On the Evolution of the Temperature–Viral Mass Relation for Clusters of Galaxies

X-ray temperature measurements of clusters of galaxies are now reaching to redshifts high enough to constrain Ω0. A redshift-dependent relation that maps these X-ray temperatures to the virial masses of clusters is an essential ingredient when one is trying to determine cosmological parameters from cluster evolution. Most such relations assume that clusters form from top-hat perturbations that virialized just before the time we are observing them. The smaller Ω0 is, the less accurate these relations become. Here we derive a relation between virial mass and cluster temperature that allows for the fact that clusters form gradually and cease forming when the density of the universe drops well below the critical value. We show how sensitively the expected redshift distribution of clusters depends on the mass-temperature relation used and argue that one needs to use a relation that yields no evolution in the low-Ω0 limit. Subject headings: cosmology: observations — galaxies: clusters: general — X-rays: galaxies