arXiv · 2611.00224
Euclid Quick Data Release (Q1). Mass-to-light ratio of elliptical galaxies: constraints from strong lensing
Abstract
Mass is among the most fundamental properties describing a galaxy. The relation between the luminosity and the total mass of a galaxy contains information on the efficiency of the star formation process and on the distribution of dark matter. We used strong gravitational lensing data from the Euclid Quick Data Release 1 (Q1) to constrain the total mass enclosed within an aperture of $5\,h^{-1}$kpc, $M_5$, of elliptical galaxies. Our analysis is based on a sample of 95 lenses, which we built by ensuring that their selection function is reproducible. This enabled us to correct our inference for selection effects. The average $\log_{10}{(M_5\,h\,M_\odot^{-1})}$ for a galaxy with an $r$-band luminosity of $10^{10.7}L_{\odot}\,h^{-2}$ at $z=0.5$ is $11.30\pm0.02$. The mass $M_5$ scales with luminosity to the power $β_\mathrm{L}=0.71\pm0.07$, and decreases with increasing redshift at fixed luminosity. Assuming a scenario in which galaxies grow by mergers and stellar populations evolve passively, these correlations imply that $M_5$ increases with time for individual galaxies. These measurements provide a useful benchmark for testing models of galaxy structure and evolution that make predictions on the distribution of total mass on the scales of $5\,h^{-1}$kpc.
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Euclid Collaboration, A. Sonnenfeld, A. Nersesian, K. Rojas, P. Holloway, J. W. Nightingale, C. Tortora, S. Schuldt, T. Li, C. J. Storfer, R. Gavazzi, D. Sluse, G. Despali, T. E. Collett, S. Serjeant, F. Courbin, R. B. Metcalf, S. Vegetti, B. Altieri, S. Andreon, N. Auricchio, C. Baccigalupi, M. Baldi, A. Balestra, S. Bardelli, P. Battaglia, A. Biviano, M. Bolzonella, E. Branchini, M. Brescia, J. Brinchmann, S. Camera, G. Ca\ nas-Herrera, V. Capobianco, C. Carbone, M. Castellano, G. Castignani, S. Cavuoti, K. C. Chambers, A. Cimatti, C. Colodro-Conde, G. Congedo, C. J. Conselice, L. Conversi, Y. Copin, A. Costille, H. M. Courtois, M. Cropper, H. Degaudenzi, G. De Lucia, C. Dolding, H. Dole, F. Dubath, C. A. J. Duncan, X. Dupac, S. Dusini, S. Escoffier, M. Farina, R. Farinelli, F. Faustini, S. Ferriol, F. Finelli, P. Fosalba, M. Frailis, E. Franceschi, M. Fumana, L. Gabarra, S. Galeotta, K. George, B. Gillis, C. Giocoli, J. Gracia-Carpio, A. Grazian, F. Grupp, W. G. Hartley, S. V. H. Haugan, G. Helou, S. Hemmati, H. Hoekstra, W. Holmes, I. M. Hook, F. Hormuth, A. Hornstrup, K. Jahnke, M. Jhabvala, S. Kermiche, A. Kiessling, B. Kubik, K. Kuijken, M. Kümmel, M. Kunz, H. Kurki-Suonio, A. M. C. Le Brun, D. Le Mignant, S. Ligori, P. B. Lilje, V. Lindholm, I. Lloro, M. Magliocchetti, G. Mainetti. 2026-10-30. Euclid Quick Data Release (Q1). Mass-to-light ratio of elliptical galaxies: constraints from strong lensing. https://arxiv.org/abs/2611.00224
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