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Creators/Authors contains: "Castignani, G"

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  1. Galaxy evolution depends on the environment in which galaxies are located. The various physical processes (ram-pressure stripping, tidal interactions, etc.) that are able to affect the gas content in galaxies have different efficiencies in different environments. In this work, we examine the gas (atomic HI and molecular H2) content of local galaxies inside and outside clusters, groups, and filaments as well as in isolation using a combination of observational and simulated data. We exploited a catalogue of galaxies in the Virgo cluster (including the surrounding filaments and groups) and compared the data against the predictions of the Galaxy Evolution and Assembly (GAEA) semi-analytic model, which has explicit prescriptions for partitioning the cold gas content in its atomic and molecular phases. We extracted from the model both a mock catalogue that mimics the observational biases and one not tailored to observations in order to study the impact of observational limits on the results and predict trends in regimes not covered by the current observations. The observations and simulated data show that galaxies within filaments exhibit intermediate cold gas content between galaxies in clusters and in isolation. The amount of HI is typically more sensitive to the environment than H2and low-mass galaxies (log10[M/M]< 10) are typically more affected than their massive (log10[M/M]> 10) counterparts. Considering only model data, we identified two distinct populations among filament galaxies present in similar proportions: those simultaneously lying in groups and isolated galaxies. The former has properties more similar to cluster and group galaxies, and the latter is more similar to those of field galaxies. We therefore did not detect the strong effects of filaments themselves on the gas content of galaxies, and we ascribe the results to the presence of groups in filaments. 
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  2. It is now well established that galaxies have different morphologies, gas contents, and star formation rates (SFR) in dense environments like galaxy clusters. The impact of environmental density extends to several virial radii, and galaxies appear to be pre-processed in filaments and groups before falling into the cluster. Our goal is to quantify this pre-processing in terms of gas content and SFR, as a function of density in cosmic filaments. We have observed the two first CO transitions in 163 galaxies with the IRAM-30 m telescope, and added 82 more measurements from the literature, thus forming a sample of 245 galaxies in the filaments around the Virgo cluster. We gathered HI-21cm measurements from the literature and observed 69 galaxies with the Nançay telescope to complete our sample. We compare our filament galaxies with comparable samples from the Virgo cluster and with the isolated galaxies of the AMIGA sample. We find a clear progression from field galaxies to filament and cluster galaxies for decreasing SFR, increasing fraction of galaxies in the quenching phase, an increasing proportion of early-type galaxies, and decreasing gas content. Galaxies in the quenching phase, defined as having a SFR below one-third of that of the main sequence (MS), are only between 0% and 20% in the isolated sample, according to local galaxy density, while they are 20%–60% in the filaments and 30%–80% in the Virgo cluster. Processes that lead to star formation quenching are already at play in filaments; they depend mostly on the local galaxy density, while the distance to the filament spine is a secondary parameter. While the HI-to-stellar-mass ratio decreases with local density by an order of magnitude in the filaments, and two orders of magnitude in the Virgo cluster with respect to the field, the decrease is much less for the H 2 -to-stellar-mass ratio. As the environmental density increases, the gas depletion time decreases, because the gas content decreases faster than the SFR. This suggests that gas depletion precedes star formation quenching. 
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  3. Abstract 3C 186, a radio-loud quasar at z = 1.0685, was previously reported to have both velocity and spatial offsets from its host galaxy, and has been considered as a promising candidate for a gravitational wave recoiling black hole triggered by a black hole merger. Another possible scenario is that 3C 186 is in an ongoing galaxy merger, exhibiting a temporary displacement. In this study, we present analyses of new deep images from the Hubble Space Telescope WFC3-IR and Advanced Camera for Surveys, aiming to characterize the host galaxy and test this alternative scenario. We carefully measure the light-weighted center of the host and reveal a significant spatial offset from the quasar core (11.1 ± 0.1 kpc). The direction of the confirmed offset aligns almost perpendicularly to the radio jet. We do not find evidence of a recent merger, such as a young starburst in disturbed outskirts, but only marginal light concentration in F160W at ∼30 kpc. The host consists of mature (≳200 Myr) stellar populations and one compact star-forming region. We compare with hydrodynamical simulations and find that those observed features are consistently seen in late-stage merger remnants. Taken together, those pieces of evidence indicate that the system is not an ongoing/young merger remnant, suggesting that the recoiling black hole scenario is still a plausible explanation for the puzzling nature of 3C 186. 
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  4. This paper presents a search for high redshift galaxies from theEuclidEarly Release Observations program ‘Magnifying Lens.’ The 1.5 deg2area covered by the twin Abell lensing cluster fields is comparable in size to the few other deep near-infrared surveys such as COSMOS, and so provides an opportunity to significantly increase known samples of rare UV-bright galaxies atz≈ 6–8 (MUV≲ −22). Beyond their still uncertain role in reionisation, these UV-bright galaxies are ideal laboratories from which to study galaxy formation and constrain the bright-end of the UV luminosity function. Of the 501 994 sources detected from a combinedYE,JE, andHENISP detection image, 168 do not have any appreciable VIS/IEflux. These objects span a range in spectral colours, separated into two classes: 139 extremely red sources; and 29 Lyman-break galaxy candidates. Best-fit redshifts and spectral templates suggest the former is composed of bothz≳ 5 dusty star-forming galaxies andz≈ 1–3 quiescent systems. The latter is composed of more homogeneous Lyman-break galaxies atz≈ 6–8. In both cases, contamination by L- and T-type dwarfs cannot be ruled out withEuclidimages alone. Additional contamination from instrumental persistence is investigated using a novel time series analysis. This work lays the foundation for future searches within the Euclid Deep Fields, where thousands morez≳ 6 Lyman-break systems and extremely red sources will be identified. 
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  5. We report the discovery of a complete Einstein ring around the elliptical galaxy NGC 6505, atz = 0.042. This is the first strong gravitational lens discovered inEuclidand the first in an NGC object from any survey. The combination of the low redshift of the lens galaxy, the brightness of the source galaxy (IE = 18.1 lensed,IE = 21.3 unlensed), and the completeness of the ring make this an exceptionally rare strong lens, unidentified until its observation byEuclid. We present deep imaging data of the lens from theEuclidVisible Camera (VIS) and Near-Infrared Spectrometer and Photometer (NISP) instruments, as well as resolved spectroscopy from theKeckCosmic Web Imager (KCWI). TheEuclidimaging in particular presents one of the highest signal-to-noise ratio optical/near-infrared observations of a strong gravitational lens to date. From the KCWI data we measure a source redshift ofz = 0.406. Using data from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) we measure a velocity dispersion for the lens galaxy ofσ = 303 ± 15 km s−1. We model the lens galaxy light in detail, revealing angular structure that varies inside the Einstein ring. After subtracting this light model from the VIS observation, we model the strongly lensed images, finding an Einstein radius of 2.″5, corresponding to 2.1 kpc at the redshift of the lens. This is small compared to the effective radius of the galaxy,Reff ∼ 12.″3. Combining the strong lensing measurements with analysis of the spectroscopic data we estimate a dark matter fraction inside the Einstein radius offDM = (11.1−3.5+5.4)% and a stellar initial mass-function (IMF) mismatch parameter ofαIMF = 1.26−0.08+0.05, indicating a heavier-than-Chabrier IMF in the centre of the galaxy. 
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  6. The Cosmic Dawn Survey (DAWN survey) provides multiwavelength (UV/optical to mid-IR) data across the combined 59 deg2of the Euclid Deep and Auxiliary fields (EDFs and EAFs). In this work, the first public data release from the DAWN survey is presented. The catalogues made available herein consist of a subset of the full DAWN survey that includes two EDFs: EDF North (EDF-N) and EDF Fornax (EDF-F). Each field has been covered by the ongoing Hawaii Twenty Square Degree Survey (H20), which includes imaging from the CFHT MegaCam in theufilter and from the Subaru Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) in thegrizfilters. Each field has been further covered bySpitzer/IRAC 3.6–4.5µm imaging spanning 10 deg2and reaching ~25 mag AB (5σ). All present H20 imaging and all publicly available imaging from the aforementioned facilities were combined with the deepSpitzer/IRAC data to create source catalogues spanning a total area of 16.87 deg2in EDF-N and 2.85 deg2in EDF-F for this first release. These catalogues are referred to as the ‘pre-launch’ (PL), asEucliddata is not yet public for these fields and therefore it is not included. Photometry was measured from these multiwavelength data usingThe Farmer, a novel and well validated model-based photometry code. Photometric redshifts and stellar masses were computed using two independent codes for modelling spectral energy distributions:EAZYandLePhare. Photometric redshifts show good agreement with spectroscopic redshifts (σNMAD~ 0.5,η <8% ati< 25). Number counts, photometric redshifts and stellar masses were further validated in comparison to the COSMOS2020 catalogue. The DAWN survey PL catalogues are designed to be of immediate use in these two EDFs and will be continuously updated and made available as both new ground-based data and spaced-based data fromEuclidare acquired and made public. Future data releases will provide catalogues of all EDFs and EAFs and includeEucliddata. 
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  7. Euclidwill provide deep near-infrared (NIR) imaging to ∼26.5 AB magnitude over ∼59 deg2in its deep and auxiliary fields. The Cosmic DAWN survey combines dedicated and archival UV–NIR observations to provide matched depth multiwavelength imaging of theEucliddeep and auxiliary fields. The DAWN survey will provide consistently measuredEuclidNIR-selected photometric catalogues, accurate photometric redshifts, and measurements of galaxy properties to a redshift ofz ∼ 10. The DAWN catalogues includeSpitzerIRAC data that are critical for stellar mass measurements atz ≳ 2.5 and high-zscience. These catalogues complement the standardEuclidcatalogues, which will not includeSpitzerIRAC data. In this paper, we present an overview of the survey, including the footprints of the survey fields, the existing and planned observations, and the primary science goals for the combined data set. 
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  8. The current standard model of cosmology successfully describes a variety of measurements, but the nature of its main ingredients, dark matter and dark energy, remains unknown.Euclidis a medium-class mission in the Cosmic Vision 2015–2025 programme of the European Space Agency (ESA) that will provide high-resolution optical imaging, as well as near-infrared imaging and spectroscopy, over about 14 000 deg2of extragalactic sky. In addition to accurate weak lensing and clustering measurements that probe structure formation over half of the age of the Universe, its primary probes for cosmology, these exquisite data will enable a wide range of science. This paper provides a high-level overview of the mission, summarising the survey characteristics, the various data-processing steps, and data products. We also highlight the main science objectives and expected performance. 
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