Image from Euclid Deep Field North, where Bristol researchers found about 100,000 AGN candidatesEuropean Space Agency
New data from a satellite one million miles from Earth has helped UK scientists including University of Bristol researchers shed light on how mysterious forces shaped the evolution of the universe.
The release of the first survey data from the European Space Agency's pioneering Euclid satellite – made public today – has led to a flurry of scientific advances that further our understanding of the cosmos.
Launched in July 2023, Euclid is mapping the universe with unprecedented precision and accuracy. By examining more than one billion galaxies over six years, this groundbreaking space telescope aims to explore two of astronomy's biggest mysteries: dark matter and dark energy.
Despite covering less than 0.5 per cent of the complete study area, the data is already proving to be a treasure trove for UK scientists.
The Euclid-AGN team of researchers found a number of supermassive black holes gradually accumulating gas in the centres of galaxies, published in a work led by PhD student Teresa Matamoro-Zatarain at the University of Bristol.
Also known as Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN), they make up less than 10 per cent of the galaxy population in the Universe. Combining Euclid data with other multi-wavelength surveys is enabling a new era of AGN exploration, experts say.
AGN are a crucial phase in the evolution of galaxies, since they regulate the formation of stars by depositing energy through powerful winds. The vast dataset of Euclid will help pinpoint the connection between AGN and galaxy evolution across cosmic time.
EPSRC Doctoral Prize Fellow, Dr Grant Stevens has harnessed the power of modern machine-learning methods to introduce a new method to identify galaxies with potential AGN emission.
"The exploration of the big-data delivered by Euclid is only starting. We expect many more discoveries from a true multi-disciplicary partnership," said Dr Sotiria Fotopoulou, Lecturer in the School of Physics and co-lead of the AGN Working Group in the Euclid Consortium, comprising more than 100 members.
A much larger data release is scheduled for October 2026 which will include results about the nature of dark energy.
