Euclid preparation

XXVI. The Euclid Morphology Challenge: Towards structural parameters for billions of galaxies

¹ Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut d’astrophysique spatiale, 91405 Orsay, France
e-mail: hubert.bretonniere@ias.u-psud.fr
² Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Astroparticule et Cosmologie, 75013 Paris, France
³ School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
⁴ Université Paris-Cité, 5 Rue Thomas Mann, 75013 Paris, France
⁵ Université PSL, Observatoire de Paris, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, LERMA, 75014 Paris, France
⁶ Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC); Departamento de Astrofísica, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), 38200 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
⁷ Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, Calle Vía Láctea s/n, 38204 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
⁸ INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma, Via Frascati 33, 00078 Monteporzio Catone, Italy
⁹ Instituto de Física de Cantabria, Edificio Juan Jordá, Avenida de los Castros, 39005 Santander, Spain
¹⁰ Departamento de Física Teórica, Atómica y Óptica, Universidad de Valladolid, 47011 Valladolid, Spain
¹¹ Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-018 Lisboa, Portugal
¹² Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
¹³ European Southern Observatory, Alonso de Cordova 3107, Casilla, 19001 Santiago, Chile
¹⁴ Universitäts-Sternwarte München, Fakultät für Physik, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Scheinerstrasse 1, 81679 München, Germany
¹⁵ Department of Astronomy, University of Geneva, ch. dÉcogia 16, 1290 Versoix, Switzerland
¹⁶ Institut d’Astrophysique de Paris, UMR 7095, CNRS, and Sorbonne Université, 98 bis boulevard Arago, 75014 Paris, France
¹⁷ Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, 65-1238 Mamalahoa Hwy, Kamuela, HI 96743, USA
¹⁸ Instituto de Matemática Estatística e Física, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, 96203-900 Rio Grande, RS, Brazil
¹⁹ University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
²⁰ Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, CNES, LAM, Marseille, France
²¹ ICRAR, M468, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
²² SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research, Landleven 12, 9747 AD Groningen, The Netherlands
²³ Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen, PO Box 800, 9700 AV Groningen, The Netherlands
²⁴ Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie (IRAP), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, CNES, 14 Av. Edouard Belin, 31400 Toulouse, France
²⁵ Centro de Estudios de Física del Cosmos de Aragón (CEFCA), Plaza San Juan, 1, planta 2, 44001 Teruel, Spain
²⁶ Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Observatoire astronomique de Strasbourg, UMR 7550, 67000 Strasbourg, France
²⁷ School of Physics, HH Wills Physics Laboratory, University of Bristol, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TL, UK
²⁸ Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Giessenbachstr. 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
²⁹ Institut für Astro- und Teilchenphysik, Universität Innsbruck, Technikerstr. 25/8, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
³⁰ INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Capodimonte, Via Moiariello 16, 80131 Napoli, Italy
³¹ Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 3FX, UK
³² INAF-Osservatorio di Astrofisica e Scienza dello Spazio di Bologna, Via Piero Gobetti 93/3, 40129 Bologna, Italy
³³ Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London, Holmbury St Mary, Dorking, Surrey RH5 6NT, UK
³⁴ Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia “Augusto Righi” – Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, Via Piero Gobetti 93/2, 40129 Bologna, Italy
³⁵ INFN-Sezione di Bologna, Viale Berti Pichat 6/2, 40127 Bologna, Italy
³⁶ Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Genova, Via Dodecaneso 33, 16146 Genova, Italy
³⁷ INFN-Sezione di Roma Tre, Via della Vasca Navale 84, 00146 Roma, Italy
³⁸ Department of Physics “E. Pancini”, University Federico II, Via Cinthia 6, 80126 Napoli, Italy
³⁹ Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço, Universidade do Porto, CAUP, Rua das Estrelas, 4150-762 Porto, Portugal
⁴⁰ Dipartimento di Fisica, Universitá degli Studi di Torino, Via P. Giuria 1, 10125 Torino, Italy
⁴¹ INFN-Sezione di Torino, Via P. Giuria 1, 10125 Torino, Italy
⁴² INAF-Osservatorio Astrofisico di Torino, Via Osservatorio 20, 10025 Pino Torinese, TO, Italy
⁴³ INAF-IASF Milano, Via Alfonso Corti 12, 20133 Milano, Italy
⁴⁴ Institut de Física d’Altes Energies (IFAE), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Campus UAB, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
⁴⁵ Port d’Informació Científica, Campus UAB, C. Albareda s/n, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
⁴⁶ Institut d’Estudis Espacials de Catalunya (IEEC), Carrer Gran Capitá 2-4, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
⁴⁷ Institute of Space Sciences (ICE, CSIC), Campus UAB, Carrer de Can Magrans, s/n, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
⁴⁸ INFN section of Naples, Via Cinthia 6, 80126 Napoli, Italy
⁴⁹ Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia “Augusto Righi” – Alma Mater Studiorum Universitá di Bologna, Viale Berti Pichat 6/2, 40127 Bologna, Italy
⁵⁰ INAF-Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, Largo E. Fermi 5, 50125 Firenze, Italy
⁵¹ Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales, Toulouse, France
⁵² Institut national de physique nucléaire et de physique des particules, 3 rue Michel-Ange, 75794 Paris Cédex 16, France
⁵³ Institute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Royal Observatory, Blackford Hill, Edinburgh EH9 3HJ, UK
⁵⁴ ESAC/ESA, Camino Bajo del Castillo, s/n., Urb. Villafranca del Castillo, 28692 Villanueva de la Cañada, Madrid, Spain
⁵⁵ European Space Agency/ESRIN, Largo Galileo Galilei 1, 00044 Frascati, Roma, Italy
⁵⁶ Univ Lyon, Univ Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS/IN2P3, IP2I Lyon, UMR 5822, 69622 Villeurbanne, France
⁵⁷ Institute of Physics, Laboratory of Astrophysics, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Observatoire de Sauverny, 1290 Versoix, Switzerland
⁵⁸ Departamento de Física, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Edifício C8, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
⁵⁹ Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
⁶⁰ Department of Physics, Oxford University, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, UK
⁶¹ INFN-Padova, Via Marzolo 8, 35131 Padova, Italy
⁶² Université Paris-Saclay, Université Paris Cité, CEA, CNRS, Astrophysique, Instrumentation et Modélisation Paris-Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
⁶³ INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Trieste, Via G. B. Tiepolo 11, 34143 Trieste, Italy
⁶⁴ Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF) – Osservatorio di Astrofisica e Scienza dello Spazio (OAS), Via Gobetti 93/3, 40127 Bologna, Italy
⁶⁵ Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Bologna, Via Irnerio 46, 40126 Bologna, Italy
⁶⁶ INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova, Via dell’Osservatorio 5, 35122 Padova, Italy
⁶⁷ Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics, University of Oslo, PO Box 1029, Blindern, 0315 Oslo, Norway
⁶⁸ Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, Niels Bohrweg 2, 2333 CA, Leiden, The Netherlands
⁶⁹ Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
⁷⁰ von Hoerner & Sulger GmbH, SchloßPlatz 8, 68723 Schwetzingen, Germany
⁷¹ Technical University of Denmark, Elektrovej 327, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
⁷² Institut d’Astrophysique de Paris, 98bis Boulevard Arago, 75014 Paris, France
⁷³ Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Königstuhl 17, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
⁷⁴ Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS/IN2P3, CPPM, Marseille, France
⁷⁵ Université de Genève, Département de Physique Théorique and Centre for Astroparticle Physics, 24 quai Ernest-Ansermet, 1211 Genève 4, Switzerland
⁷⁶ Department of Physics and Helsinki Institute of Physics, Gustaf Hällströmin katu 2, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
⁷⁷ NOVA optical infrared instrumentation group at ASTRON, Oude Hoogeveensedijk 4, 7991 PD Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
⁷⁸ Argelander-Institut für Astronomie, Universität Bonn, Auf dem Hügel 71, 53121 Bonn, Germany
⁷⁹ Department of Physics, Institute for Computational Cosmology, Durham University, South Road DH1 3LE, UK
⁸⁰ University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Northwestern Switzerland, School of Engineering, 5210 Windisch, Switzerland
⁸¹ European Space Agency/ESTEC, Keplerlaan 1, 2201 AZ Noordwijk, The Netherlands
⁸² Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Aarhus, Ny Munkegade 120, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
⁸³ Centre for Astrophysics, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
⁸⁴ Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
⁸⁵ Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 2Y5, Canada
⁸⁶ Space Science Data Center, Italian Space Agency, Via del Politecnico snc, 00133 Roma, Italy
⁸⁷ Departamento de Astrofísica, Universidad de La Laguna, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
⁸⁸ Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia “G.Galilei”, Universitá di Padova, Via Marzolo 8, 35131 Padova, Italy
⁸⁹ Departamento de Física, FCFM, Universidad de Chile, Blanco Encalada 2008, Santiago, Chile
⁹⁰ Centre for Electronic Imaging, Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK
⁹¹ AIM, CEA, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, Université de Paris, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
⁹² Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT), Avenida Complutense 40, 28040 Madrid, Spain
⁹³ Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena, Departamento de Electrónica y Tecnología de Computadoras, 30202 Cartagena, Spain
⁹⁴ Infrared Processing and Analysis Center, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
⁹⁵ INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera, Via Brera 28, 20122 Milano, Italy
⁹⁶ Junia, EPA department, 59000 Lille, France
⁹⁷ SISSA, International School for Advanced Studies, Via Bonomea 265, 34136 Trieste, TS, Italy
⁹⁸ IFPU, Institute for Fundamental Physics of the Universe, Via Beirut 2, 34151 Trieste, Italy
⁹⁹ INFN, Sezione di Trieste, Via Valerio 2, 34127 Trieste, TS, Italy
¹⁰⁰ Dipartimento di Fisica e Scienze della Terra, Universitá degli Studi di Ferrara, Via Giuseppe Saragat 1, 44122 Ferrara, Italy
¹⁰¹ Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Ferrara, Via Giuseppe Saragat 1, 44122 Ferrara, Italy
¹⁰² Institut de Physique Théorique, CEA, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France
¹⁰³ Dipartimento di Fisica – Sezione di Astronomia, Universitá di Trieste, Via Tiepolo 11, 34131 Trieste, Italy
¹⁰⁴ NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
¹⁰⁵ INAF, Istituto di Radioastronomia, Via Piero Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy
¹⁰⁶ INFN-Bologna, Via Irnerio 46, 40126 Bologna, Italy
¹⁰⁷ Université Côte d’Azur, Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, CNRS, Laboratoire Lagrange, Bd de l’Observatoire, CS 34229, 06304 Nice cedex 4, France
¹⁰⁸ Institute for Theoretical Particle Physics and Cosmology (TTK), RWTH Aachen University, 52056 Aachen, Germany
¹⁰⁹ Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
¹¹⁰ University of Lyon, UCB Lyon 1, CNRS/IN2P3, IUF, IP2I Lyon, France
¹¹¹ INFN-Sezione di Genova, Via Dodecaneso 33, 16146 Genova, Italy
¹¹² INAF-Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, Via del Fosso del Cavaliere, 100, 00100 Roma, Italy
¹¹³ Instituto de Física Teórica UAM-CSIC, Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
¹¹⁴ , PO Box 64, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
¹¹⁵ Ruhr University Bochum, Faculty of Physics and Astronomy, Astronomical Institute (AIRUB), German Centre for Cosmological Lensing (GCCL), 44780 Bochum, Germany
¹¹⁶ Department of Physics, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YB, UK
¹¹⁷ Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS/IN2P3, IJCLab, 91405 Orsay, France
¹¹⁸ Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
¹¹⁹ Astrophysics Group, Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
¹²⁰ Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP, LPSC-IN2P3, 53, Avenue des Martyrs, 38000 Grenoble, France
¹²¹ Dipartimento di Fisica, Sapienza Università di Roma, Piazzale Aldo Moro 2, 00185 Roma, Italy
¹²² Institut für Theoretische Physik, University of Heidelberg, Philosophenweg 16, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
¹²³ Zentrum für Astronomie, Universität Heidelberg, Philosophenweg 12, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
¹²⁴ Department of Mathematics and Physics E. De Giorgi, University of Salento, Via per Arnesano, CP-I93, 73100 Lecce, Italy
¹²⁵ INAF-Sezione di Lecce, c/o Dipartimento Matematica e Fisica, Via per Arnesano, 73100 Lecce, Italy
¹²⁶ INFN, Sezione di Lecce, Via per Arnesano, CP-193, 73100 Lecce, Italy
¹²⁷ Institute of Space Science, Bucharest 077125, Romania
¹²⁸ Institute for Computational Science, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
¹²⁹ Higgs Centre for Theoretical Physics, School of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FD, UK
¹³⁰ Université St Joseph; Faculty of Sciences, Beirut, Lebanon
¹³¹ Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Peyton Hall, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
¹³² Helsinki Institute of Physics, Gustaf Hällströmin katu 2, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
¹³³ Department of Mathematics and Physics, Roma Tre University, Via della Vasca Navale 84, 00146 Rome, Italy
¹³⁴ Cosmic Dawn Center (DAWN), Copenhagen, Denmark
¹³⁵ Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Jagtvej 128, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
¹³⁶ Departement of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, Canada

Received: 22 September 2022
Accepted: 21 October 2022

Abstract

The various Euclid imaging surveys will become a reference for studies of galaxy morphology by delivering imaging over an unprecedented area of 15 000 square degrees with high spatial resolution. In order to understand the capabilities of measuring morphologies from Euclid-detected galaxies and to help implement measurements in the pipeline of the Organisational Unit MER of the Euclid Science Ground Segment, we have conducted the Euclid Morphology Challenge, which we present in two papers. While the companion paper focusses on the analysis of photometry, this paper assesses the accuracy of the parametric galaxy morphology measurements in imaging predicted from within the Euclid Wide Survey. We evaluate the performance of five state-of-the-art surface-brightness-fitting codes, DeepLeGATo, Galapagos-2, Morfometryka, ProFit and SourceXtractor++, on a sample of about 1.5 million simulated galaxies (350 000 above 5σ) resembling reduced observations with the Euclid VIS and NIR instruments. The simulations include analytic Sérsic profiles with one and two components, as well as more realistic galaxies generated with neural networks. We find that, despite some code-specific differences, all methods tend to achieve reliable structural measurements (< 10% scatter on ideal Sérsic simulations) down to an apparent magnitude of about I_E = 23 in one component and I_E = 21 in two components, which correspond to a signal-to-noise ratio of approximately 1 and 5, respectively. We also show that when tested on non-analytic profiles, the results are typically degraded by a factor of 3, driven by systematics. We conclude that the official Euclid Data Releases will deliver robust structural parameters for at least 400 million galaxies in the Euclid Wide Survey by the end of the mission. We find that a key factor for explaining the different behaviour of the codes at the faint end is the set of adopted priors for the various structural parameters.