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Centro de Astrofísica da Universidade do Porto

XCS: present status and latest results

P. T. P. Viana

Abstract.
The XMM Cluster Survey (XCS) is a serendipitous search for galaxy clusters using all publicly available data in the XMM-Newton Science Archive. Our recent first data release (XCS-DR1) contains 503 optically confirmed groups and clusters, among which 255 new to the literature and 356 new X-ray discoveries. We will provide an update on XCS-DR1 and describe the properties of the systems found so far. Focusing on the 17 fossil groups/clusters identified with the help of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, we will show that brightest galaxies in these systems have stellar populations and star-formation histories which are similar to normal brightest cluster galaxies, but their stellar masses are significantly larger and correspond to a much bigger fraction of the total group/cluster optical luminosity. We will also highlight the 15 clusters expected to be also detected by the Planck satellite, characterize the expected overlap between the final XCS and Planck cluster catalogues, and discuss joint applications of the XCS and Planck data. Finally, we expect to be able to present preliminary constraints on the values of &sgima;8 and Ωm, derived from XCS data, and compare them with our previous forecasts.

XMM-Newton 2012 Science Workshop
Madrid, Spain
May 2012

Type: Oral comunication

Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences

Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences (IA) is a new but long anticipated research infrastructure with a national dimension. It embodies a bold but feasible vision for the development of Astronomy, Astrophysics and Space Sciences in Portugal, taking full advantage and fully realizing the potential created by the national membership of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Southern Observatory (ESO). IA resulted from the merging the two most prominent research units in the field in Portugal: the Centre for Astrophysics of the University of Porto (CAUP) and the Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics of the University of Lisbon (CAAUL). It currently hosts more than two-thirds of all active researchers working in Space Sciences in Portugal, and is responsible for an even greater fraction of the national productivity in international ISI journals in the area of Space Sciences. This is the scientific area with the highest relative impact factor (1.65 times above the international average) and the field with the highest average number of citations per article for Portugal.

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