Search

We present Virgil, a MIRI extremely red object (MERO) detected with the F1000W filter as part of the MIRI Deep Imaging Survey (MIDIS) observations of the Hubble Ultra Deep Field (HUDF). Virgil is a Lyman-$\alpha$ emitter (LAE) at $z_{spec} = 6.6312\pm 0.0019$ (from VLT/MUSE) with a rest-frame UV-to-optical spectral energy distribution (SED) typical of LAEs at similar redshifts. However, MIRI observations reveal an unexpected extremely red color at rest-frame near-infrared wavelengths, $\rm F444W - F1000W = 2.33 \pm 0.06$. Such steep rise in the near-infrared, completely missed without MIRI imaging, is poorly reproduced by models including only stellar populations and hints towards the presence of an Active Galactic Nucleus (AGN). Interestingly, the overall SED shape of Virgil resembles that of the recently discovered population of Little Red Dots (LRDs) but does not meet their compactness criterion: at rest-frame UV-optical wavelengths Virgil's morphology follows a 2D-S\'ersic profile with average index $n = 0.93^{+0.85}_{-0.31}$ and $r_e = 0.43$~pkpc. Only at MIRI wavelengths Virgil is unresolved due to the coarser PSF. We also estimate a bolometric luminosity $L_{\rm bol} = (8.4-11.1)\times 10^{44}\rm~erg~s^{-1}$ and a supermassive black hole mass $M_{\rm BH} = (4-7)\times 10^7\rm ~ M_\odot$ in agreement with recently reported values for LRDs. This discovery demonstrates the crucial importance of deep MIRI surveys to find AGN amongst high-$z$ galaxies that otherwise would be completely missed and raises the question of how common Virgil-like objects could be in the early Universe., Comment: 17 pages, 10 figures, 3 tables. Submitted to ApJ

The Cosmological Advanced Survey Telescope for Optical and UV Research (CASTOR) is a planned flagship space telescope, covering the blue-optical and UV part of the spectrum. Here we introduce the CASTOR image simulator, a Python GalSim package-based script capable of generating mock CASTOR images from an input catalogue. We generate example images from the CASTOR Wide, Deep, and Ultra-Deep surveys using simulated light-cones from the Santa Cruz Semi-Analytic Model. We make predictions for the performance of these surveys by comparing galaxies that are extracted from each image using Source Extractor to the input catalogue. We find that the Wide, Deep, and Ultra-Deep surveys will be complete to ~27, 29 and 30 mag, respectively, in the UV, u, and g filters, with the UV-split and u-split filters reaching a shallower depth. With a large area of ~2200 deg$^2$, the Wide survey will detect hundreds of millions of galaxies out to z~4, mostly with $M_\ast \gtrsim 10^9 M_\odot$. The Ultra-Deep survey will probe to z~5, detecting a large fraction of $M_\ast \simeq 10^8 M_\odot$ galaxies. These powerful samples will enable precision measurements of the distribution of star formation in the cosmic web, connecting the growth of stellar mass to the assembly of dark matter halos over two thirds of the history of the Universe, and other core goals of CASTOR's legacy surveys. These image simulations and the tools developed to generate them will be a vital planning tool to estimate CASTOR's performance and iterate the telescope and survey designs prior to launch., Comment: Submitted to AJ

We report the discovery of Cerberus, an extremely red object detected with the MIRI Deep Imaging Survey (MIDIS) observations in the F1000W filter of the Hubble Ultra Deep Field. The object is detected at $S/N\sim6$, with $\mathrm{F1000W}\sim27$ mag, and undetected in the NIRCam data gathered by the JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey, JADES, fainter than the 30.0-30.5 mag $5\sigma$ detection limits in individual bands, as well as in the MIDIS F560W ultra-deep data ($\sim$29 mag, $5\sigma$). Analyzing the spectral energy distribution built with low-$S/N$ ($<5$) measurements in individual optical-to-mid-infrared filters and higher $S/N$ ($\gtrsim5$) in stacked NIRCam data, we discuss the possible nature of this red NIRCam-dark source using a battery of codes. We discard the possibility of Cerberus being a Solar System body based on the $<0.016$" proper motion in the 1-year apart JADES and MIDIS observations. A sub-stellar Galactic nature is deemed unlikely, given that the Cerberus' relatively flat NIRCam-to-NIRCam and very red NIRCam-to-MIRI flux ratios are not consistent with any brown dwarf model. The extragalactic nature of Cerberus offers 3 possibilities: (1) A $z\sim0.4$ galaxy with strong emission from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; the very low inferred stellar mass, $\mathrm{M}_\star=10^{5-6}$ M$_\odot$, makes this possibility highly improbable. (2) A dusty galaxy at $z\sim4$ with an inferred stellar mass $\mathrm{M}_\star\sim10^{8}$ M$_\odot$. (3) A galaxy with observational properties similar to those of the reddest little red dots discovered around $z\sim7$, but Cerberus lying at $z\sim15$, with the rest-frame optical dominated by emission from a dusty torus or a dusty starburst., Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJL, results unchanged, manuscript shortened to publish as a letter

We study the stellar population properties of 182 spectroscopically-confirmed (MUSE/VLT) Lyman-$\alpha$ emitters (LAEs) and 450 photometrically-selected Lyman-Break galaxies (LBGs) at z = 2.8 - 6.7 in the Hubble eXtreme Deep Field (XDF). Leveraging the combined power of HST and JWST NIRCam and MIRI observations, we analyse their rest-frame UV-through-near-IR spectral energy distributions (SEDs) with MIRI playing a crucial role in robustly assessing the LAE's stellar mass and ages. Our LAEs are low-mass objects (log$_{10}$(M$_\star$[M$_\odot$]) ~ 7.5), with little or no dust extinction (E(B - V) ~ 0.1) and a blue UV continuum slope ($\beta$ ~ -2.2). While 75% of our LAEs are young (< 100 Myr), the remaining 25% have significantly older stellar populations (> 100 Myr). These old LAEs are statistically more massive, less extinct and have lower specific star formation rate (sSFR) compared to young LAEs. Besides, they populate the M$_\star$ - SFR plane along the main-sequence (MS) of star-forming galaxies, while young LAEs populate the starburst region. The comparison between the LAEs properties to those of a stellar-mass matched sample of LBGs shows no statistical difference between these objects, except for the LBGs redder UV continuum slope and marginally larger E(B - V) values. Interestingly, 48% of the LBGs have ages < 10 Myr and are classified as starbursts, but lack detectable Ly$\alpha$ emission. This is likely due to HI resonant scattering and/or selective dust extinction. Overall, we find that JWST observations are crucial in determining the properties of LAEs and shedding light on the properties and similarities between LAEs and LBGs., Comment: 22 pages, 15 figures, 5 tables. Accepted for publication in APJ

We present deep James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)/MIRI F560W observations of a flux-limited, ALMA-selected sample of 28 galaxies at z=0.5-3.6 in the Hubble Ultra Deep Field (HUDF). The data from the MIRI Deep Imaging Survey (MIDIS) reveal the stellar structure of the HUDF galaxies at rest-wavelengths of >1 micron for the first time. We revise the stellar mass estimates using new JWST photometry and find good agreement with pre-JWST analysis; the few discrepancies can be explained by blending issues in the earlier lower-resolution Spitzer data. At z~2.5, the resolved rest-frame near-infrared (1.6 micron) structure of the galaxies is significantly more smooth and centrally concentrated than seen by HST at rest-frame 450 nm (F160W), with effective radii of Re(F560W)=1-5 kpc and S\'ersic indices mostly close to an exponential (disk-like) profile (n~1), up to n~5 (excluding AGN). We find an average size ratio of Re(F560W)/Re(F160W)~0.7 that decreases with stellar mass. The stellar structure of the ALMA-selected galaxies is indistinguishable from a HUDF reference sample of galaxies with comparable MIRI flux density. We supplement our analysis with custom-made, position-dependent, empirical PSF models for the F560W observations. The results imply that a smoother stellar structure is in place in massive gas-rich, star-forming galaxies at Cosmic Noon, despite a more clumpy rest-frame optical appearance, placing additional constraints on galaxy formation simulations. As a next step, matched-resolution, resolved ALMA observations will be crucial to further link the mass- and light-weighted galaxy structures to the dusty interstellar medium., Comment: 19 pages, 12 figures, 1 table, Accepted for publication in ApJ

We present new Spitzer Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) 3.6 and 4.5{\mu}m mosaics of three fields, E-COSMOS, DEEP2-F3, and ELAIS-N1. Our mosaics include both new IRAC observations as well as re-processed archival data in these fields. These fields are part of the HSC-Deep grizy survey and have a wealth of additional ancillary data. The addition of these new IRAC mosaics is critical in allowing for improved photometric redshifts and stellar population parameters at cosmic noon and earlier epochs. The total area mapped by this work is {\sim} 17 deg2 with a mean integration time of {\sim}1200s, providing a median 5{\sigma} depth of 23.7(23.3) at 3.6(4.5){\mu}m in AB. We perform SExtractor photometry both on the combined mosaics as well as the single-epoch mosaics taken {\sim}6 months apart. The resultant IRAC number counts show good agreement with previous studies. In combination with the wealth of existing and upcoming spectro-photometric data in these fields, our IRAC mosaics will enable a wide range of galactic evolution and AGN studies. With that goal in mind, we make the combined IRAC mosaics and coverage maps of these three fields publicly available. counts show good agreement with previous studies., Comment: accepted for publication in AJ

We present the ultraviolet luminosity function and an estimate of the cosmic star formation rate density at $88$ galaxy candidates based on their dropout nature in the F115W and/or F150W filters, a high probability for their photometric redshifts, estimated with three different codes, being at $z>8$, good fits based on $\chi^2$ calculations, and predominant solutions compared to $z<8$ alternatives. We find mild evolution in the luminosity function from $z\sim13$ to $z\sim8$, i.e., only a small increase in the average number density of $\sim$0.2 dex, while the faint-end slope and absolute magnitude of the knee remain approximately constant, with values $\alpha=-2.2\pm0.1$ and $M^*=-20.8\pm0.2$ mag. Comparing our results with the predictions of state-of-the-art galaxy evolution models, we find two main results: (1) a slower increase with time in the cosmic star formation rate density compared to a steeper rise predicted by models; (2) nearly a factor of 10 higher star formation activity concentrated in scales around 2 kpc in galaxies with stellar masses $\sim10^8$ M$_\odot$ during the first 350 Myr of the Universe, $z\sim12$, with models matching better the luminosity density observational estimations $\sim$150 Myr later, by $z\sim9$., Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJL, in memoriam Hans Ulrik Noorgaard-Nielsen and Olivier Le F\`evre

Using the extended halo-based group finder developed by Yang et al. (2021), which is able to deal with galaxies via spectroscopic and photometric redshifts simultaneously, we construct galaxy group and candidate protocluster catalogs in a wide redshift range ($0 < z < 6$) from the joint CFHT Large Area $U$-band Deep Survey (CLAUDS) and Hyper Suprime-Cam Subaru Strategic Program (HSC-SSP) deep data set. Based on a selection of 5,607,052 galaxies with $i$-band magnitude $m_{i} < 26$ and a sky coverage of $34.41\ {\rm deg}^2$, we identify a total of 2,232,134 groups, within which 402,947 groups have at least three member galaxies. We have visually checked and discussed the general properties of those richest groups at redshift $z>2.0$. By checking the galaxy number distributions within a $5-7\ h^{-1}\mathrm{Mpc}$ projected separation and a redshift difference $\Delta z \le 0.1$ around those richest groups at redshift $z>2$, we identified a list of 761, 343 and 43 protocluster candidates in the redshift bins $2\leq z<3$, $3\leq z<4$ and $z \geq 4$, respectively. In general, these catalogs of galaxy groups and protocluster candidates will provide useful environmental information in probing galaxy evolution along the cosmic time., Comment: 25 pages, 16 figures, 2 tables, accepted for publication in ApJ

We measure the colour evolution and quenching time-scales of $z=1.0-1.8$ galaxies across the green valley. We derive rest-frame $NUVrK$ colours and select blue-cloud, green-valley and red-sequence galaxies from the spectral energy distribution modelling of CANDELS GOODS-South and UDS multi-band photometry. Separately, we constrain the star-formation history (SFH) parameters (ages, $\tau$) of these galaxies by fitting their deep archival HST grism spectroscopy. We derive the galaxy colour-age relation and show that only rapidly evolving galaxies with characteristic delayed-$\tau$ SFH time-scales of $<0.5$ Gyr reach the red sequence at these redshifts, after a period of accelerated colour evolution across the green valley. These results indicate that the stellar mass build-up of these galaxies stays minimal after leaving the blue cloud and entering the green valley (i.e., it may represent $\lesssim 5\%$ of the galaxies' final, quiescent masses). Visual inspection of age-sensitive features in the stacked spectra also supports the view that these galaxies follow a quenching sequence along the blue-cloud $\rightarrow$ green-valley $\rightarrow$ red-sequence track. For this rapidly evolving population, we measure a green-valley crossing time-scale of $0.99^{+0.42}_{-0.25}$ Gyr and a crossing rate at the bottom of the green valley of $0.82^{+0.27}_{-0.25}$ mag/Gyr. Based on these time-scales, we estimate that the number density of massive ($M_\star>10^{10} M_\odot$) red-sequence galaxies doubles every Gyr at these redshifts, in remarkable agreement with the evolution of the quiescent galaxy stellar mass function. These results offer a new approach to measuring galaxy quenching over time and represent a pathfinder study for future JWST, Euclid, and Roman Space Telescope programs., Comment: 23 pages, 16 figures, 1 appendix. Accepted for publication in MNRAS

The colour bimodality of galaxies provides an empirical basis for theories of galaxy evolution. However, the balance of processes that begets this bimodality has not yet been constrained. A more detailed view of the galaxy population is needed, which we achieve in this paper by using unsupervised machine learning to combine multi-dimensional data at two different epochs. We aim to understand the cosmic evolution of galaxy subpopulations by uncovering substructures within the colour bimodality. We choose a clustering algorithm that models clusters using only the most discriminative data available, and apply it to two galaxy samples: one from the second edition of the GALEX-SDSS-WISE Legacy Catalogue (GSWLC-2; $z \sim 0.06$), and the other from the VIMOS Public Extragalactic Redshift Survey (VIPERS; $z \sim 0.65$). We cluster within a nine-dimensional feature space defined purely by rest-frame ultraviolet-through-near-infrared colours. Both samples are similarly partitioned into seven clusters, breaking down into four of mostly star-forming galaxies (including the vast majority of green valley galaxies) and three of mostly passive galaxies. The separation between these two families of clusters suggests differences in the evolution of their galaxies, and that these differences are strongly expressed in their colours alone. The samples are closely related, with star-forming/green-valley clusters at both epochs forming morphological sequences, capturing the gradual internally-driven growth of galaxy bulges. At high stellar masses, this growth is linked with quenching. However, it is only in our low-redshift sample that additional, environmental processes appear to be involved in the evolution of low-mass passive galaxies., Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS. 22 pages, 15 figures

We present the result of a search for orphan Gamma-Ray Burst (GRB) afterglows in the Pan-STARRS1 (PS1) COSMOS survey. There is extensive theoretical and observational evidence suggesting that GRBs are collimated jets; the direct observation of orphan GRB afterglows would further support this model. An optimal survey strategy is designed by coupling the PS1 survey with the Subaru/Hyper-Suprime-Cam (HSC) survey. The PS1 COSMOS survey, one of the survey fields in the PS1 Medium Deep Survey (PS1/MDS), searches a field of 7 deg$^2$ from December 2011 to January 2014, reaching a limiting magnitude R $\sim$ 23. The dense cadence of PS1/MDS is crucial for identifying transients, and the deep magnitude reached by the HSC survey (R $\sim$ 26) is important for evaluating potential GRB hosts. A transient classification method is employed to select potential orphan GRB afterglow candidates. After a thorough analysis of the transient and host galaxy properties, we conclude that there are no candidates in this survey field. The null result implies that the consideration of jet structures is essential for further orphan GRB afterglow surveys., Comment: Matches published version; 16 pages, 7 figures, 4 tables

We study the environments of a sample of 61 extremely rare z~1.6 Ultra-Massive Passively Evolving Galaxies (UMPEGs: stellar masses M_stars >10^11.5 M_sun) which -- based on clustering analysis presented in Cheema et al. (2020) -- appear to be associated with very massive (M_halo ~ 10^14.1 h^-1 M_sun) dark matter halos that are likely to be the progenitors of z~0 massive (Coma- and Virgo-like) galaxy clusters. We find that UMPEGs on average have fewer than one satellite galaxy with mass ratio M_sat : M_UMPEG >~ 1:5 (i.e., M_sat >~ 10^10.8 M_sun) within 0.5 Mpc; the large mass gap that we observe between the typical UMPEG and its most massive satellite implies that the z~1.6 UMPEGs assembled through major mergers. Using observed satellite counts with merger timescales from the literature, we estimate the growth rate due to mergers with mass ratio of >~ 1:4 to be ~13% Gyr^-1 (with a ~2x systematic uncertainty). This relatively low growth rate is unlikely to significantly affect the shape of the massive end of the stellar mass function, whose evolution must instead be driven by the quenching of new cohorts of ultra-massive star-forming galaxies. However, this growth rate is high enough that, if sustained to z~0, the typical z~1.6 M_UMPEG=10^11.6 M_sun UMPEG can grow into a M_stars~10^12 M_sun brightest cluster galaxy (BCG) of a present-day massive galaxy cluster. Our observations favour a scenario in which our UMPEGs are main-branch progenitors of some of the present-day BCGs that have first assembled through major mergers at high redshifts and grown further through (likely minor) merging at later times., Comment: accepted for publication in MNRAS

We use a 27.6 deg$^2$ survey to measure the clustering of $gzK_s$-selected quiescent galaxies at $z\sim1.6$, focusing on ultra-massive quiescent galaxies. We find that $z\sim1.6$ Ultra-Massive Passively Evolving Galaxies (UMPEGs), which have $K_s(AB)<19.75$ (stellar masses of $M_{stars}$ $>\sim 10^{11.4}M_{\odot}$ and mean $<$$M_{stars}$$>$ = $10^{11.5}M_{\odot}$), cluster more strongly than any other known galaxy population at high redshift. Comparing their correlation length, $r_0 = 29.77 \pm 2.75$ $ h^{-1}$Mpc, with the clustering of dark matter halos in the Millennium XXL N-body simulation suggests that these $z\sim1.6$ UMPEGs reside in dark matter halos of mass $M_{h}\sim10^{14.1}h^{-1}M_{\odot}$. Such very massive $z\sim1.6$ halos are associated with the ancestors of $z\sim0$ massive galaxy clusters such as the Virgo and Coma clusters. Given their extreme stellar masses and lack of companions with comparable mass, we surmise that these UMPEGs could be the already-quenched central massive galaxies of their (proto)clusters. We conclude that with only a modest amount of further growth in their stellar mass, $z\sim1.6$ UMPEGs could be the progenitors of some of the massive central galaxies of present-day massive galaxy clusters observed to be already very massive and quiescent near the peak epoch of the cosmic star formation., Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS

We constrain the rest-frame FUV (1546\AA), NUV (2345\AA) and U-band (3690\AA) luminosity functions (LFs) and luminosity densities (LDs) with unprecedented precision from $z\sim0.2$ to $z\sim3$ (FUV, NUV) and $z\sim2$ (U-band). Our sample of over 4.3 million galaxies, selected from the CFHT Large Area $U$-band Deep Survey (CLAUDS) and HyperSuprime-Cam Subaru Strategic Program (HSC-SSP) data lets us probe the very faint regime (down to $M_\mathrm{FUV},M_\mathrm{NUV},M_\mathrm{U} \simeq -15$ at low redshift) while simultaneously detecting very rare galaxies at the bright end down to comoving densities $<10^{-5}$ Mpc$^{-3}$. Our FUV and NUV LFs are well fitted by single Schechter functions, with faint-end slopes that are very stable up to $z\sim2$. We confirm, but self-consistently and with much better precision than previous studies, that the LDs at all three wavelengths increase rapidly with lookback time to $z\sim1$, and then much more slowly at $11$ it is due to the evolution of both $M^\star_{UV}$ and the characteristic number density $\phi^\star_{UV}$. In contrast, the U-band LF has an excess of faint galaxies and is fitted with a double-Schechter form; $M^\star_\mathrm{U}$, both $\phi^\star_\mathrm{U}$ components, and the bright-end slope evolve throughout $0.2

The properties of low-mass galaxies hosting central black holes provide clues about the formation and evolution of the progenitors of supermassive black holes. In this letter, we present HSC-XD 52, a spectroscopically confirmed low-mass active galactic nucleus (AGN) at an intermediate redshift of $z\sim0.56$. We detect this object as a very luminous X-ray source coincident with a galaxy observed by the Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) as part of a broader search for low-mass AGN. We constrain its stellar mass through spectral energy distribution modeling to be LMC-like at $M_\star \approx 3 \times 10^9 M_\odot$, placing it in the dwarf regime. We estimate a central black hole mass of $M_\mathrm{BH} \sim 10^{6} M_\odot$. With an average X-ray luminosity of $L_X \approx 3.5 \times 10^{43}~\mathrm{erg}~\mathrm{s}^{-1}$, HSC-XD 52 is among the most luminous X-ray selected AGN in dwarf galaxies. The spectroscopic and photometric properties of HSC-XD 52 indicate that it is an intermediate redshift counterpart to local low-mass AGN., Comment: accepted to ApJL; 8 pages, 4 figures, 1 table

The CFHT Large Area U-band Deep Survey (CLAUDS) uses data taken with the MegaCam mosaic imager on CFHT to produce images of 18.60 deg2 with median seeing of FWHM=0.92 arcsec and to a median depth of U = 27.1 AB (5 sigma in 2 arcsec apertures), with selected areas that total 1.36 deg2 reaching a median depth of U=27.7 AB. These are the deepest U-band images assembled to date over this large an area. These data are located in four fields also imaged to comparably faint levels in grizy and several narrowband filters as part of the Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) Subaru Strategic Program (HSC-SSP). These CFHT and Subaru datasets will remain unmatched in their combination of area and depth until the advent of the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST). This paper provides an overview of the scientific motivation for CLAUDS and gives details of the observing strategy, observations, data reduction, and data merging with the HSC-SSP. Three early applications of these deep data are used to illustrate the potential of the dataset: deep U-band galaxy number counts, z~3 Lyman break galaxy (LBG) selection, and photometric redshifts improved by adding CLAUDS U to the Subaru HSC grizy photometry., Comment: MNRAS, in press

We introduce the largest to date survey of massive quiescent galaxies at redshift z~1.6. With these data, which cover 27.6 deg^2, we can find significant numbers of very rare objects such as ultra-massive quiescent galaxies that populate the extreme massive end of the galaxy mass function, or dense environments that are likely to become present-day massive galaxy clusters. In this paper, the first in a series, we apply our gzK adaptation of the BzK technique to select our z~1.6 galaxy catalog and then study the quiescent galaxy stellar mass function with good statistics over M_stars ~ 10^10.2 - 10^11.7 M_sun --- a factor of 30 in mass --- including 60 ultra-massive z~1.6 quiescent galaxies with M_stars > 10^11.5 M_sun. We find that the stellar mass function of quiescent galaxies at z~1.6 is well represented by the Schechter function over this large mass range. This suggests that the mass quenching mechanism observed at lower redshifts must have already been well established by this epoch, and that it is likely due to a single physical mechanism over a wide range of mass. This close adherence to the Schechter shape also suggests that neither merging nor gravitational lensing significantly affect the observed quenched population. Finally, comparing measurements of M* parameters for quiescent and star-forming populations (ours and from the literature), we find hints of an offset (M*_SF > M*_PE), that could suggest that the efficiency of the quenching process evolves with time., Comment: Accepted for publication by MNRAS

We investigate the connection between X-ray and radio-loud AGNs and the physical properties of their evolved and massive host galaxies, focussing on the mass-related quenching channel followed by $\mathcal{M}^\star (\simeq 10^{10.6} M_\odot)$ galaxies in the rest-frame NUVrK colour diagram at $0.2 < z < 0.5$. While our results confirm that (1) radio-loud AGNs are predominantly hosted by already-quenched and very massive ($M_*>10^{11}M_\odot$) galaxies, ruling out their feedback as a primary driver of $\mathcal{M}^\star$ galaxy quenching, we found that (2) X-ray AGNs affected by heavy obscuration of their soft X-ray emission are mostly hosted by $\mathcal{M}^\star$ galaxies that are in the process of quenching. This is consistent with a quenching scenario that involves mergers of (gas-poor) $\mathcal{M}^\star$ galaxies $after$ the onset of the quenching process, i.e., a scenario where $\mathcal{M}^\star$ galaxy mergers are not the cause but rather an aftermath of the quenching mechanism(s). In that respect, we discuss how our results may support a picture where the slow quenching of $\mathcal{M}^\star$ galaxies happens due to halo-halo mergers along cosmic filaments., Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRAS; published version

We investigate the connection between environment and the different quenching channels that galaxies are prone to follow in the rest-frame NUVrK colour diagram, as identified by Moutard et al. (2016b). Namely, the fast quenching channel followed by $young$ low-mass galaxies and the slow quenching channel followed by $old$ high-mass ones. We make use of the >22 deg$^2$ covered the VIPERS Multi-Lambda Survey (VIPERS-MLS) to select a galaxy sample complete down to stellar masses of $M_* > 10^{9.4} M_\odot$ at $z < 0.65$ ($M_* > 10^{8.8} M_\odot$ at $z < 0.5$) and including 33,500 (43,000) quiescent galaxies properly selected at $0.2 < z < 0.65$, while being characterized by reliable photometric redshifts ($\sigma_{\delta z/(1+z)} \leq 0.04$) that we use to measure galaxy local densities. We find that (1) the quiescence of low-mass [$M_* \leq 10^{9.7} M_\odot$] galaxies requires a strong increase of the local density, which confirms the lead role played by environment in their fast quenching and, therefore, confirms that the low-mass upturn observed in the stellar mass function of quiescent galaxies is due to $environmental$ $quenching$. We also observe that (2) the reservoir of low-mass star-forming galaxies located in very dense regions (prone to environmental quenching) has grown between $z \sim 0.6$ and $ z \sim 0.4$ whilst the share of low-mass quiescent galaxies (expected to being environmentally quenched) may have simultaneously increased, which would plead for a rising importance of $environmental$ $quenching$ with cosmic time, compared to $mass$ $quenching$. We finally discuss the composite picture of such environmental quenching of low-mass galaxies and, in particular, how this picture may be consistent with a $delayed$-$then$-$rapid$ quenching scenario., Comment: 14 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS; published version

We estimate the stellar mass that satellite galaxies lose once they enter groups (and clusters) by identifying groups in a high-resolution cosmological N-body simulation, assigning entry masses to satellite galaxies with halo abundance matching at the entry time, and comparing the predicted conditional stellar mass function of satellite galaxies at $z\simeq0$ with observations. Our results depend on the mass of the stars that form in satellite galaxies after the entry time. A model in which star formation shuts down completely as soon a galaxy enters a group environment is ruled out because it underpredicts the stellar masses of satellite galaxies even in the absence of tidal stripping. The greater is the stellar mass that is allowed to form, the greater the fraction that needs to be tidally stripped. The stellar mass fraction lost by satellite galaxies after entering a group or cluster environment is consistent with any value in the range $0-40\%$. To place stronger constraints, we consider a more refined model of tidal stripping of galaxies on elongated orbits (where stripping occurs at orbit pericentres). Our model predicts less tidal stripping: satellite galaxies lose $\sim 20-25\%$ of their stellar mass since their entry into the group. This finding is consistent with a slow-starvation delayed-quenching picture, in which galaxies that enter a group or cluster environment keep forming stars until at least the first pericentric passage., Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS. 27 pages, 22 figures

We measure the cross-correlation signature between the Planck CMB lensing map and the weak lensing observations from both the Red-sequence Cluster Lensing Survey (RCSLenS) and the Canada-France-Hawai Telescope Lensing Survey (CFHTLenS). In addition to a Fourier analysis, we include the first configuration-space detection, based on the estimators $\langle \kappa_{\rm CMB} \kappa_{\rm gal} \rangle$ and $\langle \kappa_{\rm CMB} \gamma_{t} \rangle$. Combining 747.2 deg$^2$ from both surveys, we find a detection significance that exceeds $4.2\sigma$ in both Fourier- and configuration-space analyses. Scaling the predictions by a free parameter $A$, we obtain $A^{\rm Planck}_{\rm CFHT}= 0.68\pm 0.31 $ and $A^{\rm Planck}_{\rm RCS}= 1.31\pm 0.33$. In preparation for the next generation of measurements similar to these, we quantify the impact of different analysis choices on these results. First, since none of these estimators probes the exact same dynamical range, we improve our detection by combining them. Second, we carry out a detailed investigation on the effect of apodization, zero-padding and mask multiplication, validated on a suite of high-resolution simulations, and find that the latter produces the largest systematic bias in the cosmological interpretation. Finally, we show that residual contamination from intrinsic alignment and the effect of photometric redshift error are both largely degenerate with the characteristic signal from massive neutrinos, however the signature of baryon feedback might be easier to distinguish. The three lensing datasets are now publicly available., Comment: Version accepted by MNRAS. This paper has 23 pages, 18 figures, and is coordinated with a public release of the RCSLenS lensing data: http://www.cadc-ccda.hia-iha.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/en/community/rcslens/query.html (see arXiv:1603.07722)