Euclid: Quick Data Release (Q1) -- Watching ICM-selected galaxy clusters with Euclid eyes -- prospects of Euclid data in the context of large SZ and X-ray based surveys

TL;DR

This paper evaluates Euclid's early data (Q1) for confirming high-redshift galaxy clusters detected via X-ray and SZE, demonstrating promising capabilities and identifying high-redshift galaxy candidates.

Contribution

It adapts the MCMF cluster confirmation tool for Euclid data and assesses its effectiveness in confirming high-redshift clusters, highlighting Euclid's potential in this area.

Findings

Euclid can effectively confirm clusters at 1<z<2, comparable to current optical surveys at lower redshifts.

Q1 data quality limits richness estimates at z<0.4, but future data will improve this.

Identification of the highest-redshift jellyfish galaxy candidate to date at z=1.32.

Abstract

Galaxy clusters detected through their X-ray emission or Sunyaev--Zeldovich effect (SZE), both produced by the intra-cluster medium (ICM), are key probes in cosmological and astrophysical studies. To maximise the scientific return of such surveys, complementary data are required for cluster confirmation and redshift estimation. This is typically provided by wide-field optical and infrared surveys, which are increasingly challenged by ongoing and future ICM-selected samples. In particular, at high redshifts ($z>1$) probed by upcoming SZE-selected samples, current large surveys may be insufficient for reliable confirmation. Deep, high-resolution infrared surveys like Euclid will thus be essential for confirming most high-redshift clusters. We present an analysis of the first sizeable Euclid dataset (Q1), overlapping with several ICM-selected cluster samples. We apply an adaptation of the MCMF cluster confirmation tool to estimate key properties, including redshift and richness, and to predict Euclid's capabilities for high-redshift cluster confirmation. We find promising performance, particularly at high redshifts, while richness estimates at low redshifts ($z<0.4$) are currently limited by Q1 data quality but should improve with future releases. Using MCMF runs on random lines of sight, we predict that Euclid will confirm clusters at $1<z<2$ as effectively as current optical surveys at $z<0.6$, significantly enhancing high-redshift confirmation. SZE-selected samples will thus greatly benefit from Euclid overlap. Among five known high-$z$ SZE clusters in Q1, we identify the highest-redshift jellyfish galaxy candidate to date, EUCLJ035330.86$-$504347.6 in SPT-CLJ0353$-$5043 ($z=1.32$), two massive star-forming galaxies near ACT-CLJ0350.0$-$4819 ($z=1.46$), and strong lensing features in SPT-CLJ0353$-$5043 and SPT-CLJ0421$-$4845.