Euclid: Early Release Observations – NISP-only sources and the search for luminous z = 6–8 galaxies^★

¹ Department of Astronomy, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
² Physics and Astronomy Department, University of California, 900 University Ave., Riverside, CA 92521, USA
³ Cosmic Dawn Center (DAWN), Denmark
⁴ Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Jagtvej 128, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
⁵ Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
⁶ Institut d’Astrophysique de Paris, UMR 7095, CNRS, and Sorbonne Université, 98 bis boulevard Arago, 75014 Paris, France
⁷ Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
⁸ Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA, 91109, USA
⁹ Department of Astronomy, School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
¹⁰ Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Königstuhl 17, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
¹¹ INAF – Osservatorio di Astrofisica e Scienza dello Spazio di Bologna, Via Piero Gobetti 93/3, 40129 Bologna, Italy
¹² Department of Astronomy, University of Geneva, ch. d’Ecogia 16, 1290 Versoix, Switzerland
¹³ School of Physical Sciences, The Open University, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK
¹⁴ Astrophysics Group, Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
¹⁵ Department of Mathematics, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
¹⁶ School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
¹⁷ Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Giessenbachstr. 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
¹⁸ Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia “G. Galilei”, Università di Padova, Via Marzolo 8, 35131 Padova, Italy
¹⁹ INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova, Via dell’Osservatorio 5, 35122 Padova, Italy
²⁰ Instituto de Física de Cantabria, Edificio Juan Jordá, Avenida de los Castros, 39005 Santander, Spain
²¹ Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, CNES, LAM, Marseille, France
²² Institute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Royal Observatory, Blackford Hill, Edinburgh EH9 3HJ, UK
²³ Institut d’Astrophysique de Paris, 98bis Boulevard Arago, 75014 Paris, France
²⁴ Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut d’astrophysique spatiale, 91405 Orsay, France
²⁵ Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Observatoire astronomique de Strasbourg, UMR 7550, 67000 Strasbourg, France
²⁶ Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen, PO Box 800, 9700 AV Groningen, The Netherlands
²⁷ ESAC/ESA, Camino Bajo del Castillo, s/n., Urb. Villafranca del Castillo, 28692 Villanueva de la Cañada, Madrid, Spain
²⁸ HE Space for European Space Agency (ESA), Camino bajo del Castillo, s/n, Urbanizacion Villafranca del Castillo, Villanueva de la Cañada, 28692 Madrid, Spain
²⁹ Université Paris-Saclay, Université Paris Cité, CEA, CNRS, AIM, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
³⁰ European Space Agency/ESTEC, Keplerlaan 1, 2201 AZ Noordwijk, The Netherlands
³¹ Department of Physics, Université de Montréal, 2900 Edouard Montpetit Blvd, Montréal, Québec H3T 1J4, Canada
³² School of Mathematics and Physics, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XH, UK
³³ INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera, Via Brera 28, 20122 Milano, Italy
³⁴ Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Università di Bologna, Via Gobetti 93/2, 40129 Bologna, Italy
³⁵ INFN-Sezione di Bologna, Viale Berti Pichat 6/2, 40127 Bologna, Italy
³⁶ Universitäts-Sternwarte München, Fakultät für Physik, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Scheinerstrasse 1, 81679 München, Germany
³⁷ INAF-Osservatorio Astrofisico di Torino, Via Osservatorio 20, 10025 Pino Torinese (TO), Italy
³⁸ Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Genova, Via Dodecaneso 33, 16146, Genova, Italy
³⁹ INFN-Sezione di Genova, Via Dodecaneso 33, 16146 Genova, Italy
⁴⁰ Department of Physics “E. Pancini”, University Federico II, Via Cinthia 6, 80126, Napoli, Italy
⁴¹ INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Capodimonte, Via Moiariello 16, 80131 Napoli, Italy
⁴² INFN section of Naples, Via Cinthia 6, 80126 Napoli, Italy
⁴³ Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço, Universidade do Porto, CAUP, Rua das Estrelas, 4150-762 Porto, Portugal
⁴⁴ Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo de Alegre, 4150-007 Porto, Portugal
⁴⁵ Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli Studi di Torino, Via P. Giuria 1, 10125 Torino, Italy
⁴⁶ INFN-Sezione di Torino, Via P. Giuria 1, 10125 Torino, Italy
⁴⁷ INAF-IASF Milano, Via Alfonso Corti 12, 20133 Milano, Italy
⁴⁸ INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma, Via Frascati 33, 00078 Monteporzio Catone, Italy
⁴⁹ INFN-Sezione di Roma, Piazzale Aldo Moro 2, c/o Dipartimento di Fisica, Edificio G. Marconi, 00185 Roma, Italy
⁵⁰ Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT), Avenida Complutense 40, 28040 Madrid, Spain
⁵¹ Port d’Informació Científica, Campus UAB, C. Albareda s/n, 08193 Bellaterra (Barcelona), Spain
⁵² Institute for Theoretical Particle Physics and Cosmology (TTK), RWTH Aachen University, 52056 Aachen, Germany
⁵³ Institute of Space Sciences (ICE, CSIC), Campus UAB, Carrer de Can Magrans, s/n, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
⁵⁴ Institut d’Estudis Espacials de Catalunya (IEEC), Edifici RDIT, Campus UPC, 08860 Castelldefels, Barcelona, Spain
⁵⁵ Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia “Augusto Righi” – Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, Viale Berti Pichat 6/2, 40127 Bologna, Italy
⁵⁶ European Space Agency/ESRIN, Largo Galileo Galilei 1, 00044 Frascati, Roma, Italy
⁵⁷ Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS/IN2P3, IP2I Lyon, UMR 5822, Villeurbanne, F-69100, France
⁵⁸ Institute of Physics, Laboratory of Astrophysics, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Observatoire de Sauverny, 1290 Versoix, Switzerland
⁵⁹ UCB Lyon 1, CNRS/IN2P3, IUF, IP2I Lyon, 4 rue Enrico Fermi, 69622 Villeurbanne, France
⁶⁰ Departamento de Física, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Edifício C8, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
⁶¹ Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
⁶² INAF-Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, via del Fosso del Cavaliere, 100, 00100 Roma, Italy
⁶³ School of Physics, HH Wills Physics Laboratory, University of Bristol, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TL, UK
⁶⁴ INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Trieste, Via G. B. Tiepolo 11, 34143 Trieste, Italy
⁶⁵ Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS/IN2P3, CPPM, Marseille, France
⁶⁶ Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Bologna, Via Irnerio 46, 40126 Bologna, Italy
⁶⁷ FRACTAL S.L.N.E., calle Tulipán 2, Portal 13 1A, 28231, Las Rozas de Madrid, Spain
⁶⁸ Dipartimento di Fisica “Aldo Pontremoli”, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 16, 20133 Milano, Italy
⁶⁹ Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1029 Blindern, 0315 Oslo, Norway
⁷⁰ Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2333 CC Leiden, The Netherlands
⁷¹ Department of Physics, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YB, UK
⁷² Felix Hormuth Engineering, Goethestr. 17, 69181 Leimen, Germany
⁷³ Technical University of Denmark, Elektrovej 327, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
⁷⁴ NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
⁷⁵ Department of Physics and Helsinki Institute of Physics, Gustaf Hällströmin katu 2, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
⁷⁶ Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London, Holmbury St Mary, Dorking, Surrey RH5 6NT, UK
⁷⁷ Université de Genève, Département de Physique Théorique and Centre for Astroparticle Physics, 24 quai Ernest-Ansermet, CH-1211 Genève 4, Switzerland
⁷⁸ Department of Physics, PO Box 64, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
⁷⁹ Helsinki Institute of Physics, Gustaf Hällströmin katu 2, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
⁸⁰ Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
⁸¹ NOVA optical infrared instrumentation group at ASTRON, Oude Hoogeveensedijk 4, 7991PD, Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
⁸² INFN-Sezione di Milano, Via Celoria 16, 20133 Milano, Italy
⁸³ Universität Bonn, Argelander-Institut für Astronomie, Auf dem Hügel 71, 53121 Bonn, Germany
⁸⁴ Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia “Augusto Righi” – Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, via Piero Gobetti 93/2, 40129 Bologna, Italy
⁸⁵ Department of Physics, Centre for Extragalactic Astronomy, Durham University, South Road, DH1 3LE, UK
⁸⁶ Infrared Processing and Analysis Center, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
⁸⁷ Université Côte d’Azur, Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, CNRS, Laboratoire Lagrange, Bd de l’Observatoire, CS 34229, 06304 Nice cedex 4, France
⁸⁸ Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Astroparticule et Cosmologie, 75013 Paris, France
⁸⁹ University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Northwestern Switzerland, School of Engineering, 5210 Windisch, Switzerland
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 Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales – Centre spatial de Toulouse, 18 avenue Edouard Belin, 31401 Toulouse Cedex 9, France
⁹⁷ Institute of Space Science, Str. Atomistilor, nr. 409 Măgurele, Ilfov, 077125, Romania
⁹⁸ INFN-Padova, Via Marzolo 8, 35131 Padova, Italy
⁹⁹ Departamento de Física, FCFM, Universidad de Chile, Blanco Encalada 2008, Santiago, Chile
¹⁰⁰ Universität Innsbruck, Institut für Astro- und Teilchenphysik, Technikerstr. 25/8, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
¹⁰¹ Satlantis, University Science Park, Sede Bld 48940, Leioa-Bilbao, Spain
¹⁰² Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-018 Lisboa, Portugal
¹⁰³ Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena, Departamento de Electrónica y Tecnología de Computadoras, Plaza del Hospital 1, 30202 Cartagena, Spain
¹⁰⁴ Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie (IRAP), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, CNES, 14 Av. Edouard Belin, 31400 Toulouse, France
¹⁰⁵ INFN-Bologna, Via Irnerio 46, 40126 Bologna, Italy
¹⁰⁶ Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli studi di Genova, and INFN- Sezione di Genova, via Dodecaneso 33, 16146 Genova, Italy
¹⁰⁷ INAF, Istituto di Radioastronomia, Via Piero Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy
¹⁰⁸ Institut für Theoretische Physik, University of Heidelberg, Philosophenweg 16, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
¹⁰⁹ Université St Joseph; Faculty of Sciences, Beirut, Lebanon
¹¹⁰ Junia, EPA department, 41 Bd Vauban, 59800 Lille, France
¹¹¹ IFPU, Institute for Fundamental Physics of the Universe, via Beirut 2, 34151 Trieste, Italy
¹¹² SISSA, International School for Advanced Studies, Via Bonomea 265, 34136 Trieste TS, Italy
¹¹³ INFN, Sezione di Trieste, Via Valerio 2, 34127 Trieste TS, Italy
¹¹⁴ ICSC – Centro Nazionale di Ricerca in High Performance Computing, Big Data e Quantum Computing, Via Magnanelli 2, Bologna, Italy
¹¹⁵ Aurora Technology for European Space Agency (ESA), Camino bajo del Castillo, s/n, Urbanizacion Villafranca del Castillo, Villanueva de la Cañada, 28692 Madrid, Spain
¹¹⁶ Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC V6T 1Z1, Canada

^★★ Corresponding author; jweaver@astro.umass.edu

Received: 20 May 2024
Accepted: 17 June 2024

Abstract

This paper presents a search for high redshift galaxies from the Euclid Early Release Observations program ‘Magnifying Lens.’ The 1.5 deg² area covered by the twin Abell lensing cluster fields is comparable in size to the few other deep near-infrared surveys such as COSMOS, and so provides an opportunity to significantly increase known samples of rare UV-bright galaxies at z ≈ 6–8 (M_UV ≲ −22). Beyond their still uncertain role in reionisation, these UV-bright galaxies are ideal laboratories from which to study galaxy formation and constrain the bright-end of the UV luminosity function. Of the 501 994 sources detected from a combined Y_E, J_E, and H_E NISP detection image, 168 do not have any appreciable VIS/I_E flux. These objects span a range in spectral colours, separated into two classes: 139 extremely red sources; and 29 Lyman-break galaxy candidates. Best-fit redshifts and spectral templates suggest the former is composed of both z ≳ 5 dusty star-forming galaxies and z ≈ 1–3 quiescent systems. The latter is composed of more homogeneous Lyman-break galaxies at z ≈ 6–8. In both cases, contamination by L- and T-type dwarfs cannot be ruled out with Euclid images alone. Additional contamination from instrumental persistence is investigated using a novel time series analysis. This work lays the foundation for future searches within the Euclid Deep Fields, where thousands more z ≳ 6 Lyman-break systems and extremely red sources will be identified.