arXiv subjects

Nicolas Tejos

Publications and source records attributed to Nicolas Tejos.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

PIFFLE: Characterizing the Foreground Contributions from 4 Decades in Halo Mass to the FRB20230907D Dispersion Measure

We characterize the foreground environment of FRB20230907D, localized to a galaxy at $z=0.464$, which has an observed dispersion measure of ${\rm DM}_{\rm obs}=1031~{\rm pc~cm^{-3}}$. At its redshift, FRB20230907D lies above the Macquart relation, the expected relation between cosmological dispersion measure and the source redshift, indicating a substantial excess DM along this line of sight. We use Subaru/PFS and SDSS spectroscopy, published group catalogs, Rubin/LSST imaging, and eROSITA X-ray data to characterize the foreground structures that may account for this excess. A friends-of-friends search identifies a massive foreground system at $z\simeq0.09$ with $M_{200}\simeq5.2\times10^{14}~M_\odot$, while low redshift catalogs reveal an additional group at $z\simeq0.02565$. Assuming that the halo gas follows a modified-NFW halo density profile, we estimate observer frame contributions of $150^{+110}_{-70}~{\rm pc~cm^{-3}}$ and $80^{+60}_{-40}~{\rm pc~cm^{-3}}$ from these systems, respectively. Together with the Milky Way, diffuse intergalactic medium, Virgo cluster, M49 group, and host galaxy contributions, these foreground structures can account for the excess dispersion measure of FRB20230907D within uncertainties. This highlights the importance of dense foreground spectroscopy and multi-wavelength data.

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arXiv2026

Two new highly scattered fast radio bursts: evidence for scatter broadening by the circumsource medium

We found two highly scattered Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) during commissioning of the Commensal Realtime ASKAP Fast Transient COherent (CRACO) backend. FRB 240210D and FRB 240312D have scattering times of $34\pm6$ and $300\pm48$ ms, respectively, when scaled to 1 GHz. FRB 240312D originates near a spiral arm of a face-on galaxy at a redshift of only 0.05. Scintillation from a Milky Way screen constrains the distance of the scattering screen to $\sim 10$ pc from the source. FRB 240312D is therefore the first highly scattered FRB where scattering screens in the host galaxy centre, a background galaxy, or intervening structures can all be excluded, leaving only the circumsource medium. Integral field spectroscopy of the host reveals a Milky Way-like galaxy with a star-formation region at the FRB position. We find refractive scattering in a pulsar wind nebula as the most likely scattering origin. However, the explanation is not completely satisfactory as it requires a fine-tuned orientation. Hence, additional theoretical studies under different FRB progenitor models are needed. From the two FRBs, we calculate a total rate of $R_\mathrm{tot}=210^{+460}_{-180}\,\mathrm{events}\,\mathrm{sky}^{-1}\mathrm{day}^{-1}$ with durations between 55.2 ms and 1 s and above a fluence of 9 Jy ms consistent with the rate of shorter FRBs. This elevated rate suggests that the strong scattering seen in other FRBs likewise does not arise from chance-aligned sightlines, but is instead causally linked to the FRB sources.

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arXiv2026

High-S/N Quasar Observations with HST/COS: Deep Fields for Spectroscopy

Hubble is still in prime observing condition for making transformative discoveries in UV astronomy. In this white paper we describe the science case for a deep (S/N>30) UV spectroscopic survey with HST/COS targeting approximately 20 QSOs at 0.5<z<1.5 at good resolution (20 km/s). This survey would capitalize on our current UV capability, produce a legacy dataset enabling community science in many areas of galactic and extragalactic research, and pioneer a path for future UV science with the Habitable Worlds Observatory. Such high-S/N spectra are largely missing from the MAST archives, and would be analogous to the deep Hubble imaging fields (HDF, UDF, Frontier Fields) that have been enormously successful and far-reaching in their science impact. This legacy dataset would enable frontier science programs in several areas, including (1) studies of the CGM and IGM at unparalleled sensitivity, covering a wide range of UV metal lines and reaching very low H I column densities of log N=12.6 and low metallicities near [Z/H]=-2, enabling precision studies of the chemical abundances, ionization, temperature, and baryon and metal budgets of the CGM and IGM; (2) diffuse gas in the Milky Way and Local Group, including high-velocity clouds and gas streams from satellite mergers; (3) AGN outflows, which would be probed in the rest-frame extreme ultraviolet (EUV), covering continuum-generation mechanisms and diagnostics of gas in accretion-disk outflows.

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arXiv2026

Unveiling large-scale rotational motions in the intragroup medium at z~1 through gravitational-arc tomography

We present the first spatially resolved characterisation of the cool intragroup medium (IGrM) in a spectroscopically confirmed galaxy group at z=1.167. Using 30 independent sightlines towards the gravitationally lensed galaxy SGAS J0033+02, we combine background light from an extended gravitational arc and various sources in the field to map the distribution and kinematics of diffuse, metal-enriched gas pertaining to the group. We detect prominent MgII, FeII, CaII, and MgI absorption extending up to 62 kpc from a massive star-forming spiral galaxy and its interacting companion. Together with four other members, these form a compact group with a virial radius of 313 kpc. Down-the-barrel, blueshifted absorption indicates outflows. The distribution and two-dimensional kinematics of this gas suggest the influence of tidal stripping and star formation-driven winds. Intervening absorption across the field partly traces internal galaxy motions. A simple superposition of individual discs cannot reproduce the velocity field at large impact parameters or in counter-rotating regions, while a global IGrM halo with a rotational velocity of ~130 km/s provides a good match. Beyond individual galaxy envelopes, the data are consistent with a group-scale structure that co-rotates in concert with the galaxies. Assuming dynamical equilibrium, we estimate a total (cool+warm+hot) gas mass of 1.3-2.5x10^11 Msol, with large systematic uncertainties, corresponding to approximately 50% of all baryons, within one-quarter of the group's virial radius. These results point to a multiphase IGrM in which cool (~10^4 K) clouds are embedded within a dynamically coherent, group-wide halo. The gas appears gravitationally bound to the group rather than reaccreting onto individual galaxies.

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arXiv2026

Caught in the web: galaxy mergers along cosmic filaments

Galaxy clusters grow through the accretion of galaxies from groups, filaments, and other clusters. During this process, galaxies may undergo pre-processing in lower-density environments, where galaxy-galaxy mergers and other interactions can significantly alter their properties prior to cluster infall. We investigate the role of galaxy mergers in the pre-processing of galaxies prior to cluster infall by studying the spatial distribution of mergers across the cosmic web. We use a sample of 43,922 galaxies targeted by the 4MOST CHANCES survey in and around 33 low-redshift clusters (z < 0.07). Using Zoobot, a deep-learning framework trained on Galaxy Zoo data, we identify 698 galaxy mergers. We measure their distances to cosmic web filaments and compare them with those of non-merging galaxies. We find that galaxy mergers are significantly closer to filaments than the non-merging galaxy population, with this trend being strongest beyond the cluster virial radius. This suggests that filaments provide conditions conducive to mergers, possibly moderating relative velocities and enhancing gas availability. Our findings support a scenario in which filaments play a key role in transforming galaxies through pre-processing by promoting mergers before they enter cluster cores where star formation quenches.

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arXiv2025

The role of supercluster filaments in shaping galaxy clusters

In a hierarchical $\Lambda$CDM Universe, cosmic filaments serve as the primary channels for matter accretion into galaxy clusters, influencing the shape of their dark matter halos. We investigate whether the elongation of galaxy clusters correlates with the orientation of surrounding filaments, providing the first observational test of this relationship in large supercluster regions. We identified and characterized cosmic filaments in two dimensions within the two superclusters that are part of the low-redshift sub-survey of the Chilean Cluster Galaxy Evolution Survey (CHANCES): the Shapley supercluster and the Horologium-Reticulum supercluster. We analyzed the alignment between filament directions -- traced by galaxy distributions -- and the triaxiality of cluster gravitational potentials -- traced by X-ray emission- using publicly available optical and X-ray data. We have found that most (82%) of the X-ray clusters are associated with and interconnected by the optically detected filaments. The clusters-filaments alignment analysis shows that the elongation of most clusters is well aligned with nearby filaments, providing observational confirmation of theoretical predictions, with the alignment progressively reducing at larger cluster-centric distances ($> 1.6 r_{200}$). Overall, our results support the notion that filaments are the main source of galaxy accretion at redshift below 0.1 and additionally provide evidence that matter accretion through filaments shapes the gravitational potential of galaxy clusters. We propose this measurement as a simple observational proxy to determine the direction of accretion in clusters, which is key to understanding both galaxy evolution and the merger history of galaxy clusters.

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arXiv2025

Mapping the Spatial Distribution of Fast Radio Bursts within their Host Galaxies

We present deep optical and near-infrared observations of the host galaxies of 34 fast radio bursts (FRBs) detected by the Commensal Real-time ASKAP Fast Transient (CRAFT) survey on the Australian SKA Pathfinder (ASKAP) to compare the locations of FRBs relative to their host light distributions. Incorporating three additional FRBs from the literature, for a total of four repeating and 33 apparently non-repeating FRBs, we determine their projected galactocentric offsets and find a median of $ 4.2^{+5.7}_{-2.5}$ kpc ($1.0^{+1.5}_{-0.6}r_e$). We model their host surface brightness profiles and develop synthetic spatial distributions of their globular clusters based on host properties. We calculate the likelihood the observed location of each FRB is consistent with the smooth light of its host galaxy, residual (primarily spiral) substructure, or globular cluster distributions. The majority of FRBs favor locations within the disks of their galaxies, while only 11$\pm$5\% favor a globular cluster origin, primarily those with galactocentric offsets $\gtrsim3r_e$. At $z<0.15$, where spiral structure is apparent in 86\% of our sample of FRB hosts, we find $\approx 20-46\%$ of FRBs favor an association with spiral arms. Assuming FRBs derive from magnetars, our results support multiple formation channels with the majority of progenitors associated with massive stars and a minority formed through dynamical channels. However, the moderate fraction of FRBs associated with spiral structure indicates that high star formation efficiency of the youngest and most massive stars is not a predominant driver in the production of FRB progenitors.

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arXiv2025

Magnetic fields in galactic environments probed by Fast Radio Bursts

FRBs constitute a unique probe of various astrophysical and cosmological environments via their characteristic dispersion and rotation (RM) measures that encode information about the ionized gas traversed by the FRB sightlines. In this work, we analyse observed RM measured for 14 localized FRBs at $0.05 \lesssim z \lesssim 0.5$, to infer total magnetic fields in various galactic environments. Additionally, we calculate $f_{\rm gas}$ - the average fraction of halo baryons in the ionized CGM. We build a spectroscopic dataset of FRB foreground galaxy halos, acquired with VLT/MUSE and FLIMFLAM survey. We develop a novel Bayesian algorithm and use it to correlate the individual intervening halos with the observed RM. This approach allows us to disentangle the magnetic fields present in various environments traversed by the FRB. Our analysis yields the first direct FRB constraints on the strength of magnetic fields in the ISM and halos of the FRB host galaxies, as well as in halos of foreground galaxies. We find that the average magnetic field in the ISM of FRB hosts is $B_{\rm host}^{\rm local} = 5.44^{+1.13}_{-0.87}\mu{\rm G}$. Additionally, we place upper limits on average magnetic field in FRB host halos, $B_{\rm host}^{\rm halo} < 4.81\mu{\rm G}$, and in foreground intervening halos, $B_{\rm f/g}^{\rm halo} < 4.31\mu{\rm G}$. Moreover, we estimate the average fraction of cosmic baryons inside $10 \lesssim \log_{10} \left( M_{\rm halo} / M_{\odot}\right) \lesssim 13.1$ halos $f_{\rm gas} = 0.45^{+0.21}_{-0.19}$. We find that the magnetic fields inferred in this work are in good agreement with previous measurements. In contrast to previous studies that analysed FRB RMs and have not considered contributions from the halos of the foreground and/or FRB host galaxies, we show that they can contribute a non-negligible amount of RM and must be taken into account when analysing future FRB samples.

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arXiv2025

The Diversity of Metal-Enrichment and Abundance Patterns at High Redshift: A Magellan Survey of Gas-rich Galaxies Traced by Damped Lyman-alpha Absorbers at z~5

A powerful technique to trace the signatures of the first stars is through the metal enrichment in concentrated reservoirs of hydrogen, such as the damped Lyman-alpha absorbers (DLAs) in the early universe. We conducted a survey aimed at discovering DLAs along sight lines to high-z quasars in order to measure element abundances at z>4. Here we report our first results from this survey for 10 DLAs with redshifts of ~4.2-5.0. We determine abundances of C, O, Si, S, and Fe, and thereby the metallicities and dust depletions. We find that DLA metallicities at z>4.5 show a wide diversity spanning ~3 orders of magnitude. The metallicities of DLAs at 3.7 =30% Pop-III contribution). Combining our sample and the literature, we find the dust depletion strength and dust-to-metal ratios to correlate positively with the total (gas+solid phase) metallicity, confirming the presence of metal-rich, dusty DLAs even at ~1 billion years after the Big Bang.

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arXiv2025

A fast radio burst from the first 3 billion years of the Universe

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are enigmatic millisecond-duration signals which encode otherwise unattainable information on the plasma which permeates our Universe, providing insights into magnetic fields and gas distributions. Here we report the discovery of FRB 20240304B originating at redshift 2.148 +/- 0.001 corresponding to just 3 billion years after the Big Bang. FRB 2024030 was detected with the MeerKAT radio telescope and localized to a low-mass, clumpy, star forming galaxy using the James Webb Space Telescope. This discovery doubles the redshift reach of localized FRBs and probes ionized baryons across ~80% of cosmic history. Its sightline, intersecting the Virgo Cluster and a foreground group, reveals magnetic field complexity over many gigaparsec scales. Our observations establish FRB activity during the peak of cosmic star formation and demonstrate that FRBs can probe galaxy formation during the most active era in cosmic time.

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arXiv2025

Localisation and host galaxy identification of new Fast Radio Bursts with MeerKAT

Accurately localising fast radio bursts (FRBs) is essential for understanding their birth environments and for their use as cosmological probes. Recent advances in radio interferometry, particularly with MeerKAT, have enabled the localisation of individual bursts with arcsecond precision. In this work, we present the localisation of 15 apparently non-repeating FRBs detected with MeerKAT. Two of the FRBs, discovered in 2022, were localised in 8 second images from the projects which MeerTRAP was commensal to, while eight were localised using the transient buffer (TB) pipeline, and another one through SeeKAT, all with arcsecond precision. Four additional FRBs lacked TB triggers and sufficient signal, limiting their localisation only to arcminute precision. For eight of the FRBs in our sample, we identify host galaxies with greater than 90% confidence, and one with 80% confidence, while two FRBs have ambiguous associations. We measured spectroscopic redshifts for six host galaxies, ranging from 0.33 to 0.85, demonstrating MeerKAT's sensitivity to high redshift FRBs. We modelled the spectral energy distributions of host galaxies with sufficient photometric coverage to derive their stellar population and star formation properties. This work represents one of the largest uniform samples of well-localised distant FRBs to date, laying the groundwork for using MeerKAT FRBs as cosmological probes and understand how FRB hosts evolve at high redshift.

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arXiv2025

The Low-mass Dwarf Host Galaxy of Nonrepeating FRB 20230708A

We present Very Large Telescope/X-Shooter spectroscopy for the host galaxies of 12 fast radio bursts (FRBs) detected by the Australian SKA Pathfinder observed through the ``Fast and Unbiased FRB Host Galaxy (FURBY)" Large Programme at the European Southern Observatory, which imposes strict selection criteria on the included FRBs and their host galaxies to produce a homogeneous and well-defined sample. We describe the data reduction and analysis of these spectra and report their redshifts, line-emission fluxes, and derived host properties. From the present sample, this paper focuses on the faint host of FRB ($m_R = 22.53 \pm 0.02$) identified at low redshift ($z=0.1050$). This indicates an intrinsically very low-luminosity galaxy ($L \approx 10^8 L_\odot$), making it the lowest-luminosity nonrepeating FRB host to date by a factor of $\sim 3$, and slightly dimmer than the lowest-luminosity host for repeating FRBs. Our SED fitting analysis reveals a low stellar mass ($M_* \approx 10^{8.0} M_\odot$), low star formation rate (${\rm SFR} \approx 0.04 M_\odot \rm yr^{-1}$), and very low metallicity ($12+\log(\text{O}/\text{H})\sim(8.0-8.3)$), distinct from the more massive galaxies ($\log(M/M_\odot) \sim 10$) that are commonly identified for non-repeating FRBs. Its discovery demonstrates that FRBs can arise in among the faintest, metal-poor galaxies of the universe. In turn, this suggests that at least one FRB progenitor channel must include stars (or their remnants) created in very low metallicity environments. This indicates better prospects for detecting FRBs from the high-$z$ universe where young, low-mass galaxies proliferate.

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arXiv2025

Spatially Resolved Circumgalactic Medium around a Star-Forming Galaxy Driving a Galactic Outflow at $z\approx 0.8$

We report the small-scale spatial variation in cool ($T\sim 10^4 K$) Mg II absorption detected in the circumgalactic medium (CGM) of a star-forming galaxy at $z\approx 0.8$. The CGM of this galaxy is probed by a spatially extended bright background gravitationally lensed arc at $z = 2.76$. The background arc continuously samples the CGM of the foreground galaxy at a range of impact parameters between 54-66 kpc. The Mg II absorption strengths vary by more than a factor of two within these ranges. A power-law fit to the fractional variation of absorption strengths yields a coherence length of 2.7 kpc within these absorption lines. This suggests a high degree of spatial coherence in the CGM of this galaxy. The host galaxy is driving a strong galactic outflow with a mean outflow velocity $\approx$ -179 km/s and mass outflow rate $\dot{M}_{out}\geq 64_{-27}^{+31} M_{\odot}yr^{-1}$ traced by blueshifted Mg II and Fe II absorption lines. The galaxy itself has a spatially extended emission halo with a maximum spatial extent of $\approx$ 33 kpc traced by [O II], [O III] and $Hβ$ emission lines. The extended emission halo shows kinematic signatures of co-rotating halo-gas with solar metallicity. Taken together, these observations suggest evidence of a baryon cycle that is recycling the outflowing gas to form the next generation of stars.

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arXiv2025

Gamma Analytical Modeling Evolution (GAME) I: The physical implications of deriving the stellar mass functions from z=0 to z=8

The $Γ$ growth model is an effective parameterization employed across various scientific disciplines and scales to depict growth. It has been demonstrated that the cosmic star formation rate density (CSFRD) can also be described broadly by this pattern, i.e. $\frac{dM(T)}{dT} = M_{z,0}\, \times \frac{β^α}{Γ(α)} \, T^{α-1} e^{-β\, T }$ M$_{\odot}$ Gyr$^{-1}$, where $M_{z,0}$ is the stellar mass at $z$ = 0, $α= 3.0$, $β= 0.5 $ Gyr$^{-1}$ and $T$ describes time. We use the identical $Γ$ growth pattern given by the CSFRD to extend the present day (z = 0) stellar mass bins $M_{\ast}(T)$ of the Galaxy Stellar Mass Function (GSMF) and investigate if we are able to reproduce observations for the high redshift GSMFs. Surprisingly, our scheme describes successfully the evolution of the GSMF over 13.5 Gyrs, especially for objects with intermediate and low masses. We observe some deviations that manifest {\it solely} at very high redshifts ($z > 1.5$, i.e. more than 9.5 Gyr ago) and {\it specifically} for very small and exceedingly massive objects. We discuss the possible solutions (e.g. impacts of mergers) for these offsets. Our formalism suggests that the evolution of the GSMF is set by simple (few parameters) and physically motivated arguments. The parameters $β$ and $α$ are theoretically consistent within a multi-scale context and are determined from the dynamical time scale ($β$) and the radial distribution of the accreting matter ($α$). We demonstrate that both our formalism and state-of-the-art simulations are consistent with recent GSMFs derived from JWST data at high redshifts.

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arXiv2025

FLIMFLAM DR1: The First Constraints on the Cosmic Baryon Distribution from 8 FRB sightlines

The dispersion measure of fast radio bursts (FRBs), arising from the interactions of the pulses with free electrons along the propagation path, constitutes a unique probe of the cosmic baryon distribution. Their constraining power is further enhanced in combination with observations of the foreground large-scale structure and intervening galaxies. In this work, we present the first constraints on the partition of the cosmic baryons between the intergalactic medium (IGM) and circumgalactic medium (CGM), inferred from the FLIMFLAM spectroscopic survey. In its first data release, the FLIMFLAM survey targeted galaxies in the foreground of 8 localized FRBs. Using Bayesian techniques, we reconstruct the underlying ~Mpc-scale matter density field that is traced by the IGM gas. Simultaneously, deeper spectroscopy of intervening foreground galaxies (at impact parameters $b_\perp \lesssim r_{200}$) and the FRB host galaxies constrains the contribution from the CGM. Applying Bayesian parameter inference to our data and assuming a fiducial set of priors, we infer the IGM cosmic baryon fraction to be $f_{\rm igm}=0.59^{+0.11}_{-0.10}$, and a CGM gas fraction of $f_{\rm gas} = 0.55^{+0.26}_{-0.29}$ for $10^{10}\,M_\odot \lesssim M_{\rm halo}\lesssim 10^{13}\,M_\odot$ halos. The mean FRB host dispersion measure (rest-frame) in our sample is $\langle \rm{DM_{host}}\rangle = 90^{+29}_{-19}\rm{pc~cm^{-3}}$, of which $\langle{\rm DM_{host}^{unk}}\rangle =69^{+28}_{-19}~\rm{pc~cm^{-3}}$ arises from the host galaxy ISM and/or the FRB progenitor environment. While our current $f_{\rm igm}$ and $f_{\rm gas}$ uncertainties are too broad to constrain most galactic feedback models, this result marks the first measurement of the IGM and CGM baryon fractions, as well as the first systematic separation of the FRB host dispersion measure into two components: arising from the halo and from the inner ISM/FRB engine.

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arXiv2025

A positive correlation between broad HI Ly$α$ absorptions and local overdensities of galaxies

A large fraction of the baryon budget at $z<1$ resides in large-scale filaments in the form of diffuse intergalactic gas, and numerous studies have reported a significant correlation between the strength of the absorptions produced by this gas in the spectra of bright background sources, and impact parameter to cosmic filaments intersected by these sightlines. However, a similar relation is harder to determine for the warm-hot phase of the intergalactic gas, since its higher Doppler parameter and significantly lower neutral gas fraction makes this gas difficult to detect in absorption. We use a sample of 13 broad Ly$α$ absorbers (BLAs) detected in the HST/COS spectrum of a single QSO ($z\sim0.27$), whose sightline intersects several inter-cluster axes, to study the relation between BLAs and the large-scale structure of the Universe. Given their Doppler parameters of $b>40$ km s$^{-1}$, BLAs are good tracers of warm-hot intergalactic gas. We use VLT/MUSE and VLT/VIMOS data to infer local overdensities of galaxies at the redshifts of the BLAs, and to assess the potential association of the BLAs with nearby galaxies. We find that out of the 13 BLAs in our sample, four are associated with a strong overdensity of galaxies, and four with tentative overdensities. The remaining five are located at redshifts where we do not identify any excess of galaxies. We find that these overdensities of galaxies at the redshift of BLAs are local, and they vanish when larger cosmic volumes are considered, in terms of a larger velocity offset to the BLA or larger impact parameter to the QSO sightline. Finally, we find a positive correlation between the total hydrogen column densities inferred from the BLAs, and the relative excess of galaxies at the same redshifts, consistent with the picture where warm-hot gas resides deep within the gravitational potential well of cosmic filaments.

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arXiv2025

The Intergalactic Medium

The intergalactic medium (IGM) comprises all the matter that lies between galaxies. Hosting the vast majority ($\gtrsim 90\%$) of the baryons in the Universe, the IGM is a critical reservoir and probe for cosmology and astrophysics, providing insights into large-scale structure formation and galaxy evolution. In this Chapter, we present an overview of the general properties of the IGM, focusing on their dependence on cosmic environment and cosmic time. Emphasis is given to the basic physical principles that allow us to model the density, temperature, and ionization state of the IGM, supported by results from cosmological hydrodynamical simulations. We also cover the foundational principles of quasar spectroscopy used to probe the IGM in absorption, with a particular focus on HI absorption lines. Finally, we briefly discuss future prospects and complementary observational techniques to enhance our understanding of the IGM.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2025

CHANCES, the Chilean Cluster Galaxy Evolution Survey: Selection and initial characterisation of clusters and superclusters

CHANCES, the CHileAN Cluster galaxy Evolution Survey, will study the evolution of galaxies in and around 100 massive galaxy clusters from the local Universe out to $z = 0.45$, and two superclusters at $z \sim 0.05$ that contain roughly 25 Abell clusters each. CHANCES will use the new 4MOST Spectroscopic Survey Facility on the VISTA 4m telescope to obtain spectra for $\sim$500,000 galaxies with magnitudes $r_\mathrm{AB} < 20.4$, providing comprehensive spectroscopic coverage of each cluster out to $5r_{200}$. Its wide and deep scope will trace massive and dwarf galaxies from the surrounding filaments and groups to the cores of galaxy clusters. This will enable the study of galaxy preprocessing and of the role of the evolving environment on galaxy evolution. In this paper, we present and characterise the sample of clusters and superclusters to be targeted by CHANCES. We used literature catalogues based on X-ray emission and the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect to define the cluster sample in a homogeneous way, with attention to cluster mass and redshift, as well as the availability of ancillary data. We calibrated literature mass estimates from various surveys against each other and provide an initial mass estimate for each cluster, which we used to define the radial extent of the 4MOST coverage. We also present an initial assessment of the structure surrounding these clusters based on the redMaPPer red-sequence algorithm as a preview of some of the science CHANCES will enable.

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