Correlation Length of X-Ray-Brightest Abell Clusters

ABADI, MARIO G.; LAMBAS, DIEGO G.; MURIEL, HERNÁN

ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL

IOP PUBLISHING LTD

Lugar: Londres; Año: 1998 vol. 507 p. 526 - 529

0004-637X

We compute the cluster autocorrelation function xi_cc(r) of an X-ray flux-limited sample of Abell clusters (XBACs). For the total XBACs sample we find a power-law fit xi_cc = (r/r_0)^gamma with r_0 = 21.1 Mpc h^-1 and gamma = -1.9, consistent with the results of R >= 1 Abell clusters. We also analyze xi_cc(r) for subsamples defined by different X-ray luminosity thresholds where we find a weak tendency of larger values of r_0 with increasing X-ray luminosity, although with a low statistical significance. In the different subsamples analyzed we find 21 Mpc h^-1 < r_0 < 35 Mpc h^-1 and -1.9 < gamma < -1.6. Our analysis suggests that cluster X-ray luminosities may be used for a reliable confrontation of cluster spatial distribution properties in models and observations.