Euclid: Early Release Observations – A glance at free-floating newborn planets in the σ Orionis cluster^★

¹ Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, Calle Vía Láctea s/n, 38204, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
² Departamento de Astrofísica, Universidad de La Laguna, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
³ Laboratoire d’Astrophysique de Bordeaux, CNRS and Université de Bordeaux, Allée Geoffroy St. Hilaire, 33165 Pessac, France
⁴ Institut universitaire de France (IUF), 1 rue Descartes, 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France
⁵ Departamento de Física Fundamental. Universidad de Salamanca. Plaza de la Merced s/n, 37008 Salamanca, Spain
⁶ Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), CSIC-INTA, ESAC Campus, Camino Bajo del Castillo s/n, 28692 Villanueva de la Cañada, Madrid, Spain
⁷ Departamento de Inteligencia Artificial, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), c/Juan del Rosal 16, 28040 Madrid, Spain
⁸ Departamento Física Aplicada, Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena, Campus Muralla del Mar, 30202 Cartagena, Murcia, Spain
⁹ European Space Agency/ESTEC, Keplerlaan 1, 2201 AZ Noordwijk, The Netherlands
¹⁰ Aurora Technology for European Space Agency (ESA), Camino bajo del Castillo, s/n, Urbanizacion Villafranca del Castillo, Villanueva de la Cañada, 28692 Madrid, Spain
¹¹ Observatoire Astronomique de Strasbourg (ObAS), Université de Strasbourg – CNRS, UMR 7550, Strasbourg, France
¹² Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen, PO Box 800, 9700 AV Groningen, The Netherlands
¹³ Université Paris-Saclay, Université Paris Cité, CEA, CNRS, AIM, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
¹⁴ Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Königstuhl 17, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
¹⁵ Ohio University, Physics & Astronomy Department,1 Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, USA
¹⁶ NSF’s NOIR, Lab 950 N. Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA
¹⁷ Department of Physics, International University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
¹⁸ Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
¹⁹ International Space University, 1 rue Jean-Dominique Cassini, 67400 Illkirch-Graffenstaden, France
²⁰ School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
²¹ Université de Franche-Comté, Institut UTINAM, CNRS UMR6213, OSU THETA Franche-Comté-Bourgogne, Observatoire de Besançon, BP 1615, 25010 Besançon Cedex, France
²² INAF-Osservatorio Astrofisico di Torino, Via Osservatorio 20, 10025 Pino Torinese (TO), Italy
²³ School of Physics, Astronomy and Mathematics, University of Hertfordshire, College Lane, Hatfield AL10 9AB, UK
²⁴ Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut d’astrophysique spatiale, 91405, Orsay, France
²⁵ ESAC/ESA, Camino Bajo del Castillo, s/n, Urb. Villafranca del Castillo, 28692 Villanueva de la Cañada, Madrid, Spain
²⁶ INAF – Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera, Via Brera 28, 20122 Milano, Italy
²⁷ INAF – Osservatorio di Astrofisica e Scienza dello Spazio di Bologna, Via Piero Gobetti 93/3, 40129 Bologna, Italy
²⁸ Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Università di Bologna, Via Gobetti 93/2, 40129 Bologna, Italy
²⁹ INFN – Sezione di Bologna, Viale Berti Pichat 6/2, 40127 Bologna, Italy
³⁰ INAF – Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova, Via dell’Osservatorio 5, 35122 Padova, Italy
³¹ Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales – Centre spatial de Toulouse, 18 avenue Edouard Belin, 31401 Toulouse Cedex 9, France
³² Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Giessenbachstr. 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
³³ Universitäts-Sternwarte München, Fakultät für Physik, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Scheinerstrasse 1, 81679 München, Germany
³⁴ Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Genova, Via Dodecaneso 33, 16146 Genova, Italy
³⁵ INFN – Sezione di Genova, Via Dodecaneso 33, 16146 Genova, Italy
³⁶ Department of Physics “E. Pancini", University Federico II, Via Cinthia 6, 80126 Napoli, Italy
³⁷ INAF – Osservatorio Astronomico di Capodimonte, Via Moiariello 16, 80131 Napoli, Italy
³⁸ INFN section of Naples, 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, Università 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 – IASF Milano, Via Alfonso Corti 12, 20133 Milano, Italy
⁴³ Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT), Avenida Complutense 40, 28040 Madrid, Spain
⁴⁴ Port d’Informació Científica, Campus UAB, C. Albareda s/n, 08193 Bellaterra (Barcelona), Spain
⁴⁵ Institute for Theoretical Particle Physics and Cosmology (TTK), RWTH Aachen University, 52056 Aachen, Germany
⁴⁶ INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma, Via Frascati 33, 00078 Monteporzio Catone, Italy
⁴⁷ Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia “Augusto Righi” – Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, Viale Berti Pichat 6/2, 40127 Bologna, Italy
⁴⁸ Institute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Royal Observatory, Blackford Hill, Edinburgh EH9 3HJ, UK
⁴⁹ Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
⁵⁰ European Space Agency/ESRIN, Largo Galileo Galilei 1, 00044 Frascati, Roma, Italy
⁵¹ Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS/IN2P3, IP2I Lyon, UMR 5822, Villeurbanne, 69100, France
⁵² Institute of Physics, Laboratory of Astrophysics, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Observatoire de Sauverny, 1290 Versoix, Switzerland
⁵³ UCB Lyon 1, CNRS/IN2P3, IUF, IP2I Lyon, 4 rue Enrico Fermi, 69622 Villeurbanne, France
⁵⁴ Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London, Holmbury St Mary, Dorking, Surrey RH5 6NT, UK
⁵⁵ Departamento de Física, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Edifício C8, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
⁵⁶ Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço, Faculdade de Ciên-cias, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
⁵⁷ Department of Astronomy, University of Geneva, ch. d’Ecogia 16, 1290 Versoix, Switzerland
⁵⁸ INAF-Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, via del Fosso del Cavaliere, 100, 00100 Roma, Italy
⁵⁹ INFN-Padova, Via Marzolo 8, 35131 Padova, Italy
⁶⁰ Institut d’Estudis Espacials de Catalunya (IEEC), Edifici RDIT, Campus UPC, 08860 Castelldefels, Barcelona, Spain
⁶¹ Institut de Ciencies de l’Espai (IEEC-CSIC), Campus UAB, Carrer de Can Magrans, s/n Cerdanyola del Vallés, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
⁶² INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Trieste, Via G. B. Tiepolo 11, 34143 Trieste, Italy
⁶³ Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS/IN2P3, CPPM, Marseille, France
⁶⁴ Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Bologna, Via Irnerio 46, 40126 Bologna, Italy
⁶⁵ FRACTAL S.L.N.E., calle Tulipán 2, Portal 13 1A, 28231 Las Rozas de Madrid, Spain
⁶⁶ Dipartimento di Fisica “Aldo Pontremoli”, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 16, 20133 Milano, Italy
⁶⁷ Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1029 Blindern, 0315 Oslo, Norway
⁶⁸ Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2333 CC Leiden, The Netherlands
⁶⁹ Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA, 91109, USA
⁷⁰ Department of Physics, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YB, UK
⁷¹ Felix Hormuth Engineering, Goethestr. 17, 69181 Leimen, Germany
⁷² Technical University of Denmark, Elektrovej 327, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
⁷³ Cosmic Dawn Center (DAWN), Denmark
⁷⁴ Institut d’Astrophysique de Paris, UMR 7095, CNRS, and Sorbonne Université, 98 bis boulevard Arago, 75014 Paris, France
⁷⁵ NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
⁷⁶ Department of Physics and Helsinki Institute of Physics, Gustaf Hällströmin katu 2, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
⁷⁷ AIM, CEA, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, Université de Paris, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
⁷⁸ Université de Genève, Département de Physique Théorique and Centre for Astroparticle Physics, 24 quai Ernest-Ansermet, 1211 Genève 4, Switzerland
⁷⁹ Department of Physics, PO Box 64, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
⁸⁰ Helsinki Institute of Physics, Gustaf Hällströmin katu 2, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
⁸¹ Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, CNES, LAM, Marseille, France
⁸² NOVA optical infrared instrumentation group at ASTRON, Oude Hoogeveensedijk 4, 7991PD, Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
⁸³ INFN-Sezione di Milano, Via Celoria 16, 20133 Milano, Italy
⁸⁴ Universität Bonn, Argelander-Institut für Astronomie, Auf dem Hügel 71, 53121 Bonn, Germany
⁸⁵ Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia “Augusto Righi" – Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, via Piero Gobetti 93/2, 40129 Bologna, Italy
⁸⁶ Department of Physics, Centre for Extragalactic Astronomy, Durham University, South Road, DH1 3LE, UK
⁸⁷ Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Astroparticule et Cosmologie, 75013 Paris, France
⁸⁸ University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Northwestern Switzerland, School of Engineering, 5210 Windisch, Switzerland
⁸⁹ Institut d’Astrophysique de Paris, 98bis Boulevard Arago, 75014 Paris, France
⁹⁰ Institut de Física d’Altes Energies (IFAE), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Campus UAB, 08193 Bellaterra (Barcelona), Spain
⁹¹ Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Aarhus, Ny Munkegade 120, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
⁹² Waterloo Centre for Astrophysics, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
⁹³ Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
⁹⁴ Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 2Y5, Canada
⁹⁵ Space Science Data Center, Italian Space Agency, via del Politecnico snc, 00133 Roma, Italy
⁹⁶ Institute of Space Science, Str. Atomistilor, nr. 409 Măgurele, Ilfov, 077125, Romania
⁹⁷ Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia “G. Galilei”, Università di Padova, Via Marzolo 8, 35131 Padova, Italy
⁹⁸ Departamento de Física, FCFM, Universidad de Chile, Blanco Encalada 2008, Santiago, Chile
⁹⁹ INFN-Sezione di Roma, Piazzale Aldo Moro 2, c/o Dipartimento di Fisica, Edificio G. Marconi, 00185 Roma, Italy
¹⁰⁰ Satlantis, University Science Park, Sede Bld 48940, Leioa-Bilbao, Spain
¹⁰¹ Institute of Space Sciences (ICE, CSIC), Campus UAB, Carrer de Can Magrans s/n, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
¹⁰² Infrared Processing and Analysis Center, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
¹⁰³ Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-018 Lisboa, Portugal
¹⁰⁴ Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena, Departamento de Electrónica y Tecnología de Computadoras, Plaza del Hospital 1, 30202 Cartagena, Spain
¹⁰⁵ Centre for Information Technology, University of Groningen, PO Box 11044, 9700 CA Groningen, The Netherlands
¹⁰⁶ Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie (IRAP), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, CNES, 14 Av. Edouard Belin, 31400 Toulouse, France
¹⁰⁷ INFN – Bologna, Via Irnerio 46, 40126 Bologna, Italy
¹⁰⁸ IFPU, Institute for Fundamental Physics of the Universe, via Beirut 2, 34151 Trieste, Italy
¹⁰⁹ INFN, Sezione di Trieste, Via Valerio 2, 34127 Trieste TS, Italy
¹¹⁰ SISSA, International School for Advanced Studies, Via Bonomea 265, 34136 Trieste TS, Italy
¹¹¹ Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, Canada

^★★ Corresponding author; ege@iac.es

Received: 20 May 2024
Accepted: 25 July 2024

Abstract

We provide an early assessment of the imaging capabilities of the Euclid space mission to deeply probe nearby star-forming regions and associated very young open clusters, and in particular, to determine to which extent it can shed light into the newborn free- floating planet population. This paper focusses on a low-reddening region observed in just one Euclid pointing. The dust and gas has been cleared out from the region by the hot σ Orionis star. One late-M and six known spectroscopically confirmed L-type ultracool members in the σ Orionis cluster were used as benchmarks to provide a high-purity procedure to select new candidate members with Euclid. The exquisite angular resolution and depth delivered by the Euclid instruments allowed us to focus on bona fide point sources. A cleaned sample of σ Orionis cluster substellar members was produced, and the initial mass function (IMF) was estimated by combining Euclid and Gaia data. Our σ Orionis substellar IMF is consistent with a power-law distribution without a significant steepening at the planetary-mass end. No evidence of a low-mass cutoff is found down to the detection limit of this study at 4 Jupiter masses in the very young σ Orionis open cluster.