Speaker
Description
Galaxy clusters are powerful cosmological probes, sensitive to the growth of structure and the matter content of the universe. Using the AMICO algorithm on the KiDS-DR4 dataset, we present a homogeneous catalog of ~8000 clusters with accurate richness and membership estimates up to z ≈ 0.8. We jointly model cluster counts and weak-lensing profiles in KiDS-1000 to calibrate the mass–richness relation and derive cosmological constraints competitive with Planck and KiDS shear measurements. In parallel, we detect the splashback radius in stacked lensing profiles, tracing the transition between infall and virialized regions. Our results validate cluster-based cosmology in the era of precision surveys and offer new avenues to test ΛCDM and structure formation scenarios. These analyses demonstrate the synergy between cluster observables and next-generation surveys such as Euclid and DESI in resolving current cosmological tensions.
