Contributions to the Euclid Mission

Over the last decade, the understanding of nature, interaction and possible decay of Dark Matter and Dark Energy poses some of the most important questions for fundamental physics, pointing beyond the standard models of gravity and particle physics. The Euclid mission is a recently adopted medium class (M) ESA mission, in the framework of ESA Cosmic Vision Program, designed to elucidate the questions related to the nature of Dark Matter and Dark Energy. Euclid is a high-precision satellite survey designed to map the geometry of the Dark Universe with demonstrated feasibility. Euclid’s visible (VIS) and near-infrared imaging and spectroscopy (NISP) instruments will produce extensive legacy science to the boundaries of the visible universe. Euclid mission is optimized for two primary cosmological probes: Weak gravitational Lensing (WL) and Baryonic Acoustic Oscillations (BAO). Euclid will also make use of two secondary cosmological probes: Integrated Sachs Wolfe (ISW) Effect and Clusters of Galaxies. This project aims to ensure the active participation of the research team to the Euclid mission. After Romania adhered to ESA last year, Euclid became the first ESA mission with fully institutional Romanian participation, the Institute of Space Science being accepted as a full member of the Euclid Consortium. Considering the present level of development of the mission, the objectives of this proposal are related to:

NISP and VIS data compression, algorithms development and test:

NISP and VIS instruments will produce impressive amounts of data, to be read by the corresponding Control and Data Processing Units, compressed, packed and transferred to the spacecraft Mass Memory Unit in narrow and well defined time windows. We propose to develop and test fast and effective lossless data compression algorithms to be integrated by Euclid on-board computing instruments.

Ground Based imaging photometric calibration:

Euclid survey area covers much of the extra- gallactic sky, also covered by existing or future ground based surveys. As such surveys complement the Euclid redshift measurements, the Euclid Consortium is strongly motivated to access the ground data complying with the required depth and wavelength coverage. We propose to join to this effort to complement the Euclid photometric calibration with data from ground based surveys.

Constraints on Dark Energy propreties with Integrated Sachs-Wolfe Effect:

We popose to evaluate the effectivness of the ISW effect as secondary cosmological propbe to constrain the Dark Energy properties for Eucid observing strategy. The above objectives assume a close connection with the rest of the Euclid Consortium. The project objectives will allow the team to compete in future ESA announcements of opportunity, including for optional programs (as PRODEX), to which Romania plans to adhere.