The 2XMMi/SDSS Galaxy Cluster Survey. II. The optically confirmed cluster sample and the LX - T relation

Aims: We compile a sample of X-ray-selected galaxy groups and clusters from the XMM-Newton serendipitous source catalogue (2XMMi-DR3) with optical confirmation and redshift measurement from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). We present an analysis of the X-ray properties of this new sample with particular emphasis on the X-ray luminosity-temperature (L_X - T) relation.
Methods: The X-ray cluster candidates were selected from the 2XMMi-DR3 catalogue in the footprint of the SDSS-DR7. We developed a finding algorithm to search for overdensities of galaxies at the positions of the X-ray cluster candidates in the photometric redshift space and to measure the redshifts of the clusters from the SDSS data. For optically confirmed clusters with good quality X-ray data we derived the X-ray flux, luminosity, and temperature from proper spectral fits, while the X-ray flux for clusters with low-quality X-ray data was obtained from the 2XMMi-DR3 catalogue.
Results: The detection algorithm provides the photometric redshift of 530 galaxy clusters. Of these, 310 clusters have a spectroscopic redshift for at least one member galaxy. About 75 percent of the optically confirmed cluster sample are newly discovered X-ray clusters. Moreover, 301 systems are known as optically selected clusters in the literature while the remainder are new discoveries in X-ray and optical bands. The optically confirmed cluster sample spans a wide redshift range 0.03-0.70 (median z = 0.32). In this paper, we present the catalogue of X-ray-selected galaxy groups and clusters from the 2XMMi/SDSS galaxy cluster survey. The catalogue has two subsamples: (i) a cluster sample comprising 345 objects with their X-ray spectroscopic temperature and flux from the spectral fitting; and (ii) a cluster sample consisting of 185 systems with their X-ray flux from the 2XMMi-DR3 catalogue, because their X-ray data are insufficient for spectral fitting. For each cluster, the catalogue also provides the X-ray bolometric luminosity and the cluster mass at R₅₀₀ based on scaling relations and the position of the likely brightest cluster galaxy (BCG). The updated L_X - T relation of the current sample with X-ray spectroscopic parameters is presented. We found the slope of the L_X - T relation to be consistent with published ones. We see no evidence for evolution in the slope and intrinsic scatter of the L_X - T relation with redshift when excluding the low-luminosity groups.

Full Tables 1 and 2 are only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (ftp://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/558/A75