Mass Models and Sunyaev‐Zeldovich Effect Predictions for a Flux‐Limited Sample of 22 Nearby X‐Ray Clusters

We define a 90% complete, volume-limited sample of 31 z<0.1 x-ray clustersand present a systematic analysis of public ROSAT PSPC data on 22 of theseobjects. Our efforts are undertaken in support of the Penn/OVRO SZE survey, andto this end we present predictions for the inverse Compton optical depthtowards all 22 of these clusters. We have performed detailed Monte Carlosimulations to understand the effects of the cluster profile uncertainties onthe SZE predictions given the OVRO 5.5-meter telescope beam and switchingpatterns; we find that the profile uncertainties are one of the leastsignificant components of our error budget for SZE-based distance measurements.We also present baryonic masses and baryon mass fractions derived under theassumption of hydrostatic equilibrium for these 22 clusters. The mean baryonicmass fraction within R_500 \sim 500 h^-1 kpc is (7.02 \pm 0.28) x 10^-2 h^-3/2,or (19.8 \pm 0.8) x 10^-2 for h=0.5. We confirm the Allen et al. (1993) claimof an excess absorbing column density towards Abell 478, but do not findsimilar anomalies in the other 21 clusters in our sample. We also find someevidence for an excess of soft counts in the ROSAT PSPC data. A measurement of H_o using these models and OVRO SZE determinations will bepresented in a second paper.Comment: 51 pages, 6 figures included in text. Added comparison of different cosmologies; accepted for publication in Ap