Euclid Quick Data Release (Q1). First Euclid statistical study of galaxy mergers and their connection to active galactic nuclei

Euclid Collaboration, A. La Marca, L. Wang, B. Margalef-Bentabol, L. Gabarra, Y. Toba, M. Mezcua, V. Rodriguez-Gomez, F. Ricci, S. Fotopoulou, T. Matamoro Zatarain, V. Allevato, F. La Franca, F. Shankar, L. Bisigello, G. Stevens, M. Siudek, W. Roster, M. Salvato, C. Tortora, L. Spinoglio, A. W. S. Man, J. H. Knapen, M. Baes, D. O'Ryan, N. Aghanim, B. Altieri, A. Amara, S. Andreon, N. Auricchio, H. Aussel, C. Baccigalupi, M. Baldi, S. Bardelli, P. Battaglia, A. Biviano, A. Bonchi, E. Branchini, M. Brescia, J. Brinchmann, S. Camera, G. Cañas-Herrera, V. Capobianco, C. Carbone, J. Carretero, M. Castellano, G. Castignani, S. Cavuoti, K. C. Chambers, A. Cimatti, C. Colodro-Conde, G. Congedo, C. J. Conselice, L. Conversi, Y. Copin, A. Costille, F. Courbin, H. M. Courtois, M. Cropper, A. Da Silva, H. Degaudenzi, G. De Lucia, A. M. Di Giorgio, C. Dolding, H. Dole, F. Dubath, C. A. J. Duncan, X. Dupac, A. Ealet, S. Escoffier, M. Fabricius, M. Farina, R. Farinelli, F. Faustini, S. Ferriol, F. Finelli, M. Frailis, E. Franceschi, S. Galeotta, K. George, B. Gillis, C. Giocoli, P. Gómez-Alvarez, J. Gracia-Carpio, B. R. Granett, A. Grazian, F. Grupp, L. Guzzo, S. Gwyn, S. V. H. Haugan, W. Holmes, I. M. Hook, F. Hormuth, A. Hornstrup, P. Hudelot, K. Jahnke, M. Jhabvala, B. Joachimi, E. Keihänen, S. Kermiche, A. Kiessling, B. Kubik, M. Kümmel, M. Kunz, H. Kurki-Suonio, Q. Le Boulc'h, A. M. C. Le Brun, D. Le Mignant, S. Ligori, P. B. Lilje, V. Lindholm, I. Lloro, G. Mainetti, D. Maino, E. Maiorano, O. Mansutti, S. Marcin, O. Marggraf, M. Martinelli, N. Martinet, F. Marulli, R. Massey, S. Maurogordato, E. Medinaceli, S. Mei, M. Melchior, Y. Mellier, M. Meneghetti, E. Merlin, G. Meylan, A. Mora, M. Moresco, L. Moscardini, R. Nakajima, C. Neissner, S. -M. Niemi, J. W. Nightingale, C. Padilla, S. Paltani, F. Pasian, K. Pedersen, W. J. Percival, V. Pettorino, S. Pires, G. Polenta, M. Poncet, L. A. Popa, L. Pozzetti, F. Raison, R. Rebolo, A. Renzi, J. Rhodes, G. Riccio, E. Romelli, M. Roncarelli, B. Rusholme, R. Saglia, Z. Sakr, D. Sapone, B. Sartoris, J. A. Schewtschenko, P. Schneider, T. Schrabback, M. Scodeggio, A. Secroun, G. Seidel, M. Seiffert, S. Serrano, P. Simon, C. Sirignano, G. Sirri, L. Stanco, J. Steinwagner, P. Tallada-Crespí, A. N. Taylor, H. I. Teplitz, I. Tereno, N. Tessore, S. Toft, R. Toledo-Moreo, F. Torradeflot, I. Tutusaus, L. Valenziano, J. Valiviita, T. Vassallo, G. Verdoes Kleijn, A. Veropalumbo, Y. Wang, J. Weller, A. Zacchei, G. Zamorani, F. M. Zerbi, I. A. Zinchenko, E. Zucca, M. Ballardini, M. Bolzonella, E. Bozzo, C. Burigana, R. Cabanac, A. Cappi, D. Di Ferdinando, J. A. Escartin Vigo, M. Huertas-Company, J. Martín-Fleitas, S. Matthew, N. Mauri, R. B. Metcalf, A. Pezzotta, M. Pöntinen, C. Porciani, I. Risso, V. Scottez, M. Sereno, M. Tenti, M. Viel, M. Wiesmann, Y. Akrami, S. Alvi, I. T. Andika, S. Anselmi, M. Archidiacono, F. Atrio-Barandela, C. Benoist, K. Benson, D. Bertacca, M. Bethermin, A. Blanchard, L. Blot, H. Böhringer, S. Borgani, M. L. Brown, S. Bruton, A. Calabro, B. Camacho Quevedo, F. Caro, C. S. Carvalho, T. Castro, F. Cogato, S. Conseil, T. Contini, A. R. Cooray, O. Cucciati, S. Davini, F. De Paolis, G. Desprez, A. Díaz-Sánchez, J. J. Diaz, S. Di Domizio, J. M. Diego, P. -A. Duc, A. Enia, Y. Fang, A. G. Ferrari, A. Finoguenov, A. Fontana, F. Fontanot, A. Franco, K. Ganga, J. García-Bellido, T. Gasparetto, V. Gautard, E. Gaztanaga, F. Giacomini, F. Gianotti, G. Gozaliasl, M. Guidi, C. M. Gutierrez, A. Hall, W. G. Hartley, C. Hernández-Monteagudo, H. Hildebrandt, J. Hjorth, J. J. E. Kajava, Y. Kang, V. Kansal, D. Karagiannis, K. Kiiveri, C. C. Kirkpatrick, S. Kruk, J. Le Graet, L. Legrand, M. Lembo, F. Lepori, G. Leroy, G. F. Lesci, J. Lesgourgues, L. Leuzzi, T. I. Liaudat, A. Loureiro, J. Macias-Perez, G. Maggio, M. Magliocchetti, E. A. Magnier, F. Mannucci, R. Maoli, C. J. A. P. Martins, L. Maurin, M. Miluzio, P. Monaco, C. Moretti, G. Morgante, K. Naidoo, A. Navarro-Alsina, S. Nesseris, F. Passalacqua, K. Paterson, L. Patrizii, A. Pisani, D. Potter, S. Quai, M. Radovich, P. -F. Rocci, S. Sacquegna, M. Sahlén, D. B. Sanders, E. Sarpa, C. Scarlata, J. Schaye, A. Schneider, D. Sciotti, E. Sellentin, L. C. Smith, S. A. Stanford, K. Tanidis, G. Testera, R. Teyssier, S. Tosi, A. Troja, M. Tucci, C. Valieri, A. Venhola, D. Vergani, G. Verza, P. Vielzeuf, N. A. Walton, E. Soubrie, D. Scott

First listed 2025-03-19 | Last updated 2025-09-11

Abstract

Galaxy major mergers are a key pathway to trigger AGN. We present the first detection of major mergers in the Euclid Deep Fields and analyse their connection with AGN. We constructed a stellar-mass-complete ($M_*>10^{9.8}\,M_{\odot}$) sample of galaxies from the first quick data release (Q1), in the redshift range z=0.5-2. We selected AGN using X-ray data, optical spectroscopy, mid-infrared colours, and processing \IE observations with an image decomposition algorithm. We used CNNs trained on cosmological simulations to classify galaxies as mergers and non-mergers. We found a larger fraction of AGN in mergers compared to the non-merger controls for all AGN selections, with AGN excess factors ranging from 2 to 6. Likewise, a generally larger merger fraction ($f_{merg}$) is seen in active galaxies than in the non-active controls. We analysed $f_{merg}$ as a function of the AGN bolometric luminosity ($L_{bol}$) and the contribution of the point-source to the total galaxy light in the \IE-band ($f_{PSF}$) as a proxy for the relative AGN contribution fraction. We uncovered a rising $f_{merg}$, with increasing $f_{PSF}$ up to $f_{PSF}=0.55$, after which we observed a decreasing trend. We then derived the point-source luminosity ($L_{PSF}$) and showed that $f_{merg}$ monotonically increases as a function of $L_{PSF}$ at z<0.9, with $f_{merg}>$50% for $L_{PSF}>2\,10^{43}$ erg/s. At z>0.9, $f_{merg}$ rises as a function of $L_{PSF}$, though mergers do not dominate until $L_{PSF}=10^{45}$ erg/s. For X-ray and spectroscopic AGN, we computed $L_{bol}$, which has a positive correlation with $f_{merg}$ for X-ray AGN, while shows a less pronounced trend for spectroscopic AGN due to the smaller sample size. At $L_{bol}>10^{45}$ erg/s, AGN mostly reside in mergers. We concluded that mergers are strongly linked to the most powerful, dust-obscured AGN, associated with rapid supermassive black hole growth.

Short digest

Using Euclid Q1 Deep Fields, the team builds a stellar‑mass–complete (M*>10^9.8 Msun) sample at 0.5<z<2, identifies major mergers with CNNs trained on simulations, and selects AGN via X‑ray, optical spectroscopy, MIR colours, and I_E‑band PSF decompositions. Across all AGN selections, mergers host an AGN excess by factors of 2–6, and the AGN merger fraction rises with point‑source contribution f_PSF up to ~0.55 before declining. In luminosity terms, f_merg increases with L_PSF, exceeding 50% for L_PSF>2×10^43 erg/s at z<0.9 and becoming dominant only above ~10^45 erg/s at z>0.9; for X‑ray AGN, f_merg also increases with L_bol, with AGN mostly in mergers at L_bol>10^45 erg/s. This ties major mergers to the most powerful, dust‑obscured SMBH growth phases, with spectroscopic trends weaker due to small samples.

Key figures to inspect

• Figure 2: Inspect Euclid RGB cutouts of merger vs non‑merger classifications to gauge the CNN’s labels and the visibility of tidal asymmetries or close pairs at I_E depth/resolution.
• Figure 4: Compare stellar‑mass and f_PSF distributions across AGN selections; use the lower panels to see the rise and turnover near f_PSF≈0.55 that underpins the merger‑activity trend.
• Figure 3: Check the L_bol–z coverage for X‑ray and DESI AGN, and where sources exceed L_bol≈10^45 erg/s—the regime where AGN mostly inhabit mergers.
• Figure 1: Review TNG mock VIS images to assess how merger features appear in Euclid‑like data across redshift, contextualizing the simulation‑trained CNN classifications.