The MICADO first light imager for the ELT: Simulated Observations of Star Forming Clumps at Cosmic Noon

@misc{simioni2026micado,
  title = {{The MICADO first light imager for the ELT: Simulated Observations of Star Forming Clumps at Cosmic Noon}},
  author = {Matteo Simioni and Carmelo Arcidiacono and Andrea Grazian and Marco Gullieuszik and Elisa Portaluri and Alvio Renzini and Benedetta Vulcani and Anita Zanella and Francesca Annibali and Michele Cirasuolo and Richard Davies and Natascha Förster Schreiber and Johanna Hartke and Hanindyo Kuncarayakti and Matteo Messa and Stefan Raffetseder and Letizia Scaloni and Elena Valenti and Eros Vanzella and Joël Vernet and Roland Wagner},
  howpublished = {arXiv},
  year = {2026},
  month = sep,
  doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2609.07824},
  eprint = {2609.07824},
  archivePrefix = {arXiv},
  url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.07824},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}

TY  - UNPB
TI  - The MICADO first light imager for the ELT: Simulated Observations of Star Forming Clumps at Cosmic Noon
AU  - Matteo Simioni
AU  - Carmelo Arcidiacono
AU  - Andrea Grazian
AU  - Marco Gullieuszik
AU  - Elisa Portaluri
AU  - Alvio Renzini
AU  - Benedetta Vulcani
AU  - Anita Zanella
AU  - Francesca Annibali
AU  - Michele Cirasuolo
AU  - Richard Davies
AU  - Natascha Förster Schreiber
AU  - Johanna Hartke
AU  - Hanindyo Kuncarayakti
AU  - Matteo Messa
AU  - Stefan Raffetseder
AU  - Letizia Scaloni
AU  - Elena Valenti
AU  - Eros Vanzella
AU  - Joël Vernet
AU  - Roland Wagner
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/07
PB  - arXiv
DO  - 10.48550/arxiv.2609.07824
UR  - https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.07824
AB  - Galaxies at redshift z∼2-6 exhibit prominent star-forming regions (clumps). Characterisation of these galactic structures requires both high sensitivity and spatial resolution of ∼100 pc or less. Currently, these spatial scales are achievable only with the aid of strong gravitational lensing. However, lensing introduces model-dependent uncertainties and limits the sample to galaxies behind massive clusters. The upcoming 40m-class telescopes, such as the ESO Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), will enable routine studies of clumps in ubiquitous, non-lensed z≥2 galaxies. We assess the capability of MICADO, the first-light imager and spectrograph of the ELT, to characterise clumps in non-lensed z=2 galaxies. Specifically, we focus on two representative observing scenarios, providing the basis for an early scientific exploitation of the instrument. We modelled clumps in an idealised z=2 star-forming galaxy and produced mock MICADO observations in both broad- and narrow-band imaging. The latter leverages the strong emission lines typical of clumps to improve detection and characterisation. Reaching UV rest-frame magnitudes of clumps as faint as M_UV ∼ −15 in optimal observing conditions, MICADO will be able to efficiently characterise clumps in non-lensed z=2 galaxies down to R_e ∼ 20 pc. Moreover, the full MICADO ∼1 arcmin^2 field of view enables efficient surveys of multiple targets. This study demonstrates MICADO's potential to fill a crucial observational gap, shedding new light on clump formation and evolution at cosmic noon. Accurate PSF reconstruction will be crucial to fully harness this capability as it significantly impacts clump detection and characterisation, especially at the smallest sizes (<40 pc).
ER  -