Mock Observations for the CSST Mission: Multi-Channel Imager—The Cluster Field

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Abstract
The Multi-Channel Imager (MCI), one of the instruments aboard the Chinese Space Station Survey Telescope, is designed to simultaneously observe the sky in three filters, covering wavelengths from near-ultraviolet to near-infrared. With its large field of view ( 7 . ′ ⁡ 5 × 7 . ′ ⁡ 5 ), MCI is particularly well-suited for observing galaxy clusters, providing a powerful tool for investigating galaxy evolution, dark matter and dark energy through gravitational lensing. Here we present a comprehensive simulation framework of a strong lensing cluster as observed by MCI, aiming to fully exploit its capabilities in capturing lensing features. The framework simulates a strong lensing cluster from the CosmoDC2 catalog, calculating the gravitational potential and performing ray-tracing to derive the true positions, shapes and light distribution of galaxies within the cluster field. Additionally, the simulation incorporates intra-cluster light (ICL) and spectral energy distributions (SEDs), enabling further strong lensing analyses, such as ICL separation from galaxy light and mass reconstruction combining strong and weak lensing measurements. This framework provides a critical benchmark for testing the MCI data pipeline and maximizing its potential in galaxy cluster research.

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