Large Scatter in X-Ray Emission among Elliptical Galaxies: Correlations with Mass of Host Halo

Abstract

Optically similar elliptical galaxies have an enormous range of X-ray luminosities. We show that this range can be attributed to large variations in the dark halo mass Mvir determined from X-ray observations. The K-band luminosity of ellipticals varies with virial mass, LK~M0.75+/-0.22vir, but with considerable scatter, probably due to the stochastic incidence of massive satellite galaxies that merge by dynamical friction to form group-centered ellipticals. Both the observed X-ray luminosity LX~M2.4vir and LX/LK~M1.6vir are sufficiently sensitive to the virial mass to explain the wide variation observed in LX among galaxies of similar LK. The central galaxy supernova energy per particle of diffuse gas increases dramatically with decreasing virial mass, and elliptical galaxies with the lowest X-ray luminosities (and Mvir) are easily explained by supernova-driven outflows.