Confirmation of self-similar evolution in the x-ray luminosity-temperature scaling relation of clusters of galaxies

This thesis introduces XMM Cluster Survey (XCS), and presents the initial scientific application of its first data release (DRI): the measurement of the X-ray luminosity temperature scaling relations of clusters of galaxies. XCS is a major in ternational collaboration: it aims to generate a serendipitous galaxy cluster survey spanning over all public XMM-Newton Observatory pointings, to provide new cosmological constraints that are independent of other techniques. As part of the work covered in the thesis; the author provides the pipeline development and implementation, data retrieval, reduction and management of the XCS-DRI, generating science quality X-ray imaging products for source detection, as well as further spectral and spatial analysis applied to a subsample of 21 clusters homogenously selected from XCS-DRI to investigate the luminosity temperature relation. The latter is carried out using solely the discovery data, indicating for the sample a temperature range of 2. < or = kT < or = 6. at moderate redshifts ( 0.1 < or = z < or = 0.64 ). A thorough examination of how the fitting methodology impacts the scaling relation estimates is performed. The results can be summarized as follows: while the best-fit slope of this scaling relation is significantly different from the simple self-similar scaling expectation for all of the considered scaling relations and applicable regression estimator methods; it agrees with the local relation of Arnaud & Evrard (1999) and the other recent observational results. On the other hand, the analysis of the same sample confirms that clusters evolve in a self-similar fashion at sample redshift range compared to the local cluster sample, favoring the late-formation approximation, reinforcing similar claims made in the higher redshift range samples (e.g., Maughan et al. 2006). Intrinsic scatter measured in the relation is higher than has been reported from earlier studies: while agreeing with the latest cosmological simulation of X-ray cluster scaling (CLEF, Kay et al, 2007).