Euclid preparation. Probing galaxy evolution within cosmic voids in Euclid-like simulations
Abstract
The evolution of galaxies is profoundly influenced by the environment in which they reside. Cosmic voids serve as pristine laboratories for studying galaxy evolution in the relative absence of the complex physical processes that dominate denser environments. In this study, we investigate galaxy properties and merger histories as a function of environment using the GAlaxy Evolution and Assembly (GAEA) mock-observation lightcone replicating the Euclid Deep Survey as foreseen for the first Euclid data release. The Hα-selected galaxy sample spans the redshift range 0.4 < z < 1.8, corresponding to the interval over which Hα is accessible to Euclid slitless spectroscopy. We classify galaxies based on their void-centric distance and local density contrast, and compare their stellar mass, specific star formation rate, bulge-to-total stellar mass ratio, and halo mass across different environments. We further analyse the merger histories of these galaxies to study their assembly evolution. We find that galaxies located closer to void centres (dcc ≲ 0.7 Rv) are less massive, more actively star-forming, and more disc-dominated than galaxies in denser regions. Merger histories indicate that void galaxies do not experience fewer mergers, but rather that mergers occur later relative to galaxies in high-density regions. These results support a scenario in which the environment regulates the timing and nature of mergers rather than their overall frequency, producing a slower evolutionary path in low-density regions. We conclude by discussing the extent to which these trends are shaped by environmental parametrisation methods and observational selection effects. Our analysis provides a framework for interpreting forthcoming Euclid data and demonstrates Euclid's potential to identify cosmic voids and probe environmental effects on galaxy evolution.
Versions
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BibTeX
@misc{collaboration2026euclid,
title = {{Euclid preparation. Probing galaxy evolution within cosmic voids in Euclid-like simulations}},
author = {Euclid Collaboration and G. Papini and O. Cucciati and M. Bolzonella and S. Contarini and S. Sartori and K. Kraljic and C. M. Correa and P. Vielzeuf and G. De Lucia and A. Pisani and J. G. Sorce and M. Magliocchetti and C. Schimd and F. Fontanot and E. Sarpa and L. Pozzetti and A. Enia and E. Pouyer and M. Hirschmann and M. Spinelli and L. Xie and G. Zamorani and M. Fumagalli and M. Fossati and M. Aubert and P. Awad and A. W. S. Man and A. Kovács and K. V. Nedkova and B. Altieri and A. Amara and S. Andreon and N. Auricchio and C. Baccigalupi and M. Baldi and S. Bardelli and P. Battaglia and A. Biviano and E. Branchini and M. Brescia and S. Camera and V. Capobianco and C. Carbone and V. F. Cardone and J. Carretero and S. Casas and M. Castellano and G. Castignani and S. Cavuoti and K. C. Chambers and A. Cimatti and C. Colodro-Conde and G. Congedo and L. Conversi and Y. Copin and A. Costille and F. Courbin and H. M. Courtois and M. Cropper},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = may,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2605.30440},
eprint = {2605.30440},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.30440},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Euclid preparation. Probing galaxy evolution within cosmic voids in Euclid-like simulations
AU - Euclid Collaboration
AU - G. Papini
AU - O. Cucciati
AU - M. Bolzonella
AU - S. Contarini
AU - S. Sartori
AU - K. Kraljic
AU - C. M. Correa
AU - P. Vielzeuf
AU - G. De Lucia
AU - A. Pisani
AU - J. G. Sorce
AU - M. Magliocchetti
AU - C. Schimd
AU - F. Fontanot
AU - E. Sarpa
AU - L. Pozzetti
AU - A. Enia
AU - E. Pouyer
AU - M. Hirschmann
AU - M. Spinelli
AU - L. Xie
AU - G. Zamorani
AU - M. Fumagalli
AU - M. Fossati
AU - M. Aubert
AU - P. Awad
AU - A. W. S. Man
AU - A. Kovács
AU - K. V. Nedkova
AU - B. Altieri
AU - A. Amara
AU - S. Andreon
AU - N. Auricchio
AU - C. Baccigalupi
AU - M. Baldi
AU - S. Bardelli
AU - P. Battaglia
AU - A. Biviano
AU - E. Branchini
AU - M. Brescia
AU - S. Camera
AU - V. Capobianco
AU - C. Carbone
AU - V. F. Cardone
AU - J. Carretero
AU - S. Casas
AU - M. Castellano
AU - G. Castignani
AU - S. Cavuoti
AU - K. C. Chambers
AU - A. Cimatti
AU - C. Colodro-Conde
AU - G. Congedo
AU - L. Conversi
AU - Y. Copin
AU - A. Costille
AU - F. Courbin
AU - H. M. Courtois
AU - M. Cropper
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/05/28
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2605.30440
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.30440
AB - The evolution of galaxies is profoundly influenced by the environment in which they reside. Cosmic voids serve as pristine laboratories for studying galaxy evolution in the relative absence of the complex physical processes that dominate denser environments. In this study, we investigate galaxy properties and merger histories as a function of environment using the GAlaxy Evolution and Assembly (GAEA) mock-observation lightcone replicating the Euclid Deep Survey as foreseen for the first Euclid data release. The Hα-selected galaxy sample spans the redshift range 0.4 < z < 1.8, corresponding to the interval over which Hα is accessible to Euclid slitless spectroscopy. We classify galaxies based on their void-centric distance and local density contrast, and compare their stellar mass, specific star formation rate, bulge-to-total stellar mass ratio, and halo mass across different environments. We further analyse the merger histories of these galaxies to study their assembly evolution. We find that galaxies located closer to void centres (d_cc ≲ 0.7 R_v) are less massive, more actively star-forming, and more disc-dominated than galaxies in denser regions. Merger histories indicate that void galaxies do not experience fewer mergers, but rather that mergers occur later relative to galaxies in high-density regions. These results support a scenario in which the environment regulates the timing and nature of mergers rather than their overall frequency, producing a slower evolutionary path in low-density regions. We conclude by discussing the extent to which these trends are shaped by environmental parametrisation methods and observational selection effects. Our analysis provides a framework for interpreting forthcoming Euclid data and demonstrates Euclid's potential to identify cosmic voids and probe environmental effects on galaxy evolution.
ER -