Bayesian population model. We calibrate the WL mass bias parameter by analysing realistic synthetic shear profiles from mock cluster catalogues. Our consistency checks between KiDS-1000 and DES Y3 & HSC-Y3 include the comparison of contamination-corrected density contrast profiles employing the union of background sources around common clusters, as well as the individual scaling relation results. We present a global contamination model for eRASS1 clusters in KiDS-1000 and the calibration results of the X-ray photon count rate to halo mass relation. The results of the WL mass bias parameter show that the uncertainty of the multiplicative shear bias dominates the systematic error budget at low clusters redshifts while the uncertainty of our contamination model does at high ones. The cross-checks between the three WL surveys show that they are statistically consistent with each other. This enables for the first time cosmological constraints from clusters calibrated by three state-of-the-art WL surveys. (abridged) △ Less

Submitted 13 February, 2024; originally announced February 2024.

Comments: 22 pages, 23 figures

Journal ref: A&A 695, A216 (2025)

The SRG/eROSITA All-Sky Survey: Dark Energy Survey Year 3 Weak Gravitational Lensing by eRASS1 selected Galaxy Clusters

Authors: S. Grandis, V. Ghirardini, S. Bocquet, C. Garrel, J. J. Mohr, A. Liu, M. Kluge, L. Kimmig, T. H. Reiprich, A. Alarcon, A. Amon, E. Artis, Y. E. Bahar, F. Balzer, K. Bechtol, M. R. Becker, G. Bernstein, E. Bulbul, A. Campos, A. Carnero Rosell, M. Carrasco Kind, R. Cawthon, C. Chang, R. Chen, I. Chiu , et al. (97 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: Number counts of galaxy clusters across redshift are a powerful cosmological probe, if a precise and accurate reconstruction of the underlying mass distribution is performed -- a challenge called mass calibration. With the advent of wide and deep photometric surveys, weak gravitational lensing by clusters has become the method of choice to perform this measurement. We measure and validate the weak… ▽ More Number counts of galaxy clusters across redshift are a powerful cosmological probe, if a precise and accurate reconstruction of the underlying mass distribution is performed -- a challenge called mass calibration. With the advent of wide and deep photometric surveys, weak gravitational lensing by clusters has become the method of choice to perform this measurement. We measure and validate the weak gravitational lensing (WL) signature in the shape of galaxies observed in the first 3 years of the DES Y3 caused by galaxy clusters selected in the first all-sky survey performed by SRG/eROSITA. These data are then used to determine the scaling between X-ray photon count rate of the clusters and their halo mass and redshift. We empirically determine the degree of cluster member contamination in our background source sample. The individual cluster shear profiles are then analysed with a Bayesian population model that self-consistently accounts for the lens sample selection and contamination, and includes marginalization over a host of instrumental and astrophysical systematics. To quantify the accuracy of the mass extraction of that model, we perform mass measurements on mock cluster catalogs with realistic synthetic shear profiles. This allows us to establish that hydro-dynamical modelling uncertainties at low lens redshifts ($z<0.6$) are the dominant systematic limitation. At high lens redshift the uncertainties of the sources' photometric redshift calibration dominate. With regard to the X-ray count rate to halo mass relation, we constrain all its parameters. This work sets the stage for a joint analysis with the number counts of eRASS1 clusters to constrain a host of cosmological parameters. We demonstrate that WL mass calibration of galaxy clusters can be performed successfully with source galaxies whose calibration was performed primarily for cosmic shear experiments. △ Less

Submitted 13 February, 2024; originally announced February 2024.

Comments: 27 pages, 18 figures, 2 appendices, submitted to A\&A

Journal ref: A&A 687, A178 (2024)

The SRG/eROSITA All-Sky Survey: First catalog of superclusters in the western Galactic hemisphere

Authors: A. Liu, E. Bulbul, M. Kluge, V. Ghirardini, X. Zhang, J. S. Sanders, E. Artis, Y. E. Bahar, F. Balzer, M. Brueggen, N. Clerc, J. Comparat, C. Garrel, E. Gatuzz, S. Grandis, G. Lamer, A. Merloni, K. Migkas, K. Nandra, P. Predehl, M. E. Ramos-Ceja, T. H. Reiprich, R. Seppi, S. Zelmer

Abstract: Superclusters of galaxies mark the large-scale overdense regions in the Universe. Superclusters provide an ideal environment to study structure formation and to search for the emission of the intergalactic medium such as cosmic filaments and WHIM. In this work, we present the largest-to-date catalog of X-ray-selected superclusters identified in the first SRG/eROSITA All-Sky Survey (eRASS1). By app… ▽ More Superclusters of galaxies mark the large-scale overdense regions in the Universe. Superclusters provide an ideal environment to study structure formation and to search for the emission of the intergalactic medium such as cosmic filaments and WHIM. In this work, we present the largest-to-date catalog of X-ray-selected superclusters identified in the first SRG/eROSITA All-Sky Survey (eRASS1). By applying the Friends-of-Friends method on the galaxy clusters detected in eRASS1, we identified 1338 supercluster systems in the western Galactic hemisphere up to redshift 0.8, including 818 cluster pairs and 520 rich superclusters with $\ge 3$ members. The most massive and richest supercluster system is the Shapley supercluster at redshift 0.05 with 45 members and a total mass of $2.58\pm0.51 \times10^{16} M_{\odot}$. The most extensive system has a projected length of 127~Mpc. The sizes of the superclusters we identified in this work are comparable to the structures found with galaxy survey data. We also found a good association between the eRASS1 superclusters and the large-scale structures formed by optical galaxies. 3948 clusters, corresponding to $45\%$ of the cluster sample, were identified as supercluster members. The reliability of each supercluster was estimated by considering the uncertainties in cluster redshifts and peculiar velocities. 63\% of the systems have a reliability larger than 0.7. The eRASS1 supercluster catalog provided in this work represents the most extensive sample of superclusters selected in the X-ray band in terms of the unprecedented sample volume, sky coverage, redshift range, the availability of X-ray properties, and the well-understood selection function of the parent cluster sample, which enables direct comparisons with numerical simulations. This legacy catalog will greatly advance our understanding of superclusters and the cosmic large-scale structure. △ Less

Submitted 13 February, 2024; originally announced February 2024.

Comments: A&A in press

The SRG/eROSITA All-Sky Survey. Optical identification and properties of galaxy clusters and groups in the western galactic hemisphere

Authors: M. Kluge, J. Comparat, A. Liu, F. Balzer, E. Bulbul, J. Ider Chitham, V. Ghirardini, C. Garrel, Y. E. Bahar, E. Artis, R. Bender, N. Clerc, T. Dwelly, M. H. Fabricius, S. Grandis, D. Hernández-Lang, G. J. Hill, J. Joshi, G. Lamer, A. Merloni, K. Nandra, F. Pacaud, P. Predehl, M. E. Ramos-Ceja, T. H. Reiprich , et al. (7 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: The first SRG/eROSITA All-Sky Survey (eRASS1) provides the largest intracluster medium-selected galaxy cluster and group catalog covering the western galactic hemisphere. Compared to samples selected purely on X-ray extent, the sample purity can be enhanced by identifying cluster candidates using optical and near-infrared data from the DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys. Using the red-sequence-based clus… ▽ More The first SRG/eROSITA All-Sky Survey (eRASS1) provides the largest intracluster medium-selected galaxy cluster and group catalog covering the western galactic hemisphere. Compared to samples selected purely on X-ray extent, the sample purity can be enhanced by identifying cluster candidates using optical and near-infrared data from the DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys. Using the red-sequence-based cluster finder eROMaPPer, we measured individual photometric properties (redshift $z_λ$, richness $λ$, optical center, and BCG position) for 12,000 eRASS1 clusters over a sky area of 13,116 deg$^2$, augmented by 247 cases identified by matching the candidates with known clusters from the literature. The median redshift of the identified eRASS1 sample is $z=0.31$, with 10% of the clusters at $z>0.72$. The photometric redshifts have an accuracy of $δz/(1+z)<0.005$ for $0.05<z<0.9$. Spectroscopic cluster properties (redshift $z_{\rm spec}$ and velocity dispersion $σ$) are measured a posteriori for a subsample of 3,210 and 1,499 eRASS1 clusters, respectively, using an extensive compilation of spectroscopic redshifts of galaxies from the literature. We infer that the primary eRASS1 sample has a purity of 86% and optical completeness >95% for $z>0.05$. For these and further quality assessments of the eRASS1 identified catalog, we applied our identification method to a collection of galaxy cluster catalogs in the literature, as well as blindly on the full Legacy Surveys covering 24,069 deg$^2$. Using a combination of these cluster samples, we investigated the velocity dispersion-richness relation, finding $\log(λ)=2.401\times\log(σ)-5.074$ with an intrinsic scatter of $0.10\pm0.01$ dex. Our main result is the identified eRASS1 cluster catalog with a high purity and a well-defined X-ray selection process, enabling precise cosmological analyses presented in companion papers. △ Less

Submitted 29 August, 2024; v1 submitted 13 February, 2024; originally announced February 2024.

Comments: 36 pages, 23 figures, 6 tables. Accepted for publication in A&A

Journal ref: A&A 688, A210 (2024)

The SRG/eROSITA All-Sky Survey: The first catalog of galaxy clusters and groups in the Western Galactic Hemisphere

Authors: E. Bulbul, A. Liu, M. Kluge, X. Zhang, J. S. Sanders, Y. E. Bahar, V. Ghirardini, E. Artis, R. Seppi, C. Garrel, M. E. Ramos-Ceja, J. Comparat, F. Balzer, K. Böckmann, M. Brüggen, N. Clerc, K. Dennerl, K. Dolag, M. Freyberg, S. Grandis, D. Gruen, F. Kleinebreil, S. Krippendorf, G. Lamer, A. Merloni , et al. (9 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: Clusters of galaxies can be used as powerful probes to study astrophysical processes on large scales, test theories of the growth of structure, and constrain cosmological models. The driving science goal of the SRG/eROSITA All-Sky Survey (eRASS) is to assemble a large sample of X-ray-selected clusters with a well-defined selection function to determine the evolution of the mass function and, hence… ▽ More Clusters of galaxies can be used as powerful probes to study astrophysical processes on large scales, test theories of the growth of structure, and constrain cosmological models. The driving science goal of the SRG/eROSITA All-Sky Survey (eRASS) is to assemble a large sample of X-ray-selected clusters with a well-defined selection function to determine the evolution of the mass function and, hence, the cosmological parameters. We present here a catalog of 12247 optically confirmed galaxy groups and clusters detected in the 0.2-2.3 keV as extended X-ray sources in a 13,116deg$^2$ region in the western Galactic hemisphere of the sky, which eROSITA surveyed in its first six months of operation. The clusters in the sample span the redshift range $0.003<z<1.32$. The majority (68%) of these clusters, 8361 sources, represent new discoveries without known counterparts in the literature. The mass range of the sample covers three orders of magnitude from $5\times10^{12}M_{\rm sun}$ to $2\times10^{15}M_{\rm sun}$. We construct a sample for cosmology with a higher purity level (~95%) than the primary sample, comprising 5259 securely detected and confirmed clusters in the 12791deg$^{2}$ common footprint with the DESI Legacy Survey DR10. We characterize the X-ray properties of each cluster, including their flux, luminosity and temperature, the total mass, gas mass, gas mass fraction, and mass proxy $Y_{X}$. These are determined within two apertures, 300 kpc, and the overdensity radius $R_{500}$, and are calculated by applying a forward modeling approach with a rigorous X-ray background treatment, K-factor, and the Galactic absorption corrections. Population studies utilizing LogN-LogS, the number of clusters detected above a given flux limit, and the luminosity function show overall agreement with the previous X-ray surveys after accounting for the survey completeness and purity (ABRIDGED) △ Less

Submitted 13 February, 2024; originally announced February 2024.

Comments: in press in A&A. 27 pages, 21 figures, 3 tables

The SRG/eROSITA All-Sky Survey: SRG/eROSITA cross-calibration with Chandra and XMM-Newton using galaxy cluster gas temperatures

Authors: K. Migkas, D. Kox, G. Schellenberger, A. Veronica, F. Pacaud, T. H. Reiprich, Y. E. Bahar, F. Balzer, E. Bulbul, J. Comparat, K. Dennerl, M. Freyberg, C. Garrel, V. Ghirardini, S. Grandis, M. Kluge, A. Liu, M. E. Ramos-Ceja, J. Sanders, X. Zhang

Abstract: Galaxy cluster gas temperatures ($T$) play a crucial role in many cosmological and astrophysical studies. However, it has been shown that $T$ measurements can vary between different X-ray telescopes. These $T$ biases can propagate to several cluster applications for which $T$ can be used. Thus, it is important to accurately cross-calibrate X-ray instruments to account for systematic biases. In thi… ▽ More Galaxy cluster gas temperatures ($T$) play a crucial role in many cosmological and astrophysical studies. However, it has been shown that $T$ measurements can vary between different X-ray telescopes. These $T$ biases can propagate to several cluster applications for which $T$ can be used. Thus, it is important to accurately cross-calibrate X-ray instruments to account for systematic biases. In this work, we present the cross-calibration between SRG/eROSITA and Chandra/ACIS, and between SRG/eROSITA and XMM-Newton/EPIC, using for the first time a large sample of galaxy cluster $T$. To do so, we use the first eROSITA All-Sky Survey data and a large X-ray flux-limited cluster catalog. We measure X-ray $T$ for 186 independent cluster regions with both SRG/eROSITA and Chandra/ACIS in a self-consistent way, for three energy bands; 0.7-7 keV (full), 0.5-4 keV (soft), and 1.5-7 keV (hard). We do the same with SRG/eROSITA and XMM-Newton/EPIC for 71 different cluster regions and all three bands. We find that SRG/eROSITA measures systematically lower $T$ than the other two instruments. For the full band, SRG/eROSITA returns 20$\%$ and 14$\%$ lower $T$ than Chandra/ACIS and XMM-Newton/EPIC respectively, when the two latter instruments measure $k_{\text{B}}T\approx 3$ keV each. The discrepancy increases to 38\% and 32\% when Chandra/ACIS and XMM-Newton/EPIC measure $k_{\text{B}}T\approx 10$ keV respectively. For low-$T$ galaxy groups, the discrepancy becomes milder. The soft band shows a marginally lower discrepancy than the full band. In the hard band, the cross-calibration of SRG/eROSITA and the other instruments show stronger differences. We could not identify any possible systematic biases that significantly alleviated the tension. Finally, we provide conversion factors between SRG/eROSITA, Chandra/ACIS, and XMM-Newton/EPIC $T$ which will be beneficial for future cluster studies. △ Less

Submitted 2 June, 2024; v1 submitted 30 January, 2024; originally announced January 2024.

Comments: 24 pages, 15 figures, accepted in A&A (updated published version, replaced the submitted version v1)

Journal ref: A&A 688, A107 (2024)

The SRG/eROSITA All-Sky Survey: Constraints on AGN Feedback in Galaxy Groups

Authors: Y. E. Bahar, E. Bulbul, V. Ghirardini, J. S. Sanders, X. Zhang, A. Liu, N. Clerc, E. Artis, F. Balzer, V. Biffi, S. Bose, J. Comparat, K. Dolag, C. Garrel, B. Hadzhiyska, C. Hernández-Aguayo, L. Hernquist, M. Kluge, S. Krippendorf, A. Merloni, K. Nandra, R. Pakmor, P. Popesso, M. Ramos-Ceja, R. Seppi , et al. (3 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: We investigate the impact of AGN feedback, on the entropy and characteristic temperature measurements of galaxy groups detected in the SRG/eROSITA's first All-Sky Survey (eRASS1) to shed light on the characteristics of the feedback mechanisms. We analyze deeper eROSITA observations of 1178 galaxy groups detected in eRASS1. We divide the sample into 271 subsamples and extract average thermodynamic… ▽ More We investigate the impact of AGN feedback, on the entropy and characteristic temperature measurements of galaxy groups detected in the SRG/eROSITA's first All-Sky Survey (eRASS1) to shed light on the characteristics of the feedback mechanisms. We analyze deeper eROSITA observations of 1178 galaxy groups detected in eRASS1. We divide the sample into 271 subsamples and extract average thermodynamic properties, including electron density, temperature, and entropy at three characteristic radii along with the integrated temperature by jointly analyzing X-ray images and spectra following a Bayesian approach. We present the tightest constraints on the impact of AGN feedback through our average entropy and characteristic temperature measurements of the largest group sample used in X-ray studies, incorporating major systematics in our analysis. We find that entropy shows an increasing trend with temperature in the form of a power-law-like relation at the higher intra-group medium temperatures, while for the low mass groups, a slight flattening is observed on the average entropy. Overall, the observed entropy measurements agree well with the earlier measurements in the literature. The comparisons with the state-of-the-art cosmological hydrodynamic simulations (MillenniumTNG, Magneticum, OWL simulations) after the applications of the selection function calibrated for our galaxy groups reveal that observed entropy profiles in the cores are below the predictions of simulations. At the mid-region, the entropy measurements agree well with the Magneticum simulations, whereas the predictions of MillenniumTNG and OWL simulations fall below observations. At the outskirts, the overall agreement between the observations and simulations improves, with Magneticum simulations reproducing the observations the best. Our measurements will pave the way for more realistic AGN feedback implementations in simulations. △ Less

Submitted 3 September, 2025; v1 submitted 30 January, 2024; originally announced January 2024.

Comments: 28 pages, 16 figures, 4 tables. Accepted for publication in A&A

Journal ref: A&A 691, A188 (2024)

The SRG/eROSITA all-sky survey: First X-ray catalogues and data release of the western Galactic hemisphere

Authors: A. Merloni, G. Lamer, T. Liu, M. E. Ramos-Ceja, H. Brunner, E. Bulbul, K. Dennerl, V. Doroshenko, M. J. Freyberg, S. Friedrich, E. Gatuzz, A. Georgakakis, F. Haberl, Z. Igo, I. Kreykenbohm, A. Liu, C. Maitra, A. Malyali, M. G. F. Mayer, K. Nandra, P. Predehl, J. Robrade, M. Salvato, J. S. Sanders, I. Stewart , et al. (120 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: The eROSITA telescope array aboard the Spektrum Roentgen Gamma (SRG) satellite began surveying the sky in December 2019, with the aim of producing all-sky X-ray source lists and sky maps of an unprecedented depth. Here we present catalogues of both point-like and extended sources using the data acquired in the first six months of survey operations (eRASS1; completed June 2020) over the half sky wh… ▽ More The eROSITA telescope array aboard the Spektrum Roentgen Gamma (SRG) satellite began surveying the sky in December 2019, with the aim of producing all-sky X-ray source lists and sky maps of an unprecedented depth. Here we present catalogues of both point-like and extended sources using the data acquired in the first six months of survey operations (eRASS1; completed June 2020) over the half sky whose proprietary data rights lie with the German eROSITA Consortium. We describe the observation process, the data analysis pipelines, and the characteristics of the X-ray sources. With nearly 930000 entries detected in the most sensitive 0.2-2.3 keV energy range, the eRASS1 main catalogue presented here increases the number of known X-ray sources in the published literature by more than 60%, and provides a comprehensive inventory of all classes of X-ray celestial objects, covering a wide range of physical processes. A smaller catalogue of 5466 sources detected in the less sensitive but harder 2.3-5 keV band is the result of the first true imaging survey of the entire sky above 2 keV. We show that the number counts of X-ray sources in eRASS1 are consistent with those derived over narrower fields by past X-ray surveys of a similar depth, and we explore the number counts variation as a function of the location in the sky. Adopting a uniform all-sky flux limit (at 50% completeness) of F_{0.5-2 keV} > 5 \times 10^{-14}$ erg\,s$^{-1}$\,cm$^{-2}$, we estimate that the eROSITA all-sky survey resolves into individual sources about 20% of the cosmic X-ray background in the 1-2 keV range. The catalogues presented here form part of the first data release (DR1) of the SRG/eROSITA all-sky survey. Beyond the X-ray catalogues, DR1 contains all detected and calibrated event files, source products (light curves and spectra), and all-sky maps. Illustrative examples of these are provided. △ Less

Submitted 30 January, 2024; originally announced January 2024.

Comments: 39 pages, 23 figures. Accepted for publication in A&A. Accompanying eROSITA-DE Data Release 1

Journal ref: A&A, vol. 682, A34 (2024)

The eROSITA view of the Abell 3391/95 field: Cluster Outskirts and Filaments

Authors: Angie Veronica, Thomas H. Reiprich, Florian Pacaud, Naomi Ota, Jann Aschersleben, Veronica Biffi, Esra Bulbul, Nicolas Clerc, Klaus Dolag, Thomas Erben, Efrain Gatuzz, Vittorio Ghirardini, Jürgen Kerp, Matthias Klein, Ang Liu, Teng Liu, Konstantinos Migkas, Miriam E. Ramos-Ceja, Jeremy Sanders, Claudia Spinelli

Abstract: Aims. We aim to characterize the gas properties in the cluster outskirts ($R_{500}<r<R_{200}$) and in the detected inter-cluster filaments ($>R_{200}$) of the A3391/95 system and to compare them to predictions. Methods. We performed X-ray image and spectral analyses using the eROSITA PV data to assess the gas morphology and properties in the outskirts and the filaments in the directions of the pre… ▽ More Aims. We aim to characterize the gas properties in the cluster outskirts ($R_{500}<r<R_{200}$) and in the detected inter-cluster filaments ($>R_{200}$) of the A3391/95 system and to compare them to predictions. Methods. We performed X-ray image and spectral analyses using the eROSITA PV data to assess the gas morphology and properties in the outskirts and the filaments in the directions of the previously detected Northern and Southern Filament of the A3391/95 system. We took particular care of the foreground. Results. In the filament-facing outskirts of A3391 and the Northern Clump, we find higher temperatures than typical cluster outskirts profiles, with a significance of $1.6-2.8σ$, suggesting heating due to their connections with the filaments. We confirm SB excess in the profiles of the Northern, Eastern, and Southern Filaments. From spectral analysis, we detect hot gas of ~1 keV for the Northern and Southern Filaments. The filament metallicities are below 10% solar metallicity and the $n_e$ range between 2.6 and $6.3\times10^{-5}~\mathrm{cm^{-3}}$. The characteristic properties of the Little Southern Clump (~1.5$R_{200}$ from A3395S in the Southern Filament) suggest that it is a small galaxy group. Excluding the LSC from the analysis of the Southern Filament decreases the gas density by 30%. This shows the importance of taking into account any clumps to avoid overestimation of the gas measurement in the outskirts and filament regions. Conclusions. The $n_e$ of the filaments are consistent with the WHIM properties as predicted by cosmological simulations, but the temperatures are higher, close to the upper WHIM temperature limit. As both filaments are short and located in a denser environment, stronger gravitational heating may be responsible for this temperature enhancement. The metallicities are low, but still within the expected range from the simulations. △ Less

Submitted 13 November, 2023; originally announced November 2023.

Comments: Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics: 17 pages, 6 figures (main text), 1 figure (appendix)

Central radio galaxies in galaxy clusters: Joint surveys by eROSITA and ASKAP

Authors: K. Böckmann, M. Brüggen, B. Koribalski, A. Veronica, T. H. Reiprich, E. Bulbul, Y. E. Bahar, F. Balzer, J. Comparat, C. Garrel, V. Ghirardini, G. Gürkan, M. Kluge, D. Leahy, A. Merloni, A. Liu, M. E. Ramos-Ceja, M. Salvato, J. Sanders, S. Shabala, X. Zhang

Abstract: The extended ROentgen Survey with an Imaging Telescope Array (eROSITA) telescope onboard the Spectrum-Roentgen-Gamma (SRG) mission has finished the first eROSITA All-Sky Survey (eRASS:1), and detected 10$^4$ galaxy clusters in the western Galactic hemisphere. In the radio band, the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) telescope finished its pilot 1 phase of the project 'Evolutionar… ▽ More The extended ROentgen Survey with an Imaging Telescope Array (eROSITA) telescope onboard the Spectrum-Roentgen-Gamma (SRG) mission has finished the first eROSITA All-Sky Survey (eRASS:1), and detected 10$^4$ galaxy clusters in the western Galactic hemisphere. In the radio band, the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) telescope finished its pilot 1 phase of the project 'Evolutionary Map of the Universe' (EMU) with 220.000 sources in a 270 deg$^2$ field overlapping with eRASS:1. These two surveys are used to study radio-mode Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) in clusters. In order to understand the efficiency of radio-mode feedback at the centers of galaxy clusters, we relate the radio properties of brightest cluster galaxies (BCG) to the X-ray properties of the host clusters. We identify the central radio sources in eRASS:1 clusters or calculate corresponding upper limits on the radio luminosity. Then, we derive relations between the X-ray properties of the clusters and the radio properties of the corresponding central radio source. We also apply a mid-infrared color criterion using WISE colors to identify AGN. In total we investigate a sample of 75 clusters. We find a statistically significant correlation between the X-ray luminosity of the cluster and the 944 MHz radio luminosity of the corresponding central radio galaxy. There is also a positive trend between the radio power and the largest linear size (LLS) of the radio source. The density and the LLS do not show any correlation. We find that in high luminosity clusters with L_X > $10^{43}$ erg s$^{-1}$ the kinetic luminosity of the radio jets is not longer correlated with the X-ray luminosity and discuss various reasons. We find an anti-correlation between the central cooling time t_cool and the radio luminosity L_R indicating a need for more powerful AGN in clusters with short central cooling times. △ Less

Submitted 22 August, 2023; v1 submitted 25 July, 2023; originally announced July 2023.

Comments: 16 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in A&A

Journal ref: A&A 677, A188 (2023)

The X-ray invisible Universe. A look into the halos undetected by eROSITA

Authors: P. Popesso, A. Biviano, E. Bulbul, A. Merloni, J. Comparat, N. Clerc, Z. Igo, A. Liu, S. Driver, M. Salvato, M. Brusa, Y. E. Bahar, N. Malavasi, V. Ghirardini, G. Ponti, A. Robotham, J. Liske, S. Grandis

Abstract: The paper presents the analysis of optically selected GAMA groups and clusters in the SRG/eROSITA X-ray map of eFEDS (eROSITA Final Equatorial Depth Survey), in the halo mass range $10^{13}-5{\times}10^{14}$ $M_{\odot}$ and at $z < 0.2$. All X-ray detections have a clear GAMA counterpart, but most of the GAMA groups in the halo mass range $10^{13}-10^{14}$ $M_{\odot}$ remain undetected. We compare… ▽ More The paper presents the analysis of optically selected GAMA groups and clusters in the SRG/eROSITA X-ray map of eFEDS (eROSITA Final Equatorial Depth Survey), in the halo mass range $10^{13}-5{\times}10^{14}$ $M_{\odot}$ and at $z < 0.2$. All X-ray detections have a clear GAMA counterpart, but most of the GAMA groups in the halo mass range $10^{13}-10^{14}$ $M_{\odot}$ remain undetected. We compare the X-ray surface brightness profiles of the eROSITA detected groups with the mean stacked profile of the undetected low-mass halos at fixed halo mass. Overall, we find that the undetected groups exhibit less concentrated X-ray surface brightness, dark matter, and galaxy distributions with respect to the X-ray detected halos. The mean gas mass fraction profiles are consistent in the two samples within 1.5$σ$, indicating that the gas follows the dark matter profile. The low mass concentration and the magnitude gap indicate that these systems are young. They reside with a higher probability in filaments while X-ray detected groups favor the nodes of the Cosmic Web. Because of the lower central emission, the undetected systems tend to be X-ray under-luminous at fixed halo mass and to lie below the $L_X-M_{halo}$ relation. Interestingly, the X-ray detected systems inhabiting the nodes scatter the less around the relation, while those in filaments tend to lie below it. We do not observe any strong relationship between the system X-ray appearance and the AGN activity. We cannot exclude the role of the past AGN feedback in affecting the gas distribution over the halo lifetime. However, the data suggests that the observed differences might be related to the halo assembly bias. △ Less

Submitted 20 October, 2023; v1 submitted 16 February, 2023; originally announced February 2023.

Comments: 16 pages, 14 figures, Accepted for publication in MNRAS

Effects of Multiphase Gas and Projection on X-ray Observables in Simulated Galaxy Clusters as Seen by eROSITA

Authors: J. ZuHone, Y. E. Bahar, V. Biffi, K. Dolag, J. Sanders, E. Bulbul, T. Liu, T. Dauser, O. König, X. Zhang, V. Ghirardini

Abstract: The number density of galaxy clusters as a function of mass and redshift is a sensitive function of the cosmological parameters. To use clusters for cosmological parameter studies, it is necessary to determine their masses as accurately as possible, which is typically done via mass-observable scaling relations. X-ray observables can be biased by multiphase gas and projection effects, especially in… ▽ More The number density of galaxy clusters as a function of mass and redshift is a sensitive function of the cosmological parameters. To use clusters for cosmological parameter studies, it is necessary to determine their masses as accurately as possible, which is typically done via mass-observable scaling relations. X-ray observables can be biased by multiphase gas and projection effects, especially in the case where cluster temperatures and luminosities are estimated from single-model fits to all of the emission with a given radius. Using simulated galaxy clusters from a realistic cosmological simulation, we seek to determine the importance of these biases in the context of Spectrum-Roentgen-Gamma/eROSITA observations of clusters. We extract clusters from the Magneticum suite, and simulate eROSITA observations of these clusters using PHOX and SIXTE. We compare the fitted observables from these observations to those derived from the simulations. We fitted an intrinsically scattered $L_{\rm X}-T$ scaling relation to these measurements following a Bayesian approach with which we fully took into account the selection effects and the mass function. The largest biases on the cluster observables come from the inadequacy of single-temperature model fits to represent emission from multiphase gas, as well as a bias arising from cluster emission within the projected $r_{500c}$ along the line of sight but outside of the spherical $r_{500c}$. We find that the biases on temperature and luminosity due to the projection of emission from other clusters within $r_{500c}$ is small. We find that our simulated clusters follow a $L_{\rm X}-T$ scaling relation that has a broadly consistent but slightly shallower slope compared to the literature, and that the intrinsic scatter of $L_{\rm X}$ at given T is lower compared to the recent observational results where the selection effects are fully considered. △ Less

Submitted 11 May, 2023; v1 submitted 21 December, 2022; originally announced December 2022.

Comments: 18 pages, 17 figures, accepted by A&A

Journal ref: A&A 675, A150 (2023)

Offset between X-ray and optical centers in clusters of galaxies: connecting eROSITA data and simulations

Authors: R. Seppi, J. Comparat, K. Nandra, K. Dolag, V. Biffi, E. Bulbul, A. Liu, V. Ghirardini, J. Ider-Chitham

Abstract: The characterization of the dynamical state of clusters is key to study their evolution, their selection, and use them as a cosmological probe. The offsets between different definitions of the center have been used to estimate the cluster disturbance. Our goal is to study the distribution of the offset between the X-ray and optical centers in clusters of galaxies. We study the offset for eROSITA c… ▽ More The characterization of the dynamical state of clusters is key to study their evolution, their selection, and use them as a cosmological probe. The offsets between different definitions of the center have been used to estimate the cluster disturbance. Our goal is to study the distribution of the offset between the X-ray and optical centers in clusters of galaxies. We study the offset for eROSITA clusters. We aim to connect observations to hydrodynamical simulations and N-body models. We assess the astrophysical effects affecting the displacements. We measure the offset for clusters observed in eFEDS and eRASS1. We focus on a subsample of 87 massive eFEDS clusters at low redshift. We link the observations to the offset parameter Xoff measured on dark matter halos in N-body simulations, using the hydrodynamical simulations as a bridge. eFEDS clusters show a smaller offset compared to eRASS1, because the latter contains a larger fraction of massive and disturbed structures. We measure an average offset of 76.3+30.1-27.1 kpc on the subsample of 87 eFEDS clusters. This is in agreement with the predictions from TNG and Magneticum, and the distribution of Xoff from DMO simulations. The tails of the distributions are different. Using the offset to classify relaxed and disturbed clusters, we measure a relaxed fraction of 31% in the eFEDS subsample. Finally, we find a correlation between the offset in hydrodynamical simulations and Xoff measured on their parent DMO run and calibrate a relation between them. There is good agreement between eROSITA data and simulations. Baryons cause a decrement (increment) in the low (high) offset regime compared to the Xoff distribution. The offset-Xoff relation provides an accurate prediction of the true Xoff distribution in Magneticum and TNG. It allows introducing the offsets in cosmology, marginalizing on dynamical selection effects. △ Less

Submitted 20 December, 2022; originally announced December 2022.

Comments: Accepted for publication on A&A

Journal ref: A&A 671, A57 (2023)

X-ray analysis of JWST's first galaxy cluster lens SMACS J0723.3-7327

Authors: A. Liu, E. Bulbul, M. E. Ramos-Ceja, J. S. Sanders, V. Ghirardini, Y. E. Bahar, M. Yeung, E. Gatuzz, M. Freyberg, C. Garrel, X. Zhang, A. Merloni, K. Nandra

Abstract: SMACS~J0723.3-7327 is the first galaxy cluster lens observed by JWST. Based on the ERO data from JWST, several groups have reported the results on strong lensing analysis and mass distribution of this cluster. However, limited by the angular coverage of the JWST data, the strong lensing models only cover the central region. X-ray analysis on the hot ICM is necessary to obtain a more complete const… ▽ More SMACS~J0723.3-7327 is the first galaxy cluster lens observed by JWST. Based on the ERO data from JWST, several groups have reported the results on strong lensing analysis and mass distribution of this cluster. However, limited by the angular coverage of the JWST data, the strong lensing models only cover the central region. X-ray analysis on the hot ICM is necessary to obtain a more complete constraint on the mass distribution in this very massive cluster. In this work, we aim to perform a comprehensive X-ray analysis of J0723 to obtain accurate ICM hydrostatic mass measurements, using the X-ray data from SRG/eROSITA and Chandra X-ray observatories. By comparing the hydrostatic mass profile with the strong lensing model, we aim to provide the most reliable constraint on the distribution of mass up to R500. Thanks to the eROSITA all-sky survey and Chandra data, which provide high S/N and high angular resolution respectively, we are able to constrain the ICM gas density profile and temperature profile with good accuracy both in the core and to the outskirts. With the density and temperature profiles, we compute the hydrostatic mass profile, which is then projected along the line of sight to compare with the mass distribution obtained from the recent strong lensing analysis based on JWST data. We also deproject the strong lensing mass distribution using the hydrostatic mass profile we obtained in this work. The X-ray results obtained from eROSITA and Chandra agree very well with each other. The hydrostatic mass profiles we measured in this work, both projected and deprojected, are in good agreement with recent strong lensing results based on JWST data, at all radii. We also find that the radial acceleration relation in J0723 is inconsistent with the RAR for spiral galaxies, implying that the latter is not a universal property of gravity across all mass scales. △ Less

Submitted 28 November, 2022; v1 submitted 2 October, 2022; originally announced October 2022.

Comments: Accepted for publication in A&A

Journal ref: A&A 670, A96 (2023)

Detecting clusters of galaxies and active galactic nuclei in an eROSITA all-sky survey digital twin

Authors: R. Seppi, J. Comparat, E. Bulbul, K. Nandra, A. Merloni, N. Clerc, T. Liu, V. Ghirardini, A. Liu, M. Salvato, J. S. Sanders, J. Wilms, T. Dwelly, T. Dauser, O. Konig, M. E. Ramos-Ceja, C. Garrel, T. H. Reiprich

Abstract: The extended ROentgen Survey with an Imaging Telescope Array (eROSITA) onboard the Spectrum-Roentgen-Gamma (SRG) observatory is revolutionizing X-ray astronomy. It provides large samples of active galactic nuclei (AGN) and clusters of galaxies, with the potential of studying X-ray sources and measuring cosmological parameters using X-ray-selected samples with higher precision than ever before. We… ▽ More The extended ROentgen Survey with an Imaging Telescope Array (eROSITA) onboard the Spectrum-Roentgen-Gamma (SRG) observatory is revolutionizing X-ray astronomy. It provides large samples of active galactic nuclei (AGN) and clusters of galaxies, with the potential of studying X-ray sources and measuring cosmological parameters using X-ray-selected samples with higher precision than ever before. We aim to study the detection, and the selection of AGN and clusters in the first eROSITA all-sky survey (eRASS1), and to characterize the properties of the source catalog. We produced a half-sky eRASS1 simulation, by combining models that truthfully represent the clusters and AGN. In total, we simulated 1 116 758 clusters and 225 583 320 AGN. We ran the standard eROSITA detection algorithm. We matched the input and source catalogs with a photon-based algorithm. We perfectly recovered the bright sources. We detected half of the AGN brighter than 2e-14 erg/s/cm2 as point sources and half of the clusters brighter than 3e-13 erg/s/cm2 as extended in the 0.5-2.0 keV band. We quantified the detection performance in terms of completeness, false detection rate, and contamination. We studied the source catalog according to multiple cuts of detection and extension likelihood. We find that the detection of clusters is mainly driven by flux and exposure. It depends on secondary effects, such as the size of the clusters and their dynamical state. The cool core bias mostly affects faint clusters classified as point sources, while its impact on the extent-selected sample is small. The measured X-ray luminosity of the detected clusters is compatible with the simulated values. We discuss how to best build samples of galaxy clusters for cosmological purposes, accounting for the nonuniform depth of eROSITA. This simulation provides a digital twin of the real eRASS1. △ Less

Submitted 19 July, 2022; originally announced July 2022.

Comments: 33 pages, 23 figures, accepted for publication in A&A

Journal ref: A&A 665, A78 (2022)

The eROSITA Final Equatorial-Depth Survey (eFEDS): X-ray properties of Subaru optically-selected clusters

Authors: N. Ota, N. T. Nguyen-Dang, I. Mitsuishi, M. Oguri, M. Klein, N. Okabe, M. E. Ramos-Ceja, T. H. Reiprich, F. Pacaud, E. Bulbul, M. Brüggen, A. Liu, K. Migkas, I. Chiu, V. Ghirardini, S. Grandis, Y. -T. Lin, H. Miyatake, S. Miyazaki, J. S. Sanders

Abstract: We present the results of a systematic X-ray analysis of optically rich galaxy clusters detected by the Subaru HSC survey in the eROSITA eFEDS field. Through a joint analysis of SRG/eROSITA and Subaru/HSC surveys, we aim to study the dynamical status of the optically selected clusters and derive the cluster scaling relations. The sample consists of 43 optically selected galaxy clusters with a rich… ▽ More We present the results of a systematic X-ray analysis of optically rich galaxy clusters detected by the Subaru HSC survey in the eROSITA eFEDS field. Through a joint analysis of SRG/eROSITA and Subaru/HSC surveys, we aim to study the dynamical status of the optically selected clusters and derive the cluster scaling relations. The sample consists of 43 optically selected galaxy clusters with a richness $>40$ in $0.16<z<0.89$. We systematically analyzed the X-ray images and spectra using the eROSITA data. We identified the BCG using the optical and far-infrared databases. We evaluated the cluster's dynamical status by measuring the offset between the X-ray peak and BCG position, the gas concentration, and the number of galaxy-density peaks. We studied the luminosity-temperature and mass-luminosity relations based on eROSITA X-ray spectra and HSC weak-lensing data analyses. Based on the these measurements, the fraction of relaxed clusters is $2(<39)$%, which is smaller than that of the X-ray-selected cluster samples. After correcting for a selection bias due to the richness cut, we obtained a shallow $L-T$ slope of $2.1\pm0.5$, which is consistent with the predictions of the self-similar model and the baseline model incorporating a mass-concentration relation. The $L-M$ slope of $1.5\pm0.3$ agrees with the above theoretical models and that of the shear-selected clusters in the eFEDs field. Our analysis of high-richness optical clusters yields a small fraction of relaxed clusters and a shallow slope for the luminosity-temperature relation. This suggests that the average X-ray properties of the optical clusters are likely to be different from those observed in the X-ray samples. Thus, the joint eROSITA and HSC observations are a powerful tool in extending the analysis to a larger sample and understanding the selection effect with a view to establish cluster scaling relations. △ Less

Submitted 25 November, 2022; v1 submitted 19 June, 2022; originally announced June 2022.

Comments: 12 pages, 4 figures, A&A accepted, minor correction

Journal ref: A&A 669, A110 (2023)

The eROSITA Final Equatorial-Depth Survey (eFEDS): Galaxy Clusters and Groups in Disguise

Authors: Esra Bulbul, Ang Liu, Thomas Pasini, Johan Comparat, Duy Hoang, Matthias Klein, Vittorio Ghirardini, Mara Salvato, Andrea Merloni, Riccardo Seppi, Julien Wolf, Scott F. Anderson, Y. Emre Bahar, Marcella Brusa, Marcus Brueggen, Johannes Buchner, Tom Dwelly, Hector Ibarra-Medel, Jacob Ider Chitham, Teng Liu, Kirpal Nandra, Miriam E. Ramos-Ceja, Jeremy S. Sanders, Yue Shen

Abstract: The eROSITA Final Equatorial-Depth Survey (eFEDS), executed during the performance verification phase of the Spectrum-Roentgen-Gamma (SRG)/eROSITA telescope, was completed in Nov. 2019. One of the science goals of this survey is to demonstrate the ability of eROSITA to detect samples of clusters and groups at the final depth of the eROSITA all-sky survey. Because of the sizeable point-spread funct… ▽ More The eROSITA Final Equatorial-Depth Survey (eFEDS), executed during the performance verification phase of the Spectrum-Roentgen-Gamma (SRG)/eROSITA telescope, was completed in Nov. 2019. One of the science goals of this survey is to demonstrate the ability of eROSITA to detect samples of clusters and groups at the final depth of the eROSITA all-sky survey. Because of the sizeable point-spread function of eROSITA, high-redshift clusters of galaxies or compact nearby groups hosting bright active galactic nuclei (AGN) can be misclassified as point sources by the source detection algorithms. A total of 346 galaxy clusters and groups in the redshift range of 0.1<z<1.3 were identified based on their red sequence in the point source catalog. We examine the multiwavelength properties of these clusters and groups to understand the potential biases in our selection process and the completeness of the extent-selected sample. The majority of the clusters and groups in the point source sample are indeed underluminous and compact compared to the extent-selected sample. Their faint X-ray emission, well below the flux limit of the extent-selected eFEDS clusters, and their compact X-ray emission are likely to be the main reason for this misclassification. In the sample, we confirm that 10% of the sources host AGN in their brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) through optical spectroscopy and visual inspection. By studying their X-ray, optical, infrared, and radio properties, we establish a method for identifying clusters and groups that host AGN in their BCGs. We successfully test this method on the current point source catalog through the Sloan Digital Sky Survey optical spectroscopy and find eight clusters and groups with active radio-loud AGN that are particularly bright in the infrared. They include eFEDSJ091437.8+024558, eFEDSJ083520.1+012516, and eFEDSJ092227.1+043339 at redshifts 0.3-0.4. [ABRIDGED] △ Less

Submitted 9 March, 2022; v1 submitted 18 October, 2021; originally announced October 2021.

Comments: 31 pages, 13 figures, 3 tables. Accepted for publication in A&A for the Special Issue: The Early Data Release of eROSITA and Mikhail Pavlinsky ART-XC on the SRG Mission

Journal ref: A&A 661, A10 (2022)

The eROSITA Final Equatorial-Depth Survey (eFEDS): X-ray Properties and Scaling Relations of Galaxy Clusters and Groups

Authors: Y. Emre Bahar, Esra Bulbul, Nicolas Clerc, Vittorio Ghirardini, Ang Liu, Kirpal Nandra, Florian Pacaud, I-Non Chiu, Johan Comparat, Jacob Ider-Chitham, Mathias Klein, Teng Liu, Andrea Merloni, Konstantinos Migkas, Nobuhiro Okabe, Miriam E. Ramos-Ceja, Thomas H. Reiprich, Jeremy S. Sanders, Tim Schrabback

Abstract: We investigate the scaling relations between X-ray observables of the clusters detected in the eFEDS field using Spectrum-Roentgen-Gamma/eROSITA observations taking into account the selection effects and the distributions of observables with cosmic time. We extract X-ray observables (Lx, Lbol, T, Mgas, Yx) within R500 for the sample of 542 clusters in the eFEDS field. By applying detection and ext… ▽ More We investigate the scaling relations between X-ray observables of the clusters detected in the eFEDS field using Spectrum-Roentgen-Gamma/eROSITA observations taking into account the selection effects and the distributions of observables with cosmic time. We extract X-ray observables (Lx, Lbol, T, Mgas, Yx) within R500 for the sample of 542 clusters in the eFEDS field. By applying detection and extent likelihoods, we construct a subsample of 265 clusters with a contamination level of <10% (including AGNs and spurious fluctuations) to be utilized in the scaling relation analysis. The selection function based on the state-of-the-art simulations of the eROSITA sky is fully accounted for in our work. We provide the X-ray observables in the core-included <R500 and core-excised 0.15*R500-R500 apertures for 542 galaxy clusters and groups detected in the eFEDS field. Additionally, we present our best-fit results for the normalization, slope, redshift evolution and intrinsic scatter parameters of the X-ray scaling relations between Lx-T, Lx-Mgas, Lx-Yx, Lbol-T, Lbol-Mgas, Lbol-Yx and Mgas-T. We find that the best-fit slopes significantly deviate from the self-similar model at a >3sigma confidence level however, our results are in good agreement with the simulations including non-gravitational physics and the recent results that take into account selection effects. Strong deviations we find from the self-similar scenario indicate that the non-gravitational effects play an important role in shaping the observed physical state of clusters. This work extends the scaling relations to low mass, low luminosity galaxy cluster and group regime using eFEDS observations, demonstrating eROSITA's ability to measure ICM emission out to R500 with survey-depth exposures and constrain the scaling relations in a wide mass-luminosity-redshift range. △ Less

Submitted 24 May, 2022; v1 submitted 18 October, 2021; originally announced October 2021.

Comments: 35 pages, 7 figures, 5 tables, Submitted to A&A for the Special Issue: The Early Data Release of eROSITA and Mikhail Pavlinsky ART-XC on the SRG Mission

Journal ref: A&A 661, A7 (2022)

The eROSITA Final Equatorial-Depth Survey (eFEDS): A complete census of X-ray properties of Subaru Hyper Suprime-Cam weak lensing shear-selected clusters in the eFEDS footprint

Authors: Miriam E. Ramos-Ceja, M. Oguri, S. Miyazaki, V. Ghirardini, I. Chiu, N. Okabe, A. Liu, T. Schrabback, D. Akino, Y. E. Bahar, E. Bulbul, N. Clerc, J. Comparat, S. Grandis, M. Klein, Y. -T. Lin, A. Merloni, I. Mitsuishi, H. Miyatake, S. More, K. Nandra, A. J. Nishizawa, N. Ota, F. Pacaud, T. H. Reiprich , et al. (1 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: The eFEDS survey is a proof-of-concept mini-survey designed to demonstrate the survey science capabilities of SRG/eROSITA. It covers an area of 140 square degrees where 542 galaxy clusters have been detected out to a redshift of 1.3. The eFEDS field is partly embedded in the Hyper Suprime-Cam Subaru Strategic Program (HSC-SSP) S19A data release, which covers 510 square degrees, containing approxim… ▽ More The eFEDS survey is a proof-of-concept mini-survey designed to demonstrate the survey science capabilities of SRG/eROSITA. It covers an area of 140 square degrees where 542 galaxy clusters have been detected out to a redshift of 1.3. The eFEDS field is partly embedded in the Hyper Suprime-Cam Subaru Strategic Program (HSC-SSP) S19A data release, which covers 510 square degrees, containing approximately 36 million galaxies. This galaxy catalogue is used to construct a sample of 180 shear-selected galaxy clusters. In the common area to both surveys, about 90 square degrees, we investigate the effects of selection methods in the galaxy cluster detection by comparing the X-ray selected, eFEDS, and the shear-selected, HSC-SSP S19A, galaxy cluster samples. There are 25 shear-selected clusters in the eFEDS footprint. The relation between X-ray bolometric luminosity and weak-lensing mass is investigated, and it is found that the normalization of the bolometric luminosity and mass relation of the X-ray selected and shear-selected samples is consistent within $1σ$. Moreover, we found that the dynamical state and merger fraction of the shear-selected clusters is not different from the X-ray selected ones. Four shear-selected clusters are undetected in X-rays. A close inspection reveals that one is the result of projection effects, while the other three have an X-ray flux below the ultimate eROSITA detection limit. Finally, 43% of the shear-selected clusters lie in superclusters. Our results indicate that the scaling relation between X-ray bolometric luminosity and true cluster mass of the shear-selected cluster sample is consistent with the eFEDS sample. There is no significant population of X-ray underluminous clusters, indicating that X-ray selected cluster samples are complete and can be used as an accurate cosmological probe. △ Less

Submitted 12 January, 2022; v1 submitted 16 September, 2021; originally announced September 2021.

Comments: A&A accepted for the Special Issue: The Early Data Release of eROSITA and Mikhail Pavlinsky ART-XC on the SRG Mission

Journal ref: A&A 661, A14 (2022)

The eROSITA Final Equatorial-Depth Survey (eFEDS): X-ray Observable-to-Mass-and-Redshift Relations of Galaxy Clusters and Groups with Weak-Lensing Mass Calibration from the Hyper Suprime-Cam Subaru Strategic Program Survey

Authors: I-Non Chiu, Vittorio Ghirardini, Ang Liu, Sebastian Grandis, Esra Bulbul, Y. Emre Bahar, Johan Comparat, Sebastian Bocquet, Nicolas Clerc, Matthias Klein, Teng Liu, Xiangchong Li, Hironao Miyatake, Joseph Mohr, Masamune Oguri, Nobuhiro Okabe, Florian Pacaud, Miriam E. Ramos-Ceja, Thomas H. Reiprich, Tim Schrabback, Keiichi Umetsu

Abstract: We present the first weak-lensing mass calibration and X-ray scaling relations of galaxy clusters and groups selected in the $eROSITA$ Final Equatorial Depth Survey (eFEDS) observed by Spectrum Roentgen Gamma/$eROSITA$ over a contiguous footprint with an area of $\approx140$ deg$^2$, using the three-year (S19A) weak-lensing data from the Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) Subaru Strategic Program survey. In… ▽ More We present the first weak-lensing mass calibration and X-ray scaling relations of galaxy clusters and groups selected in the $eROSITA$ Final Equatorial Depth Survey (eFEDS) observed by Spectrum Roentgen Gamma/$eROSITA$ over a contiguous footprint with an area of $\approx140$ deg$^2$, using the three-year (S19A) weak-lensing data from the Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) Subaru Strategic Program survey. In this work, a sample of $434$ optically confirmed galaxy clusters (and groups) at redshift $0.01\lesssim z \lesssim1.3$ with a median of $0.35$ is studied, of which $313$ systems are uniformly covered by the HSC survey to enable the extraction of the weak-lensing shear observable. In a Bayesian population modelling, we perform a blind analysis for the weak-lensing mass calibration by simultaneously modelling the observed count rate $η$ and the shear profile $g$ of individual clusters through the count rate-to-mass-and-redshift ($η$--$M_{500}$--$z$) and weak-lensing mass-to-mass-and-redshift ($M_{\mathrm{WL}}$--$M_{500}$--$z$) relations, respectively, while accounting for the bias in these observables using simulation-based calibrations. As a result, the count rate-inferred and lensing-calibrated cluster mass is obtained from the joint modelling of the scaling relations, as the ensemble mass spanning a range of $10^{13}h^{-1}M_{\odot}\lesssim M_{500}\lesssim10^{15} h^{-1}M_{\odot}$ with a median of $\approx10^{14} h^{-1}M_{\odot}$ for the eFEDS sample. With the mass calibration, we further model the X-ray observable-to-mass-and-redshift relations, including the rest-frame soft-band and bolometric luminosity ($L_{\mathrm{X}}$ and $L_{\mathrm{b}}$), the emission-weighted temperature $T_{\mathrm{X}}$, the mass of intra-cluster medium $M_{\mathrm{g}}$, and the mass proxy $Y_{\mathrm{X}}$, which is the product of $T_{\mathrm{X}}$ and $M_{\mathrm{g}}$. (abridged) △ Less

Submitted 21 September, 2021; v1 submitted 12 July, 2021; originally announced July 2021.

Comments: Accepted for publication in A&A. Submitted to A&A for the Special Issue: The Early Data Release of eROSITA and Mikhail Pavlinsky ART-XC on the SRG Mission

Journal ref: A&A 661, A11 (2022)