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Eleazar R. Carrasco

Publications and source records attributed to Eleazar R. Carrasco.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

The extreme Disturbed Galaxy Cluster Sample (eDGeS): Spectroscopy and Dynamical Analysis of the eROSITA-Selected Merging Galaxy Cluster Candidate 1eRASS J025859.4-193727

Addressing open questions such as the effect of galaxy cluster mergers on the evolution of galaxies and the self-interaction cross-section of dark matter requires the construction of a large, diverse sample of disturbed galaxy clusters. One contribution to such a sample is the extreme Disturbed Galaxy Cluster Sample (eDGeS), an ongoing spectroscopic study of massive disturbed and merging galaxy clusters selected from complementary surveys. Here, we present our first results from the eROSITA-selected subsample (eDGeS-eROSITA): a dynamical state analysis for the merging cluster candidate 1eRASS J025859.4-193727. We present the first spectroscopic redshift measurements for 76 galaxies in the direction of the cluster, confirming 51 as cluster members. The cluster displays a line-of-sight velocity dispersion of $σ_{\rm{cl}}=808^{+59}_{-66}~\rm{km~s^{-1}}$ and a dynamical mass of $M_{200}=4.47^{+0.94}_{-0.93} \times 10^{14}~M_{\rm{Sun}}$. While the cluster shows no evidence for substructure along the line of sight, the projected distribution of member galaxies reveals three subclusters, only one of which appears associated with the cluster's X-ray contours. Phase-space analysis reveals a large fraction of recently infallen member galaxies. Together, this evidence suggests a cluster merger along the plane of the sky. Assuming that the two most massive subclusters are on outgoing (incoming) trajectories after their first pericentric passage, a two-body Monte Carlo model predicts that the two subclusters collided $0.50^{+0.20}_{-0.22}~\rm{Gyr}$ ($1.24^{+0.96}_{-0.38}~\rm{Gyr}$) ago.

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The intracluster light analysis of the most evolved systems of galaxies: fossil groups

We present the analysis of the intracluster light (ICL) in three fossil groups (FG), RXJ085640.72+055347.36, RX J1136+0713, and RX J1410+4145, at z ~ 0.1. We used two optical broad-band filters, F435W and F606W, observed with the Hubble Space Telescope and spectroscopic data obtained with the Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph to generate the ICL maps and measure the ICL fraction using CICLE, an algorithm developed to disentangle the ICL from the light of galaxies. We found ICL fractions of 9.9% - 14.4%, 3.8% - 6.1%, and 4.7% - 10.7% for RXJ0856, RXJ1136, and RXJ1410, respectively. This behavior is not consistent with the presence of the ICL fraction excess previously observed in merging clusters and also inconsistent with the constant ICL fraction distribution characteristic of relaxed systems, although the values found are within the typical range expected for the latter. Instead, they show a significantly increasing trend with wavelengths over ~ 3800 - 5500A, indicating that fossil groups are indeed old and undisturbed systems, even compared with regular relaxed clusters.

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Investigating the clumpy star formation in an interacting dwarf irregular galaxy

Clumpy morphologies are more frequent in distant and low-mass star-forming galaxies. Therefore the less numerous nearby galaxies presenting kpc-sized clumps represent unique laboratories from which to address the mechanisms driving clump formation and study why such structures become less common in the local Universe, and why they tend to exhibit smaller sizes and lower star formation rates compared to their high-$z$ counterparts. We use high spatial resolution Integral Field Unit observations from VLT/MUSE to investigate the properties of several kpc-sized clumps seen in SDSS J020536-081424, a $z \approx 0.04$ dwarf irregular galaxy interacting with its more massive companion Mrk 1172 ($\log (M/M_{\odot}) \sim 11$). H$α$ channel maps reveal that the clumps are embedded within a rotating ionised gas component, possibly a disk. Self-consistent full-spectral fitting of the clump spectra with $\mathrm{FADO}$ indicates that their young ($t \leq 10$ Myr) populations have lower stellar metallicities compared to the older ($t \gtrsim 100$ Myr) ones, although these estimates are subject to significant degeneracies. The clumpy SF in SDSS J020536-081424 seems to occur in the disk, which dominates the stellar emission. Gas-phase metallicities derived through strong-line calibrations exhibit a flat distribution around $Z_{\mathrm{gas}} \approx 0.3\,Z_{\odot}$, likely caused by efficient galactic-scale metal mixing processes. There is no evidence for a strong anti-correlation between $Z_{\mathrm{gas}}$ and $\mathrm{SFR}$, although clump sizes are likely overestimated due to seeing limitations. The lower $Z_{\ast}$ of younger stellar populations compared to the disk suggests clump formation driven by accretion of metal-poor gas in SDSS J020536-081424.

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Differences in the Physical Properties of Satellite Galaxies within Relaxed and Disturbed Galaxy Groups and Clusters

Galaxy groups and clusters are the most massive collapsed structures in the Universe. Those structures are formed by collapsing with other smaller structures. Groups and cluster mergers provide an appropriate environment for the evolution and transformation of their galaxies. The merging process of groups and clusters can affect the properties of their galaxy populations. Our aim is to characterise the distribution of galaxies' colour, specific star formation rate, quenched galaxy fraction, and gas availability in galaxies bounded to groups and clusters and to examine how these properties relate to the dynamical state of their host environments. We used the most massive halos ($M > 10^{13} M_{\odot}$) in Illustris TNG100 simulations and separated the sample into two categories: relaxed and disturbed halos. This classification was done based on the offset between the position of the Brightest Cluster Galaxy (BCG) and the centre of mass of the gas. Subsequently, we classified their galaxy populations into red and blue galaxies using a threshold derived from a double Gaussian fit to their colour distribution. Our findings reveal differences in physical properties such as colour, star formation rates, and gas availability among satellite galaxies bound to interacting clusters compared to relaxed clusters. Disturbed clusters exhibit more blue, star-forming galaxies than their relaxed counterparts. This discrepancy in the fraction of blue and star-forming galaxies can be attributed to higher gas availability, including hot, diffuse, and condensed gas in satellite galaxies in disturbed clusters compared to relaxed ones. Furthermore, our study shows that during cluster mergers, there are two crucial phases; at the beginning of the interaction, there is an important boost in the star formation rate followed by suppression as the cluster reaches the equilibrium state.

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Ultra-deep imaging of NGC1052-DF2 and NGC1052-DF4 to unravel their origins

A number of scenarios have been proposed to explain the low velocity dispersion (and hence possible absence of dark matter) of the low surface brightness galaxies NGC1052-DF2 and NGC1052-DF4. Most of the proposed mechanisms are based on the removal of dark matter via the interaction of these galaxies with other objects. A common feature of these processes is the prediction of very faint tidal tails, which should be revealed by deep imaging (mu_g > 30 mag/arcsec2). Using ultra-deep images obtained with the Gemini telescopes, about 1 mag deeper than previously published data, we analyzed the possible presence of tidal tails in both galaxies. We confirm the presence of tidal tails in NGC1052-DF4, but see no evidence for tidal effects in NGC1052-DF2, down to surface brightnesses of mu_g=30.9 mag/arcsec2. We therefore conclude that while the absence of dark matter in NGC1052-DF4 could be attributed to the removal of dark matter by gravitational interactions, in the case of NGC1052-DF2 this explanation seems less plausible, and therefore other possibilities such as an incorrect distance measurement or that the system may be rotating could alleviate the dark matter problem.

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Clash of Titans: The Impact of Cluster Mergers in the Galaxy Cluster Red Sequence

Merging of galaxy clusters are some of the most energetic events in the Universe, and they provide a unique environment to study galaxy evolution. We use a sample of 84 merging and relaxed SPT galaxy clusters candidates, observed with the Dark Energy Camera in the $0.11<z<0.88$ redshift range, to build colour-magnitude diagrams to characterize the impact of cluster mergers on the galaxy population. We divided the sample between relaxed and disturbed, and in two redshifts bin at $z = 0.55$. When comparing the high-z to low-z clusters we find the high-z sample is richer in blue galaxies, independently of the cluster dynamical state. In the high-z bin we find that disturbed clusters exhibit a larger scatter in the Red Sequence, with wider distribution and an excess of bluer galaxies compared to relaxed clusters, while in the low-z bin we find a complete agreement between the relaxed and disturbed clusters. Our results support the scenario in which massive cluster halos at $z<0.55$ galaxies are quenched as satellites of another structure, i.e. outside the cluster, while at $z \geq 0.55$ the quenching is dominated by in-situ processes.

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The GeMS/GSAOI Galactic Globular Cluster Survey (G4CS) II: Characterization of 47 Tuc with Bayesian Statistics

We present a photometric analysis of globular cluster 47 Tuc (NGC\,104), using near-IR imaging data from the GeMS/GSAOI Galactic Globular Cluster Survey (G4CS) which is in operation at Gemini-South telescope.~Our survey is designed to obtain AO-assisted deep imaging with near diffraction-limited spatial resolution of the central fields of Milky Way globular clusters.~The G4CS near-IR photometry was combined with an optical photometry catalog obtained from Hubble Space Telescope survey data to produce a high-quality color-magnitude diagram that reaches down to K$_s\approx$ 21 Vega mag.~We used the software suite BASE-9, which uses an adaptive Metropolis sampling algorithm to perform a Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) Bayesian analysis, and obtained probability distributions and precise estimates for the age, distance and extinction cluster parameters.~Our best estimate for the age of 47 Tuc is 12.42$^{+0.05}_{-0.05}$ $\pm$ 0.08 Gyr, and our true distance modulus estimate is (m$-$M)$_0$=13.250$^{+0.003}_{-0.003}$ $\pm$ 0.028 mag, in tight agreement with previous studies using Gaia DR2 parallax and detached eclipsing binaries.

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Independent Evidence for earlier formation epochs of fossil groups of galaxies through the intracluster light: the case for RX J100742.53+380046.6

Fossil groups (FG) of galaxies still present a puzzle to theories of structure formation. Despite the low number of bright galaxies, they have relatively high velocity dispersions and ICM temperatures often corresponding to cluster-like potential wells. Their measured concentrations are typically high, indicating early formation epochs as expected from the originally proposed scenario for their origin as being older undisturbed systems. This is, however, in contradiction with the typical lack of expected well developed cool cores. Here, we apply a cluster dynamical indicator recently discovered in the intracluster light fraction (ICLf) to a classic FG, RX J1000742.53+380046.6, to assess its dynamical state. We also refine that indicator to use as an independent age estimator. We find negative radial temperature and metal abundance gradients, the abundance achieving supersolar values at the hot core. The X-ray flux concentration is consistent with that of cool core systems. The ICLf analysis provides an independent probe of the system's dynamical state and shows that the system is very relaxed, more than all clusters, where the same analysis has been performed. The specific ICLf is more $\sim$5 times higher than any of the clusters previously analyzed, which is consistent with an older non-interactive galaxy system that had its last merging event within the last $\sim$5Gyr. The specific ICLf is predicted to be an important new tool to identify fossil systems and to constrain the relative age of clusters.

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Follow-up Observations of the Prolonged, super-Eddington, Tidal Disruption Event Candidate 3XMM~J150052.0+015452: the Slow Decline Continues

The X-ray source 3XMM~J150052.0+015452 was discovered as a spectacular tidal disruption event candidate during a prolonged ($>11$ yrs) outburst (Lin et al. 2017). It exhibited unique quasi-soft X-ray spectra of characteristic temperature $kT\sim0.3$ keV for several years at the peak, but in a recent Chandra observation (10 yrs into the outburst) a super-soft X-ray spectrum of $kT\sim0.15$ keV was detected. Such dramatic spectral softening could signal the transition from the super-Eddington to thermal state or the temporary presence of a warm absorber. Here we report on our study of four new XMM-Newton follow-up observations of the source. We found that they all showed super-soft spectra, suggesting that the source had remained super-soft for $>5$ yrs. Then its spectral change is best explained as due to the super-Eddington to thermal spectral state transition. The fits to the thermal state spectra suggested a smaller absorption toward the source than that obtained in Lin et al. (2017). This led us to update the modeling of the event as due to the disruption of a 0.75 msun star by a massive black hole of a few$\times10^5$ msun. We also obtained two HST images in the F606W and F814W filters and found that the dwarf star-forming host galaxy can be resolved into a dominant disk and a smaller bulge. No central point source was clearly seen in either filter, ruling out strong optical emission associated with the X-ray activity.

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The environment of QSO triplets at 1 $\lesssim$ z $\lesssim$ 1.5

We present an analysis of the environment of six QSO triplets at 1 $\lesssim$ z $\lesssim$ 1.5 by analyzing multiband (r,i,z, or g,r,i) images obtained with Megacam at the CFHT telescope, aiming to investigate whether they are associated or not with galaxy protoclusters. This was done by using photometric redshifts trained using the high accuracy photometric redshifts of the COSMOS2015 catalogue. To improve the quality of our photometric redshift estimation, we included in our analysis near-infrared photometry (3.6 and 4.5 $μm$) from the unWISE survey available for our fields and the COSMOS survey. This approach allowed us to obtain good photometric redshifts with dispersion, as measured with the robust Sigma NMAD statistics of $\sim$ 0.04 for our six fields. Our analysis setup was reproduced on lightcones constructed from the Millennium Simulation data and the latest version of the L-GALAXIES semi-analytic model to verify the protocluster detectability in such conditions. The density field in a redshift slab containing each triplet was then analyzed with a Gaussian kernel density estimator. We did not find any significant evidence of the triplets inhabiting dense structures, such as a massive galaxy cluster or protocluster.

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Dissecting the Strong-lensing Galaxy Cluster MS 0440.5+0204. I. The Mass Density Profile

We present a parametric strong lensing modeling of the galaxy cluster MS\,0440.5+0204 (located at $z$ = 0.19). We have performed a strong lensing mass reconstruction of the cluster using three different models. The first model uses the image positions of four multiple imaged systems (providing 26 constraints). The second one combines strong lensing constraints with dynamical information (velocity dispersion) of the cluster. The third one uses the mass calculated from weak lensing as an additional constraint. Our three models reproduce equally well the image positions of the arcs, with a root-mean-square image equal to $\approx$0.5$\arcsec$. However, in the third model, the inclusion of the velocity dispersion and the weak-lensing mass allows us to obtain better constraints in the scale radius and the line-of-sight velocity dispersion of the mass profile. For this model, we obtain $r_s$ = 132$^{+30}_{-32}$ kpc, $σ_s$ = 1203$^{+46}_{-47}$ km s$^{-1}$, M$_{200}$ = 3.1$^{+0.6}_{-0.6}$ $\times10^{14}$\,M$_{\odot}$, and a high concentration, $c_{200}$ = 9.9$^{+2.2}_{-1.4}$. Finally, we used our derived mass profile to calculate the mass up to 1.5 Mpc. We compare it with X-ray estimates previously reported, finding a good agreement.

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A redshift database towards the Shapley Supercluster region

We present a database and velocity catalogue towards the region of the Shapley Supercluster based on 18,146 measured velocities for 10,719 galaxies in the approximately 300 square degree area between 12h 43mn 00s < R.A. < 14h 17mn 00s and -23° 30' 00" < Dec < -38° 30' 00". The data catalogue contains velocities from the literature found until 2015. It also includes 5,084 velocities, corresponding to 4,617 galaxies, observed by us at Las Campanas and CTIO observatories and not reported individually until now. Of these, 2,585 correspond to galaxies with no other previously published velocity measurement before 2015. Every galaxy in the velocity database has been identified with a galaxy extracted from the SuperCOSMOS photometric catalogues. We also provide a combined average velocity catalogue for all 10,719 galaxies with measured velocities, adopting the SuperCOSMOS positions as a homogeneous base. A general magnitude cut-off at R2=18.0 mag was adopted (with exceptions only for some of the new reported velocities). In general terms, we confirm the overall structure of the Shapley Supercluster, as found on earlier papers. However, the more extensive velocity data show finer structure, to be discussed in a future publication.

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A distance of 13 Mpc resolves the claimed anomalies of the galaxy lacking dark matter

The claimed detection of a diffuse galaxy lacking dark matter represents a possible challenge to our understanding of the properties of these galaxies and galaxy formation in general. The galaxy, already identified in photographic plates taken in the summer of 1976 at the UK 48-in Schmidt telescope, presents normal distance-independent properties (e.g. colour, velocity dispersion of its globular clusters). However, distance-dependent quantities are at odds with those of other similar galaxies, namely the luminosity function and sizes of its globular clusters, mass-to-light ratio and dark matter content. Here we carry out a careful analysis of all extant data and show that they consistently indicate a much shorter distance (13 Mpc) than previously indicated (20 Mpc). With this revised distance, the galaxy appears to be a rather ordinary low surface brightness galaxy (R_e=1.4+-0.1 kpc; M*=6.0+-3.6x10^7 Msun) with plenty of room for dark matter (the fraction of dark matter inside the half mass radius is >75% and M_halo/M*>20) corresponding to a minimum halo mass >10^9 Msun. At 13 Mpc, the luminosity and structural properties of the globular clusters around the object are the same as those found in other galaxies.

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The GeMS/GSAOI Galactic Globular Cluster Survey (G4CS) I: A Pilot Study of the stellar populations in NGC 2298 and NGC 3201

We present the first results from the GeMS/GSAOI Galactic Globular Cluster Survey (G4CS) of the Milky-Way globular clusters (GCs) NGC 3201 and NGC 2298. Using the Gemini South Adaptive Optics Imager (GSAOI), in tandem with the Gemini Multi-conjugate adaptive optics System (GeMS) on the 8.1-meter Gemini-South telescope, we collected deep near-IR observations of both clusters, resolving their constituent stellar populations down to $K_s\simeq21$ Vega mag. Point spread function (PSF) photometry was performed on the data using spatially-variable PSFs to generate $JHK_{s}$ photometric catalogues for both clusters. These catalogues were combined with Hubble Space Telescope (HST) data to augment the photometric wavelength coverage, yielding catalogues that span the near-ultraviolet (UV) to near-infrared (near-IR). We then applied 0.14 mas/year accurate proper-motion cleaning, differential-reddening corrections and chose to anchor our isochrones using the lower main-sequence knee (MSK) and the main-sequence turn-off (MSTO) prior to age determination. As a result of the data quality, we found that the $K_{s}$ vs. F606W$-K_{s}$ and F336W vs. F336W$-K_{s}$ color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) were the most diagnostically powerful. We used these two color combinations to derive the stellar-population ages, distances and reddening values for both clusters. Following isochrone-fitting using three different isochrone sets, we derived best-fit absolute ages of $12.2\pm0.5$ Gyr and $13.2\pm0.4$ Gyr for NGC 3201 and NGC 2298, respectively. This was done using a weighted average over the two aforementioned color combinations, following a pseudo-$χ^2$ determination of the best-fit isochrone set. Our derived parameters are in good agreement with recent age determinations of the two clusters, with our constraints on the ages being or ranking among the most statistically robust.

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A luminous X-ray outburst from an intermediate-mass black hole in an off-centre star cluster

A unique signature for the presence of massive black holes in very dense stellar regions is occasional giant-amplitude outbursts of multiwavelength radiation from tidal disruption and subsequent accretion of stars that make a close approach to the black holes. Previous strong tidal disruption event (TDE) candidates were all associated with the centers of largely isolated galaxies. Here we report the discovery of a luminous X-ray outburst from a massive star cluster at a projected distance of 12.5 kpc from the center of a large lenticular galaxy. The luminosity peaked at ~10^{43} erg/s and decayed systematically over 10 years, approximately following a trend that supports the identification of the event as a TDE. The X-ray spectra were all very soft, with emission confined to be <3.0 keV, and could be described with a standard thermal disk. The disk cooled significantly as the luminosity decreased, a key thermal-state signature often observed in accreting stellar-mass black holes. This thermal-state signature, coupled with very high luminosities, ultrasoft X-ray spectra and the characteristic power-law evolution of the light curve, provides strong evidence that the source contains an intermediate-mass black hole (IMBH) with a mass of a few ten thousand solar mass. This event demonstrates that one of the most effective means to detect IMBHs is through X-ray flares from TDEs in star clusters.

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Using Strong Gravitational Lensing to Identify Fossil Group Progenitors

Fossil galaxy systems are classically thought to be the end result of galaxy group/cluster evolution, as galaxies experiencing dynamical friction sink to the center of the group potential and merge into a single, giant elliptical that dominates the rest of the members in both mass and luminosity. Most fossil systems discovered lie within $z < 0.2$, which leads to the question: what were these systems' progenitors? Such progenitors are expected to have imminent or ongoing major merging near the brightest group galaxy (BGG) that, when concluded, will meet the fossil criteria within the look back time. Since strong gravitational lensing preferentially selects groups merging along the line of sight, or systems with a high mass concentration like fossil systems, we searched the CASSOWARY survey of strong lensing events with the goal of determining if lensing systems have any predisposition to being fossil systems or progenitors. We find that $\sim$13% of lensing groups are identified as traditional fossils while only $\sim$3% of non-lensing control groups are. We also find that $\sim$23% of lensing systems are traditional fossil progenitors compared to $\sim$17% for the control sample. Our findings show that strong lensing systems are more likely to be fossil/pre-fossil systems than comparable non-lensing systems. Cumulative galaxy luminosity functions of the lensing and non-lensing groups also indicate a possible, fundamental difference between strong lensing and non-lensing systems' galaxy populations with lensing systems housing a greater number of bright galaxies even in the outskirts of groups.

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Multiwavelength Follow-up Observations of the Tidal Disruption Event Candidate 2XMMi J184725.1-631724

The ultrasoft X-ray flare 2XMMi J184725.1-631724 was serendipitously detected in two XMM-Newton observations in 2006 and 2007, with a peak luminosity of 6X10^43 erg/s. It was suggested to be a tidal disruption event (TDE) because its position is consistent with the center of an inactive galaxy. It is the only known X-ray TDE candidate whose X-ray spectra showed evidence of a weak steep powerlaw component besides a dominant supersoft thermal disk. We have carried out multiwavelength follow-up observations of the event. Multiple X-ray monitorings show that the X-ray luminosity has decayed significantly after 2011. Especially, in our deep Chandra observation in 2013, we detected a very faint counterpart that supports the nuclear origin of 2XMMi J184725.1-631724 but had an X-ray flux a factor of ~1000 lower than in the peak of the event. Compared with follow-up UV observations, we found that there might be some enhanced UV emission associated with the TDE in the first XMM-Newton observation. We also obtained a high-quality UV-optical spectrum with the SOAR and put a very tight constraint on the persistent nuclear activity, with a persistent X-ray luminosity expected to be lower than the peak of the flare by a factor of >2700. Therefore, our multiwavelength follow-up observations strongly support the TDE explanation of the event.

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Multi-conjugated adaptive optics imaging of distant galaxies -- A comparison of Gemini/GSAOI and VLT/HAWK-I data

Multi-conjugated adaptive optics (MCAO) yield nearly diffraction-limited images at 2$μ$m wavelengths. Currently, GeMS/GSAOI at Gemini South is the only MCAO facility instrument at an 8m telescope. Using real data and for the first time, we investigate the gain in depth and S/N when MCAO is employed for $K_{\rm s}$-band observations of distant galaxies. Our analysis is based on the Frontier Fields cluster MACS J0416.1-2403, observed with GeMS/GSAOI (near diffraction-limited) and compared against VLT/HAWK-I (natural seeing) data. Using galaxy number counts, we show that the substantially increased thermal background and lower optical throughput of the MCAO unit are fully compensated for by the wavefront correction, because the galaxy images can be measured in smaller apertures with less sky noise. We also performed a direct comparison of the signal-to-noise ratios (S/N) of sources detected in both data sets. For objects with intrinsic angular sizes corresponding to half the HAWK-I image seeing, the gain in S/N is 40 per cent. Even smaller objects experience a boost in S/N by a up to a factor of 2.5 despite our suboptimal natural guide star configuration. The depth of the near diffraction limited images is more difficult to quantify than that of seeing limited images, due to a strong dependence on the intrinsic source profiles. Our results emphasize the importance of cooled MCAO systems for $K_{\rm s}$-band observations with future, extremely large telescopes.

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