Radial Temperature Profiles of 11 Clusters of Galaxies Observed With BeppoSAX

Abstract

We have derived azimuthally-averaged radial temperature profiles of the X-ray gas contained within 11 clusters of galaxies with redshift z=0.03-0.2 with BeppoSAX. Each of the 11 clusters have had their radial temperature profiles previously determined with ASCA. We find that the temperature profiles of these clusters are generally flat or increase slightly out to ~30% of the virial radius, and that a decline in temperature of 14% out to 30% of the virial radius is ruled out at the 99% confidence level. This is in accordance with a previous ROSAT PSPC study and an ASCA study by White (1999), but in disagreement with an ASCA study by Markevitch et al. (1998) that found on average that cluster temperature profiles decreased significantly with radius.