PIRSA:26020037

Tracing the mass distribution and assembly of galaxy clusters with ICL and dynamical indicators

Ahad, S.L. (2026). Tracing the mass distribution and assembly of galaxy clusters with ICL and dynamical indicators. Perimeter Institute. https://pirsa.org/26020037

Ahad, Syeda Lammim. Tracing the mass distribution and assembly of galaxy clusters with ICL and dynamical indicators. Perimeter Institute, Feb. 03, 2026, https://pirsa.org/26020037 

          @misc{ pirsa_PIRSA:26020037,
            doi = {10.48660/26020037},
            url = {https://pirsa.org/26020037},
            author = {Ahad, Syeda Lammim},
            keywords = {Cosmology},
            language = {en},
            title = {Tracing the mass distribution and assembly of galaxy clusters with ICL and dynamical indicators},
            publisher = {Perimeter Institute},
            year = {2026},
            month = {feb},
            note = {PIRSA:26020037 see, \url{https://pirsa.org}}
          }

Syeda Lammim Ahad Waterloo Centre for Astrophysics

Talk numberPIRSA:26020037
DOI10.48660/26020037
Collection
Talk Type Scientific Series
Subject

Abstract

Galaxy clusters assemble hierarchically, and their present-day dynamical state encodes information about cluster formation timescales and mass distribution. The diffuse intracluster light (ICL), a fossil record of tidal stripping and accretion, offers a complementary probe that is sensitive to a cluster’s assembly history. In this talk I will present recent works based on photometric surveys (Euclid, UNIONS, DESI Legacy, KiDS) and cosmological hydrodynamic simulations (e.g. IllustrisTNG, Hydrangea), addressing two questions: (i) how observational tracers (e.g. magnitude gaps, galaxy-stellar-mass ratios) can be used to identify cluster dynamical state and its imprint on cluster properties; and (ii) what the ICL fraction and morphology reveal about the underlying mass and the stage of assembly. If time allows, I will briefly describe ongoing work with the FLAMINGO simulations that connects high-redshift protoclusters to their descendant clusters using observational indicators of environment and assembly.