Constraints on primordial non-Gaussianity from Quaia

Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics IOP Publishing 2026:02 (2026) 056

Authors:

Giulio Fabbian, David Alonso, Kate Storey-Fisher, Thomas Cornish

Abstract:

We analyse the large-scale angular clustering of quasars in the Gaia-unWISE quasar catalog, Quaia, and their cross-correlation with maps of the lensing convergence of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), to constrain the level of primordial non-Gaussianity (PNG). Specifically, we target the scale-dependent bias that would be induced by PNG on biased tracers of the matter inhomogeneities on large scales. The Quaia sample is particularly well suited for this analysis, given the large effective volume covered, and our ability to map out the main potential sources of systematic contamination and mitigate their impact. Using the universality relation to characterise the response of the quasar overdensity to PNG (pϕ = 1), we report constraints on the local-type PNG parameter f NL of f NL = -20.5+19.0 -18.1 (68% C.L.) by combining the quasar auto-correlation and its cross-correlation with CMB lensing in two tomographic redshift bins (or f NL = -28.7+26.1 -24.6 if assuming a lower response for quasars, pϕ = 1.6). The error on f NL can be further improved if the cross-correlation between the tomographic redshift bins is included. Using the CMB lensing cross-correlations alone, we find fNL = -13.8+26.7 -25.0 and fNL = -15.6+42.3 -34.8 for pϕ = 1 and pϕ = 1.6 respectively. These are the tightest constraints on fNL to date from angular clustering statistics and cross-correlations with CMB lensing.

Probing baryonic feedback with fast radio bursts: joint analyses with cosmic shear and galaxy clustering

(2026)

Authors:

Amy Wayland, David Alonso, Robert Reischke

Testing cosmic anisotropy with cluster scaling relations

(2026)

Authors:

Tariq Yasin, Richard Stiskalek, Harry Desmond, Sebastian von Hausegger, Pedro G Ferreira

Euclid: Early Release Observations the star cluster systems of the Local Group dwarf galaxies IC 10 and NGC 6822

Astronomy and Astrophysics 706 (2026)

Authors:

JM Howell, AMN Ferguson, SS Larsen, A Lançon, F Annibali, JC Cuillandre, LK Hunt, D Martínez-Delgado, D Massari, T Saifollahi, K Voggel, B Altieri, S Andreon, N Auricchio, C Baccigalupi, M Baldi, S Bardelli, A Biviano, E Branchini, M Brescia, J Brinchmann, S Camera, G Cañas-Herrera, GP Candini, V Capobianco, C Carbone, J Carretero, M Castellano, G Castignani, S Cavuoti, A Cimatti, C Colodro-Conde, G Congedo, CJ Conselice, L Conversi, Y Copin, F Courbin, HM Courtois, M Cropper, A Da Silva, H Degaudenzi, G De Lucia, F Dubath, CAJ Duncan, X Dupac, S Dusini, S Escoffier, M Farina, R Farinelli, F Faustini, S Ferriol, F Finelli, M Frailis, E Franceschi, M Fumana, S Galeotta, K George, B Gillis, C Giocoli, J Gracia-Carpio, A Grazian, F Grupp, SVH Haugan, H Hoekstra, W Holmes, F Hormuth, A Hornstrup, K Jahnke, M Jhabvala, E Keihänen, S Kermiche, B Kubik, M Kümmel, M Kunz, H Kurki-Suonio, AMC Le Brun, D Le Mignant, S Ligori, PB Lilje, V Lindholm, I Lloro, G Mainetti, D Maino, E Maiorano, O Mansutti, O Marggraf, M Martinelli, N Martinet, F Marulli, RJ Massey, E Medinaceli, S Mei, M Melchior, Y Mellier, M Meneghetti, E Merlin, G Meylan, A Mora, M Moresco, L Moscardini

Abstract:

Star clusters are valuable indicators of galaxy evolution, offering insights into the buildup of stellar populations across cosmic time. Understanding the intrinsic star cluster populations of dwarf galaxies is particularly important given these systemsa role in the hierarchical growth of larger systems. We use data from Euclida s Early Release Observation programme to study star clusters in two star-forming dwarf irregular galaxies in the Local Group, NGC 6822 and IC 10 [Ma ~ (1 4) A-108 Ma ]. With Euclid, star clusters are resolved into individual stars across the main bodies and haloes of both galaxies. Through visual inspection of the IE images, we uncover 30 new star cluster candidates in NGC 6822 and 16 in IC 10, ranging from compact to diffuse extended clusters. We compile and re-evaluate previously identified literature candidates, resulting in final combined catalogues of 52 (NGC 6822) and 71 (IC 10) cluster candidates with confidence-based classifications. We present homogeneous photometry in IE, YE, JE, and HE, and in archival UBVRI data, alongside size measurements and properties derived from the spectral energy distribution fitting code BAGPIPES. Through synthetic cluster injection, we conclude our sample is ~50% complete to M a ² 103 Ma for ages a ²100 Myr, and to M a ² 2 A-104 Ma for ages of ~10 Gyr. We find that IC 10 has more young clusters than NGC 6822, and its young clusters extend to higher masses, consistent with its starburst nature. We find several old massive (a ³105 Ma ) clusters in both dwarfs, including an exceptional cluster in NGC 6822a s outskirts with a mass of 1.3 A-106 Ma , nearly twice as massive as any other old cluster in either galaxy. In NGC 6822, we also identify a previously undetected, old, and extended cluster (Rh = 12.4 ± 0.11 pc). Using well-defined criteria, we identify 11 candidate GCs in NGC 6822 and nine in IC 10. Both galaxies have high specific frequencies (SN) for their luminosities but remain consistent with the known GC scaling relationships in the low-luminosity regime.

Forecasts and simulations for relativistic corrections to the Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect

Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics 2026:2 (2026)

Authors:

L Kuhn, Z Li, WR Coulton

Abstract:

The Sunyaev-Zeldovich (SZ) effect is a window into the astrophysical processes of galaxy clusters, and relativistic corrections (the “rSZ�) promise to provide a global census of the gas feedback within clusters. Upcoming wide-field millimeter-wave surveys such as the Simons Observatory (SO), Fred Young Submillimeter Telescope, and CMB-S4 will make increasingly precise measurements of the SZ effect and its relativistic corrections. We present simulated full-sky maps of the rSZ effect and a fast code to generate it, for use in the development of analysis techniques and pipelines. As part of the websky simulation suite, our mock observations have semi-realistic cross-correlations with other large-scale structure tracers, offering insights into the formation and evolution of galaxy clusters and large-scale structure. As a demonstration of this, we examine what an SO-like experiment can learn from the rSZ effect. We find that high significance detections will be possible, provided that the instrumental systematics are under control, and that the evolution of cluster temperatures with mass and redshift can be probed in a manner complementary to X-ray measurements.