A. Schneider’s research while affiliated with Los Alamos National Laboratory and other places

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Publications (358)


FIG. 2. Parameter space for the two-mediator models, consisting of one long-lived boson produced through charged pion threebody decays into a 20 MeV scalar ϕ coupling to muons and scattering via a vector mediator V as in Eq. (1). The exclusions (CCM120, KARMEN, LSND, and MicroBooNE) and projections for future CCM200 (in nominal background and background-free scenarios) and future MicroBooNE sensitivity are shown at 95% CL, while the MiniBooNE fits are shown at 68% and 95% CL in dark and light blue, respectively.
FIG. 4. Parameter space for the single mediator scenario where a massive vector V couples to the pion doublet via charged pion coupling g π AE and neutral pion coupling g π 0 as in Eq. (4). The production channels via these couplings are therefore neutral pion decay π 0 → γV and IB2 decay π AE → lνV, while the detection takes place via π 0 -mediated VN → γN scattering. The exclusions (CCM120, KARMEN, LSND, and MicroBooNE) and projections (CCM200 and MicroBooNE) are shown at 95% CL, while the MiniBooNE fits are shown at 68% and 95% CL in dark and light blue, respectively.
FIG. 5. Same as Fig. 4 but for m V ¼ 10 MeV (left) and m V ¼ 20 MeV (right).
Addendum to “Testing meson portal dark sector solutions to the MiniBooNE anomaly at CCM”
  • Article
  • Full-text available

February 2025

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10 Reads

Physical Review D

A. A. Aguilar-Arevalo

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S. Biedron

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J. Boissevain

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[...]

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In Aguilar-Arevalo [], we explored various effective field theories that could explain the MiniBooNE excess involving long-lived particles produced from charged meson decays and the sensitivity of the Coherent CAPTAIN Mills experiment to these models. In this addendum, we extend the analysis to project sensitivity of upcoming MicroBooNE data to the long-lived particle models considered in the previous work. We find that a dedicated MicroBooNE analysis of the single photon final state with longer exposure and improved signal efficiency will be sensitive to these new physics explanations of the MiniBooNE excess, and could rule them out with a null observation at the 95% confidence level. Published by the American Physical Society 2025

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Euclid preparation: LIX. Angular power spectra from discrete observations

February 2025

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11 Reads

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1 Citation

Astronomy and Astrophysics

N. Tessore

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B. Joachimi

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A. Loureiro

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[...]

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E. Sellentin

In this paper we present the framework for measuring angular power spectra in the Euclid mission. The observables in galaxy surveys, such as galaxy clustering and cosmic shear, are not continuous fields, but discrete sets of data, obtained only at the positions of galaxies. We show how to compute the angular power spectra of such discrete data sets, without treating observations as maps of an underlying continuous field that is overlaid with a noise component. This formalism allows us to compute the exact theoretical expectations for our measured spectra, under a number of assumptions that we track explicitly. In particular, we obtain exact expressions for the additive biases (‘shot noise’) in angular galaxy clustering and cosmic shear. For efficient practical computations, we introduce a spin-weighted spherical convolution with a well-defined convolution theorem, which allows us to apply exact theoretical predictions to finite-resolution maps, including HEALPix . When validating our methodology, we find that our measurements are biased by less than 1% of their statistical uncertainty in simulations of Euclid ’s first data release.


Euclid preparation: LXVII. Deep learning true galaxy morphologies for weak lensing shear bias calibration

January 2025

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8 Reads

Astronomy and Astrophysics

To date, galaxy image simulations for weak lensing surveys usually approximate the light profiles of all galaxies as a single or double Sérsic profile, neglecting the influence of galaxy substructures and morphologies deviating from such a simplified parametric characterisation. While this approximation may be sufficient for previous data sets, the stringent cosmic shear calibration requirements and the high quality of the data in the upcoming survey demand a consideration of the effects that realistic galaxy substructures and irregular shapes have on shear measurement biases. Here we present a novel deep learning-based method to create such simulated galaxies directly from Hubble Space Telescope (HST) data. We first build and validate a convolutional neural network based on the wavelet scattering transform to learn noise-free representations independent of the point-spread function (PSF) of HST galaxy images. These can be injected into simulations of images from optical instrument VIS without introducing noise correlations during PSF convolution or shearing. Then, we demonstrate the generation of new galaxy images by sampling from the model randomly as well as conditionally. In the latter case, we fine-tune the interpolation between latent space vectors of sample galaxies to directly obtain new realistic objects following a specific Sérsic index and half-light radius distribution. Furthermore, we show that the distribution of galaxy structural and morphological parameters of our generative model matches the distribution of the input HST training data, proving the capability of the model to produce realistic shapes. Next, we quantify the cosmic shear bias from complex galaxy shapes in simulations by comparing the shear measurement biases between a sample of model objects and their best-fit double-Sérsic counterparts, thereby creating two separate branches that only differ in the complexity of their shapes. Using the Kaiser, Squires, and Broadhurst shape measurement algorithm, we find a multiplicative bias difference between these branches with realistic morphologies and parametric profiles on the order of (6.9±0.6)(6.9± 0.6) for a realistic magnitude-Sérsic index distribution. Moreover, we find clear detection bias differences between full image scenes simulated with parametric and realistic galaxies, leading to a bias difference of (4.0±0.9)(4.0± 0.9) independent of the shape measurement method. This makes complex morphology relevant for stage IV weak lensing surveys, exceeding the full error budget of the Euclid Wide Survey (Δμ_


Fig. 2. 2PCF-GC process overview. The different boxes illustrate the different steps involved in the processing.
Fig. 8. Sky coverage of Euclid Wide Field after one, three, and six years of observations, as defined in the Euclid Reference Survey (Euclid Collaboration: Scaramella et al. 2022).
Fig. 10. Same as Fig. 9 but for the quadrupole correlation function.
Fig. 11. Same as Fig. 9 but for the hexadecapole correlation function.
Fig. 12. Impact of the choice of pair line-of-sight definition on the estimated monopole and quadrupole correlation functions in FGM mock. The curves with the different different symbols show the relative difference between using mid-point and end-point definitions in the estimator for the monopole and quadrupole correlation functions. The different colours show this quantity for the redshift intervals: 0.9 < z < 1.1, 1.1 < z < 1.3,1.3 < z < 1.5,1.5 < z < 1.8. The light (dark) band shows the expected 1σ statistical error on the monopole (quadrupole) correlation function in the completed Euclid Wide Survey.
Euclid preparation. 3-dimensional galaxy clustering in configuration space. Part I. 2-point correlation function estimation

January 2025

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25 Reads

The 2-point correlation function of the galaxy spatial distribution is a major cosmological observable that enables constraints on the dynamics and geometry of the Universe. The Euclid mission aims at performing an extensive spectroscopic survey of approximately 20--30 million Hα\alpha-emitting galaxies up to about redshift two. This ambitious project seeks to elucidate the nature of dark energy by mapping the 3-dimensional clustering of galaxies over a significant portion of the sky. This paper presents the methodology and software developed for estimating the 3-dimensional 2-point correlation function within the Euclid Science Ground Segment. The software is designed to overcome the significant challenges posed by the large and complex Euclid data set, which involves millions of galaxies. Key challenges include efficient pair counting, managing computational resources, and ensuring the accuracy of the correlation function estimation. The software leverages advanced algorithms, including kd-tree, octree, and linked-list data partitioning strategies, to optimise the pair-counting process. The implementation also includes parallel processing capabilities using shared-memory open multi-processing to further enhance performance and reduce computation times. Extensive validation and performance testing of the software are presented. The results indicate that the software is robust and can reliably estimate the 2-point correlation function, which is essential for deriving cosmological parameters with high precision. Furthermore, the paper discusses the expected performance of the software during different stages of the Euclid Wide Survey observations and forecasts how the precision of the correlation function measurements will improve over the mission's timeline, highlighting the software's capability to handle large data sets efficiently.


Euclid preparation LXIV. The Cosmic Dawn Survey (DAWN) of the Euclid Deep and Auxiliary Fields

January 2025

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15 Reads

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2 Citations

Astronomy and Astrophysics

will provide deep near-infrared (NIR) imaging to ∼26.5 AB magnitude over ∼59 deg^2 in its deep and auxiliary fields. The Cosmic DAWN survey combines dedicated and archival UV--NIR observations to provide matched depth multiwavelength imaging of the deep and auxiliary fields. The DAWN survey will provide consistently measured NIR-selected photometric catalogues, accurate photometric redshifts, and measurements of galaxy properties to a redshift of z∼ 10. The DAWN catalogues include Spitzer IRAC data that are critical for stellar mass measurements at z ≳ 2.5 and high-z science. These catalogues complement the standard catalogues, which will not include Spitzer IRAC data. In this paper, we present an overview of the survey, including the footprints of the survey fields, the existing and planned observations, and the primary science goals for the combined data set.


Euclid preparation. LXVI. Impact of line-of-sight projections on the covariance between galaxy cluster multi-wavelength observable properties: insights from hydrodynamic simulations

January 2025

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5 Reads

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Cluster cosmology can benefit from combining multi-wavelength studies. In turn, these studies benefit from a characterisation of the correlation coefficients among different mass-observable relations. In this work, we aim to provide information on the scatter, skewness, and covariance of various mass-observable relations in galaxy clusters in cosmological hydrodynamic simulations. This information will help future analyses improve the general approach to accretion histories and projection effects, as well as to model mass-observable relations for cosmology studies. We identified galaxy clusters in Magneticum Box2b simulations with masses of M_ 200c M _⊙ at redshifts of z=0.24 and z=0.90. Our analysis included properties such as richness, stellar mass, lensing mass, and concentration. Additionally, we investigated complementary multi-wavelength data, including X-ray luminosity, integrated Compton-y parameter, gas mass, and temperature. We then examined the impact of projection effects on mass-observable residuals and correlations. We find that at intermediate redshift (z=0.24), projection effects have the greatest impact of lensing concentration, richness, and gas mass in terms of the scatter and skewness of the log-residuals of scaling relations. The contribution of projection effects can be significant enough to boost a spurious hot- versus cold-baryon correlations and consequently hide underlying correlations due to halo accretion histories. At high redshift (z=0.9), the richness has a much lower scatter (of log-residuals), while the quantity that is most impacted by projection effects is the lensing mass. The lensing concentration reconstruction, in particular, is affected by deviations of the reduced-shear profile shape from that derived using a Navarro-Frenk-White (NFW) profile; the amount of interlopers in the line of sight, on the other hand, is not as important.


Euclid preparation: Extracting physical parameters from galaxies with machine learning

January 2025

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30 Reads

The Euclid mission is generating a vast amount of imaging data in four broadband filters at high angular resolution. This will allow the detailed study of mass, metallicity, and stellar populations across galaxies, which will constrain their formation and evolutionary pathways. Transforming the Euclid imaging for large samples of galaxies into maps of physical parameters in an efficient and reliable manner is an outstanding challenge. We investigate the power and reliability of machine learning techniques to extract the distribution of physical parameters within well-resolved galaxies. We focus on estimating stellar mass surface density, mass-averaged stellar metallicity and age. We generate noise-free, synthetic high-resolution imaging data in the Euclid photometric bands for a set of 1154 galaxies from the TNG50 cosmological simulation. The images are generated with the SKIRT radiative transfer code, taking into account the complex 3D distribution of stellar populations and interstellar dust attenuation. We use a machine learning framework to map the idealised mock observational data to the physical parameters on a pixel-by-pixel basis. We find that stellar mass surface density can be accurately recovered with a 0.130dex\leq 0.130 {\rm \,dex} scatter. Conversely, stellar metallicity and age estimates are, as expected, less robust, but still contain significant information which originates from underlying correlations at a sub-kpc scale between stellar mass surface density and stellar population properties.


Euclid preparation LX. The use of HST images as input for weak-lensing image simulations

January 2025

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9 Reads

Data from the Euclid space telescope will enable cosmic shear measurements with very small statistical errors, requiring corresponding systematic error control level. A common approach to correct for shear biases involves calibrating shape measurement methods using image simulations with known input shear. Given their high resolution, Hubble Space Telescope (HST) galaxies can, in principle, be utilised to emulate Euclid observations. In this work, we employ a GalSim-based testing environment to investigate whether uncertainties in the HST point spread function (PSF) model or in data processing techniques introduce significant biases in weak-lensing (WL) shear calibration. We used single S\'ersic galaxy models to simulate both HST and Euclid observations. We then `Euclidised' our HST simulations and compared the results with the directly simulated Euclid-like images. For this comparison, we utilised a moment-based shape measurement algorithm and galaxy model fits. Through the Euclidisation procedure, we effectively reduced the residual multiplicative biases in shear measurements to sub-percent levels. This achievement was made possible by employing either the native pixel scales of the instruments, utilising the Lanczos15 interpolation kernel, correcting for noise correlations, and ensuring consistent galaxy signal-to-noise ratios between simulation branches. However, the Euclidisation procedure requires further analysis on the impact of the correlated noise, to estimate calibration bias. Additionally, we conducted an in-depth analysis of the accuracy of TinyTim HST PSF models using star fields observed in the F606W and F814W filters. We observe that F606W images exhibit a broader scatter in the recovered best-fit focus, compared to those in the F814W filter.


Euclid preparation. LX. The use of HST images as input for weak-lensing image simulations

January 2025

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9 Reads

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Data from the space telescope will enable cosmic shear measurements to be carried out with very small statistical errors, necessitating a corresponding level of systematic error control. A common approach to correct for shear biases involves calibrating shape measurement methods using image simulations with known input shear. Given their high resolution, galaxies observed with the (HST) can, in principle, be utilised to emulate observations of sheared galaxy images with realistic morphologies. In this work, we employ a GalSim -based testing environment to investigate whether uncertainties in the HST point spread function (PSF) model or in data processing techniques introduce significant biases in weak-lensing (WL) shear calibration. We used single S'ersic galaxy models to simulate both HST and observations. We then ‘Euclidised’ our HST simulations and compared the results with the directly simulated images. For this comparison, we utilised a moment-based shape measurement algorithm and galaxy model fits. Through the Euclidisation procedure, we effectively reduced the residual multiplicative biases in shear measurements to sub-percent levels. This achievement was made possible by employing either the native pixel scales of the instruments, utilising the Lanczos15 interpolation kernel, correcting for noise correlations, and ensuring consistent galaxy signal-to-noise ratios between simulation branches. Alternatively, a finer pixel scale can be employed alongside deeper HST data. However, the Euclidisation procedure requires further analysis on the impact of the correlated noise, to estimate calibration bias. We found that additive biases can be mitigated by applying a post-deconvolution isotropisation in the Euclidisation set-up. Additionally, we conducted an in-depth analysis of the accuracy of TinyTim HST PSF models using star fields observed in the F606W and F814W filters. We observe that F606W images exhibit a broader scatter in the recovered best-fit focus, compared to those in the F814W filter. Estimating the focus value for the F606W filter in lower stellar density regimes has allowed us to reveal significant statistical uncertainties.


Euclid preparation. LXIII. Simulations and non-linearities beyond Lambda cold dark matter. 2. Results from non-standard simulations

December 2024

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20 Reads

Astronomy and Astrophysics

The mission will measure cosmological parameters with unprecedented precision. To distinguish between cosmological models, it is essential to generate realistic mock observables from cosmological simulations that were run in both the standard Λ-cold-dark-matter ( paradigm and in many non-standard models beyond We present the scientific results from a suite of cosmological N -body simulations using non-standard models including dynamical dark energy k -essence, interacting dark energy, modified gravity, massive neutrinos, and primordial non-Gaussianities. We investigate how these models affect the large-scale-structure formation and evolution in addition to providing synthetic observables that can be used to test and constrain these models with data. We developed a custom pipeline based on the halo finder and the large-scale structure toolkit to analyse the particle output of non-standard simulations and generate mock observables such as halo and void catalogues, mass density fields, and power spectra in a consistent way. We compare these observables with those from the standard model and quantify the deviations. We find that non-standard cosmological models can leave large imprints on the synthetic observables that we have generated. Our results demonstrate that non-standard cosmological N -body simulations provide valuable insights into the physics of dark energy and dark matter, which is essential to maximising the scientific return of euclid.


Citations (34)


... However, the general question of how to estimate summary statistics with discrete data sets has received some attention. In the context of galaxy surveys, Tessore et al. (2025) developed methods to estimate angular power spectra directly from discrete observations; the bias of such estimators was computed, but not their covariance. In the context of PTA, Pitrou & Cusin (2024) analysed the bias on the angular spectrum of the Hellings-Downs correlation due to the finite number of observed pulsars; in this case, however, the issue lies specifically in the transformation from real space to harmonic space -if I measure the correlation function of a random field at some specific angular separations, how well can I reconstruct its multipoles? ...

Reference:

Sparsity covariance: a source of uncertainty when estimating correlation functions with a discrete sample of observations in the sky
Euclid preparation: LIX. Angular power spectra from discrete observations

Astronomy and Astrophysics

N. Tessore

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B. Joachimi

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A. Loureiro

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[...]

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E. Sellentin

... The Euclid survey, now underway since February 2024, will comprise a ∼ 15000 deg 2 wide survey (Euclid Collaboration et al. 2022b) together with deep survey with forty times the exposure of the wide survey. These Euclid deep fields will contain, crucially, very deep nearinfrared photometry from Euclid's Near-Infrared Spectrograph instrument (Laureijs et al. 2011;Euclid Collaboration et al. 2022b, optical data from Hyper-Suprime-Cam on Subaru (Collaboration et al. 2024) and infrared data from Spitzer's IRAC camera (Euclid Collaboration et al. 2022a). These data represent the only survey, currently or in planning, that is capable of making stellar-mass-selected samples at these depths and areas. ...

Euclid preparation LXIV. The Cosmic Dawn Survey (DAWN) of the Euclid Deep and Auxiliary Fields
  • Citing Article
  • January 2025

Astronomy and Astrophysics

... Moreover, future opportunities to search for coupled scalars (hyperlight or otherwise) are myriad [189], including nuclear clocks [190][191][192][193], high-resolution CMB observations [194,195], the Lyman-α forest [196], and absorption spectra measurements from quasars [197] and emission line galaxies [198]. In the near term, further data from DESI and other future galaxy surveys [199][200][201][202][203] and supernova surveys [204][205][206] should improve limits on electron couplings and clarify the discordant results from current datasets. Studying the interesting dynamical regimes of strong couplings and heavier masses, as well as couplings to the strong sector, would paint a complete picture of new hyperlight, interacting scalars, which may well be first revealed through their cosmological signatures in the wealth of upcoming data. ...

Euclid preparation. LIV. Sensitivity to neutrino parameters

Astronomy and Astrophysics

... Here we present imaging data for this new strong lens from the Euclid VIS and NISP instruments (see Euclid Collaboration: Cropper et al. 2025;Euclid Collaboration: Jahnke et al. 2025, for detailed descriptions), as well as spectroscopy collected from the Keck Cosmic Web Imager (KCWI, Morrissey et al. 2018). We also make use of data from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI). ...

Euclid II. The VIS instrument
  • Citing Article
  • October 2024

Astronomy and Astrophysics

... In addition, for large detectors and/or those with large numbers of sensors, file sizes can grow to huge sizes and the larger memory requirements make the use of light tables unfeasible. Other methods include the semi-analytical model [4], generative adversarial neural networks (GAN) [5] as employed by experiments including SBND [6] and DUNE [7], and differential simulations with ML [8]. The semi-analytical model predicts (with a precision better than 10%) the amount of observed light at a photosensor using the relative positions of the energy deposition and photosensor while the GAN is trained to make predictions of the number of photons at each photodetector with 20-50 times improvement with respect to Geant4. ...

Scintillation light in SBND: simulation, reconstruction, and expected performance of the photon detection system

The European Physical Journal C

... It has admitted one-parameter models so far probably because the data are only on the verge of constraining the effect. Depending on the nature of the suppression, we might already be seeing a bias in cosmological constraints from gravitational lensing [61]. The next generation of experiments will detect the effect of feedback at high significance (e.g., Ref. [62]) and this will likely drive the need for more flexibility in the modeling. ...

Weak lensing combined with the kinetic Sunyaev–Zel’dovich effect: a study of baryonic feedback
  • Citing Article
  • September 2024

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

... However, its Einstein ring was unknown until its observation by the Euclid space telescope. The primary scientific goal of Euclid is to obtain cosmological constraints from weak lensing and galaxy clustering over 14 000 deg 2 of the sky (see Euclid Collaboration: Mellier et al. 2025, for a mission overview). As a consequence of observing such a large area at the depth and resolution of Euclid, it is forecast to discover >10 5 new strong gravitational lenses (Collett 2015). ...

Euclid. I. Overview of the Euclid mission
  • Citing Article
  • September 2024

Astronomy and Astrophysics

... a Near-Infrared Spectrometer and Photometer (NISP, Euclid Collaboration: Jahnke et al. 2025), delivering the images of more than one billion galaxies and the spectra of tens of millions of galaxies out to redshift of about 2. The combination of spectroscopy and photometry will allow us to reconstruct the matter power spectrum up to an accuracy of 1%. ...

Euclid. III. The NISP instrument
  • Citing Article
  • August 2024

Astronomy and Astrophysics

... The TPC was ramped up to its nominal voltage of −100 kV for the first time in July 2024. Complementing the TPC, the Photon Detection System (PDS) consists of 120 8" photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) and 192 X-ARAPUCAs, designed to capture the fast scintillation light from argon, providing nanosecondlevel timing for event reconstruction and triggering [2]. The PMTs are operational and taking data. ...

Scintillation Light in SBND: Simulation, Reconstruction, and Expected Performance of the Photon Detection System

... The observed lensing effect is therefore sensitive to the growth of matter fluctuations and the Universe's expansion history. Stage IV surveys such as Euclid (Euclid Collaboration: Mellier et al. 2024) and the Vera Rubin Observatory (Ivezić et al. 2019) promise to deliver high-precision weak lensing maps of increasing volume, providing a large-scale cosmological experiment that will allow us to distinguish between different theories of dark energy and MG. ...

Euclid. I. Overview of the Euclid mission