Context. The evolution of galaxies is shaped by both internal processes and their external environments. Galaxy clusters and their surroundings provide ideal laboratories to study these effects, particularly with respect to mechanisms such as quenching and morphological transformation. The Chilean Cluster galaxy Evolution Survey (CHANCES) Low-z sub-survey is part of the CHileAN Cluster galaxy Evolution Survey, a 4MOST community survey designed to uncover the relationship between the formation and evolution of galaxies and hierarchical structure formation as it happens, through deep and wide multi-object spectroscopy. Aims. We present the target selection strategy followed to select galaxy cluster candidate members for the CHANCES Low-z sub-survey. The selection was focussed in and around 50 clusters and two superclusters at z < 0.07, out to (5 × R200) and down to mr = 20.4. Methods. Combining public photometric redshift estimates from the DESI Legacy Imaging Survey and T80S/S-PLUS iDR5 with custom photometric redshifts, we were able to identify likely galaxy cluster candidate members, whose photometric redshifts were consistent with being located at the known redshift of the cluster. We measured the average deviations of their photometric redshifts with respect to the spectroscopic redshift measurements, σNMAD. We tested various selection parameters to maximise completeness, while maintaining purity. Results. We successfully compiled our CHANCES-low-redshift catalogues, split into three different sub-surveys: Low-z bright (mr < 18.5), Low-z faint (18.5 ≤ mr < 20.4), and Low-z faint supplementary. To do so, we selected ≳500 000 galaxy cluster candidate members and included confirmed spectroscopic galaxy cluster members, from which we expect to obtain 4MOST low-resolution (R ∼ 6500) spectra for ∼320 000 galaxies. Conclusions. The CHANCES Low-z target catalogues form a statistically robust sample for spectroscopic follow-up, enabling studies of galaxy evolution and environmental effects in nearby cluster and supercluster environments.
From a galaxy’s point of view, its environment has continued to evolve during its lifetime, going from lower to higher density regions as it moves across the cosmic web. This paper reviews our current understanding of the effect of environment on galaxy evolution, including the consequences of gravitational interactions between galaxies, and hydrodynamical interactions between galaxies and their host group or cluster. Some recent studies on galaxies caught in the act of transformation are highlighted, including the spectacular "jellyfish" galaxies which are in the process of gas stripping due to intense ram-pressure by the intracluster medium. We further discuss the current challenges in our understanding of galaxy evolution, including the complexity imposed by the hierarchical formation of structure which leads galaxies to be "pre-processed" in groups and filaments prior entering a massive cluster. Finally, we provide an overview of the ongoing and future observational efforts in the South America.
The formation pathways of lenticular galaxies (S0s), which lie morphologically between elliptical and spiral galaxies, remain a topic of active research. Environmental effects, merging histories, and pre-processing mechanisms are often proposed as key factors influencing their transformation. However, the relative importance of these processes remains unclear, particularly when compared with other galaxy types. We use the Hydrangea cosmological zoom-in simulation suite to analyse the environmental histories of S0 galaxies, defined here as central and satellite quenched disk galaxies. We find that the vast majority (>85\%) of our sample of S0s are satellites in massive haloes (log$_{10}$M$_{200}/$M$_\odot$ > 13), while only $\sim10\%$ are centrals in low-mass haloes. Satellite S0s exhibit a highly quiescent merging history, with $\sim60\%$ experiencing no significant mergers since $z=2$. Centrals show more varied merging histories, although our results may be affected by limited sample size. Contrary to expectations, no clear trends in merger ratios with morphology are observed. However, mergers involving lenticular and spiral galaxies tend to occur in low-density environments and are likely gas-rich, enabling disk reformation. Pre-processing effects in groups are critical, influencing both quenching and morphological transformation.} Our results strongly suggest that S0 galaxies predominantly form from faded/stripped spirals in clusters, with a minority forming via mergers in smaller haloes. These results are in agreement with previous observations of lenticular galaxies around galaxy clusters.
Context. Galaxy clusters grow through the accretion of galaxies from groups, filaments, and other clusters. During this process, galaxies may undergo pre-processing in lower density environments, where galaxy-galaxy mergers and other interactions can significantly alter their properties prior to cluster infall. Aims. We investigate the role of galaxy mergers in the pre-processing of galaxies prior to cluster infall by studying the spatial distribution of galaxy mergers across the cosmic web. Methods. We used a sample of 43 922 galaxies being targeted by the 4MOST CHANCES survey in and around 33 low-redshift clusters (z < 0.07). Using Zoobot, a deep-learning framework trained on Galaxy Zoo data, we identified 698 galaxy mergers. We measured their distances to cosmic web filaments and compared those results to those of non-merging galaxies. Results. We find that galaxy mergers are significantly closer to filaments than the non-merging galaxy population, with this trend being strongest beyond the cluster virial radius. This suggests that filaments provide conditions conducive to mergers, possibly moderating relative velocities and enhancing gas availability. Conclusions. Our findings support a scenario in which filaments play a key role in transforming (pre-processing) galaxies by promoting mergers before entering the cluster cores where star formation is quenched.
Context. The evolution of galaxies is shaped by both internal processes and their external environments. Galaxy clusters and their surroundings provide ideal laboratories to study these effects, particularly with respect to mechanisms such as quenching and morphological transformation. The Chilean Cluster galaxy Evolution Survey (CHANCES) Low-z sub-survey is part of the CHileAN Cluster galaxy Evolution Survey, a 4MOST community survey designed to uncover the relationship between the formation and evolution of galaxies and hierarchical structure formation as it happens, through deep and wide multi-object spectroscopy. Aims. We present the target selection strategy followed to select galaxy cluster candidate members for the CHANCES Low-z sub-survey. The selection was focussed in and around 50 clusters and two superclusters at z < 0.07, out to (5 × R200) and down to mr = 20.4. Methods. Combining public photometric redshift estimates from the DESI Legacy Imaging Survey and T80S/S-PLUS iDR5 with custom photometric redshifts, we were able to identify likely galaxy cluster candidate members, whose photometric redshifts were consistent with being located at the known redshift of the cluster. We measured the average deviations of their photometric redshifts with respect to the spectroscopic redshift measurements, σNMAD. We tested various selection parameters to maximise completeness, while maintaining purity. Results. We successfully compiled our CHANCES-low-redshift catalogues, split into three different sub-surveys: Low-z bright (mr < 18.5), Low-z faint (18.5 ≤ mr < 20.4), and Low-z faint supplementary. To do so, we selected ≳500 000 galaxy cluster candidate members and included confirmed spectroscopic galaxy cluster members, from which we expect to obtain 4MOST low-resolution (R ∼ 6500) spectra for ∼320 000 galaxies. Conclusions. The CHANCES Low-z target catalogues form a statistically robust sample for spectroscopic follow-up, enabling studies of galaxy evolution and environmental effects in nearby cluster and supercluster environments.
We investigated the structural evolution and formation pathways of lenticular (S0) galaxies using the Hydrangea suite of cosmological hydrodynamical simulations. Simulated galaxies reproduce the observed mass–size relation from the SAMI and MaNGA surveys, enabling a direct comparison between morphology, angular momentum, and size growth. We show that the S0 population occupies a characteristic V-shaped locus in the mass–size plane, which arises from the superposition of two physically distinct formation channels. Low-mass S0s are predominantly faded-formed S0s that quenched after infall into their present-day host halo but retain the disk sizes of their star-forming progenitors. In contrast, high-mass S0s are merger-formed S0s that quenched before infall and exhibit structural properties and size evolution similar to those of ellipticals, consistent with pre-processing in group environments. By tracing their histories back to z = 1, we find that faded-formed S0s experience minimal structural evolution after quenching, whereas merger-formed S0s grow significantly in size through dissipationless interactions. These divergent evolutionary pathways explain both the slope break and the overall scatter of the S0 mass–size relation, demonstrating that lenticular galaxies arise from multiple formation mechanisms that leave distinct structural imprints.
Given the mysterious nature of dark matter and dark energy, and the persistent tensions in cosmological data, it is worthwhile exploring more exotic physics in the dark sector, such as a momentum coupling between dark matter and dark energy, specifically in the form of a quintessence field. In this study, using collisionless N-body numerical simulations with a modified version of the RAMSES code, we follow up previous work to investigate the consequences of this model on dark matter halos and their substructures. We consider both the sign of the coupling and the imprints on structure formation and halo properties at a statistical level. We find that there is a clear enhancement (reduction) of substructure if the sign of the coupling is negative (positive) and that the dynamical state of the dark matter halos, particularly host halos, is undervirialised (overvirialised) at redshift zero when compared to uncoupled models or a reference ΛCDM simulation. Furthermore, positive coupling leads to less concentrated, less cuspy halos, whereas negative coupling leads to the opposite.
Galaxies undergoing ram-pressure stripping develop gaseous tails that can extend several kiloparsecs outside the galaxy disc. Under favourable conditions, star formation can occur in the stripped tail, but there are cases where it does not happen, and this can be attributed to several factors, including the properties of the intracluster medium and different stages of stripping, although a clear consensus has not yet been reached. We used FUV and H α imaging from the GASP survey to investigate how different stages of stripping affect star formation properties in the tail and disc of 13 galaxies undergoing stripping. FUV imaging provides a direct opportunity to study star formation, unlike H α , which is an indirect tracer and can have other mechanisms responsible for the emission. The 13 galaxies have different stripping strengths, as identified from the MUSE integral field spectroscopy. The star-forming knots in the disc and tails show a good correspondence between the measured FUV and H α flux. This is especially true for strong and extreme cases of stripping, which have developed extended ionised gaseous tails featuring clumpy structures. The mechanism behind the H α emission on the tails of these regions, which correlates well with FUV emission, is photoionisation caused by young massive stars. Optical emission line ratio maps enable us to understand the emission mechanism, which can be attributed to star formation, LINER activity, or a combination of both phenomena and AGN. The star-forming regions in the emission line maps correspond well to the areas with significant FUV flux in these galaxies. FUV imaging reveals that six galaxies exhibit minimal star formation in their tails. In two cases, star formation is limited to the central regions, and their discs are truncated. In galaxies with truncated discs, star formation is confined to a smaller region on the disc, as indicated by the FUV flux, compared to H α . Galaxies with strong stripping, marked by significant FUV and H α emission along their tails, are undergoing recent star formation and are likely recent infalls. In contrast, galaxies with truncated discs confine star formation to the centre, likely because they have completed a cluster crossing that depleted most of their outer gaseous disc. Galaxies with little FUV flux along their tails show unresolved H α emission, particularly in the extended H α tail where no FUV emission is present. The unresolved H α emission along the tail may be the result of processes other than star formation.
Context. Ram pressure stripped galaxies are rare cases of environmental evolution in action. However, our ability to understand these transforming galaxies is limited by the small number of identified galaxies experiencing ram pressure stripping (RPS). Aims. Our aim is to explore the efficacy of citizen science classifications in identifying ram pressure stripped galaxies, and use this to aid in motivating new potential samples of ram pressure stripped candidates. Methods. We compiled a sample of over 200 known ram pressure stripped galaxies from the existing literature, with morphological classifications obtained from Galaxy Zoo. We compared these galaxies with magnitude and redshift-matched comparison cluster and field galaxies. Additionally, we created a sample of SDSS cluster galaxies, with morphological classifications similar to known ram pressure stripped galaxies, and compared the fraction of potential new RPS candidates against control samples. Results. We find that ram pressure stripped galaxies exhibit a higher proportion of 'odd' and 'irregular' morphological classifications compared to field and cluster comparison samples. This trend is particularly pronounced in galaxies displaying strong optical ram pressure stripping features, but absent from galaxies with only radio tails. We find that SDSS galaxies with Galaxy Zoo classifications consistent with the known RPS galaxies have a higher fraction of visible ram pressure stripping features (19%) compared with other cluster galaxies (12%) when classified by experts. We identify 101 new ram pressure stripping candidate galaxies through these expert classifications. Conclusions. We demonstrate that indirect morphological classifications from citizen science projects can increase the efficiency with which new stripping candidates are found. Projects such as Galaxy Zoo can aid in the identification of ram pressure stripped galaxies that are key to understanding galaxy evolution in clusters.
CHANCES, the CHileAN Cluster galaxy Evolution Survey, will study the evolution of galaxies in and around 100 massive galaxy clusters from the local Universe out to z = 0.45, and two superclusters at z ∼ 0.05 that contain roughly 25 Abell clusters each. CHANCES will use the new 4MOST Spectroscopic Survey Facility on the VISTA 4m telescope to obtain spectra for ∼500,000 galaxies with magnitudes r_AB < 20.4, providing comprehensive spectroscopic coverage of each cluster out to 5r_200. Its wide and deep scope will trace massive and dwarf galaxies from the surrounding filaments and groups to the cores of galaxy clusters. This will enable the study of galaxy preprocessing and of the role of the evolving environment on galaxy evolution. In this paper, we present and characterise the sample of clusters and superclusters to be targeted by CHANCES. We used literature catalogues based on X-ray emission and the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect to define the cluster sample in a homogeneous way, with attention to cluster mass and redshift, as well as the availability of ancillary data. We calibrated literature mass estimates from various surveys against each other and provide an initial mass estimate for each cluster, which we used to define the radial extent of the 4MOST coverage. We also present an initial assessment of the structure surrounding these clusters based on the redMaPPer red-sequence algorithm as a preview of some of the science CHANCES will enable.
We analyze a sample of 244 ram-pressure-stripped candidate galaxy members within the virial radius of 62 nearby clusters to determine their velocity anisotropy profile β ( r ). We use previously determined mass profiles for the 62 clusters to build an ensemble cluster by stacking the 62 cluster samples in projected phase space. We solve the Jeans equation for dynamical equilibrium by two methods, MAMPOSSt and the Jeans inversion technique, and determine β ( r ) both in parametric form and nonparametrically. The two methods consistently indicate that the orbits of the ram-pressure-stripped candidates are increasingly radial with distance from the cluster center, from almost isotropic ( β ≃ 0) at the center, to very radial at the virial radius ( β ≃ 0.7). The orbits of cluster galaxies undergoing ram pressure stripping are similar to those of spiral cluster galaxies but more radially elongated at large radii.
We report the first ground-based detection of the water line p-H2O (211-202) at 752.033 GHz in three z < 0.08 ultra-luminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs): IRAS 06035-7102, IRAS 17207-0014 and IRAS 09022-3615. Using the Atacama Pathfinder EXperiment (APEX), with its Swedish-ESO PI Instrument for APEX (SEPIA) band-9 receiver, we detect this H2O line with overall signal-to-noise ratios of 8-10 in all three galaxies. Notably, this is the first detection of this line in IRAS 06035-7102. Our new APEX-measured fluxes, between 145 to 705 Jy km s-1, are compared with previous values taken from Herschel SPIRE FTS. We highlight the great capabilities of APEX for resolving the H2O line profiles with high spectral resolutions while also improving by a factor of two the significance of the detection within moderate integration times. While exploring the correlation between the p-H2O(211-202) and the total infrared luminosity, our galaxies are found to follow the trend at the bright end of the local ULIRG's distribution. The p-H2O(211-202) line spectra are compared to the mid-J CO and HCN spectra, and dust continuum previously observed with ALMA. In the complex interacting system IRAS 09022-3615, the profile of the water emission line is offset in velocity with respect to the ALMA CO(J = 4 - 3) emission. For IRAS 17207-0014 and IRAS 06035-7102, the profiles between the water line and the CO lines are spectroscopically aligned. This pilot study demonstrates the feasibility of directly conducting ground-based high-frequency observations of this key water line, opening the possibility of detailed follow-up campaigns to tackle its nature.
We study galaxy interactions in the large-scale environment around A2670, a massive (M-200 = 8.5 +/- 1.2 x10(14) M-circle dot) and interacting galaxy cluster at z = 0.0763. We first characterize the environment of the cluster out to 5xR(200) and find a wealth of substructures, including the main cluster core, a large infalling group, and several other substructures. To study the impact of these substructures (pre-processing) and their accretion into the main cluster (post-processing) on the member galaxies, we visually examined optical images to look for signatures indicative of gravitational or hydrodynamical interactions. We find that similar to 21 per cent of the cluster galaxies have clear signs of disturbances, with most of those (similar to 60 per cent) likely being disturbed by ram pressure. The number of ram-pressure stripping candidates found (101) in A2670 is the largest to date for a single system, and while they are more common in the cluster core, they can be found even at >4 x R-200, confirming cluster influence out to large radii. In support of a pre-processing scenario, most of the disturbed galaxies follow the substructures found, with the richest structures having more disturbed galaxies. Post-processing also seems plausible, as many galaxy-galaxy mergers are seen near the cluster core, which is not expected in relaxed clusters. In addition, there is a comparable fraction of disturbed galaxies in and outside substructures. Overall, our results highlight the complex interplay of gas stripping and gravitational interactions in actively assembling clusters up to 5 x R-200, motivating wide-area studies in larger cluster samples.
The assembly of galaxy clusters is understood to be a hierarchical process with a continuous accretion of galaxies over time, which increases the cluster size and mass. Late-type galaxies that fall into clusters can undergo ram-pressure stripping, forming extended gas tails within which star formation can happen. The number, location, and tail orientations of such galaxies provide clues about the galaxy infall process, the assembly of the cluster over time, and the consequences of infall for galaxy evolution. Here, we utilise the similar to 0.5-degree diameter circular field of the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope to image six galaxy clusters at z < 0.06 that are known to contain 'jellyfish' galaxies. We searched for stripping candidates in the ultraviolet images of these clusters, which revealed 54 candidates showing signs of unilateral extra-planar emission, due to ram-pressure stripping. Seven candidates had already been identified as likely stripping based on optical B-band imaging. We identified 47 new candidates through UV imaging. Spectroscopic redshift information is available for 39 of these candidate galaxies, of which 19 are associated with six clusters. The galaxies with spectroscopic redshifts that are not part of the clusters appear to be within structures at different redshifts identified as additional peaks in the redshift distribution of galaxies, indicating that they might be ram-pressure stripped or disturbed galaxies in other structures along the line of sight. We examine the orbital history of these galaxies based on their location in the position-velocity phase-space diagram and explore a possible connection to the orientation of the tail direction among cluster member candidates. There are limitations due to different integration times and imaging different regions with respect to the cluster centre. The tails of confirmed cluster member galaxies are found to be oriented away from the cluster centre.
We study the incidence and spatial distribution of galaxies that are currently undergoing gravitational merging (M) or that have signs of a post merger (PM) in six galaxy clusters (A754, A2399, A2670, A3558, A3562, and A3716) within the redshift range, 0.05$\lesssim$$z$$\lesssim$0.08. To this aim, we obtained Dark Energy Camera (DECam) mosaics in $u^{\prime}$, $g^{\prime}$, and $r^{\prime}$-bands covering up to $3\times R_{200}$ of the clusters, reaching 28 mag/arcsec$^2$ surface brightness limits. We visually inspect $u^{\prime}$$g^{\prime}$$r^{\prime}$ color-composite images of volume-limited ($M_r < -20$) cluster-member galaxies to identify whether galaxies are of M or PM types. We find 4% M-type and 7% PM-type galaxies in the galaxy clusters studied. By adding spectroscopic data and studying the projected phase space diagram (PPSD) of the projected clustocentric radius and the line-of-sight velocity, we find that PM-type galaxies are more virialized than M-type galaxies, having 1--5% point higher fraction within the escape-velocity region, while the fraction of M-type was $\sim$10% point higher than PM-type in the intermediate environment. Similarly, on a substructure analysis, M types were found in the outskirt groups, while PM types populated groups in ubiquitous regions of the PPSD. Adopting literature-derived dynamical state indicator values, we observed a higher abundance of M types in dynamically relaxed clusters. This finding suggests that galaxies displaying post-merging features within clusters likely merged in low-velocity environments, including cluster outskirts and dynamically relaxed clusters.
ABSTRACT Ram pressure stripping is perhaps the most efficient mechanism for removing gas and quenching galaxies in dense environments, as they move through the intergalactic medium. Extreme examples of on-going ram pressure stripping are known as jellyfish galaxies, characterized by a tail of stripped material that can be directly observed in multiple wavelengths. Using the largest homogeneous broad-band optical jellyfish candidate sample in local clusters known to date, we measure the angle between the direction of the tails visible in the galaxies, and the direction towards the host cluster centre. We find that 33 per cent of the galaxy tails point away from the cluster centre, 18 per cent point towards the cluster centre, and 49 per cent point elsewhere. Moreover, we find stronger signatures of ram pressure stripping happening on galaxies with a tail pointing away and towards the cluster centre, and larger velocity dispersion profiles for galaxies with tails pointing away. These results are consistent with a scenario where ram pressure stripping has a stronger effect for galaxies following radial orbits on first infall. The results also suggest that in many cases, radially infalling galaxies are able to retain their tails after pericenter and continue to experience significant on-going ram pressure stripping. We further constrain the lifespan of the optical tails from the moment they first appear to the moment they disappear, by comparing the observed tail directions with matched N-body simulations through Bayesian parameter estimation. We obtain that galaxy tails appear for the first time at $\sim 1.16$R$_{200}$ and disappear $\sim 660$ Myr after pericenter.
We study 51 jellyfish galaxy candidates in the Fornax, Antlia, and Hydra clusters. These candidates are identified using the JClass scheme based on the visual classification of wide-field, twelve-band optical images obtained from the Southern Photometric Local Universe Survey. A comprehensive astrophysical analysis of the jellyfish (JClass > 0), non-jellyfish (JClass = 0), and independently organized control samples is undertaken. We develop a semi-automated pipeline using self-supervised learning and similarity search to detect jellyfish galaxies. The proposed framework is designed to assist visual classifiers by providing more reliable JClasses for galaxies. We find that jellyfish candidates exhibit a lower Gini coefficient, higher entropy, and a lower 2D S\'ersic index as the jellyfish features in these galaxies become more pronounced. Jellyfish candidates show elevated star formation rates (including contributions from the main body and tails) by $\sim$1.75 dex, suggesting a significant increase in the SFR caused by the ram-pressure stripping phenomenon. Galaxies in the Antlia and Fornax clusters preferentially fall towards the cluster's centre, whereas only a mild preference is observed for Hydra galaxies. Our self-supervised pipeline, applied in visually challenging cases, offers two main advantages: it reduces human visual biases and scales effectively for large datasets. This versatile framework promises substantial enhancements in morphology studies for future galaxy image surveys.
We present a quantitative analysis of the properties of galaxies and structures evolving in universes dominated by different modified gravitational models, including two variants of the f(R)-gravity (F) and two of the Dvali-Gabdadze-Poratti (N) braneworld model, which respectively feature the chameleon and Vainshtein screening mechanisms. Using the Simulation HYdrodynamics BeyONd Einstein (shybone) cosmological hydrodynamical full-physics simulations suite, we study the departures in the properties of galaxies residing in different environments with respect to the standard model (GR). Using two different criteria to compare, we find that structures formed within modified gravity tend to show a denser gas density profile than their GR counterparts. Within the different modified gravity models, N1 and F5 gravity models show greater departures from the standard model, with gas density profiles rho(IGM) >= 30 denser in the outskirts for the N1 model, and in the inner parts for the F5 model. Additionally, we find that haloes evolving in MG universes show, in general, larger quenched fractions than GR, reaching up to 20 per cent larger quenching fractions in F5 regardless of the stellar mass of the galaxy. Concerning the other models, F6, N1, and N5 show slightly larger quenched fractions, but no strong differences can be found. These results directly impact the colour distribution of galaxies, making them in MG models redder and older than their GR counterparts. Like GR, once the environment starts to play a role, galaxies rapidly get quenched, and the differences between models vanish.
This paper presents a method for finding ram-pressure stripped (RPS) galaxy candidates by performing a morphological analysis of galaxy images obtained from the Legacy survey. We consider a sample of about 600 galaxies located in different environments such as groups and clusters, tidally interacting pairs and the field. The sample includes 160 RPS previously classified in the literature into classes from J1 to J5, based on the increasing level of disturbances. Our morphological analysis was done using the astromorphlib software followed by the inspection of diagnostic diagrams involving combinations of different parameters like the asymmetry (A), concentration (C), Sérsic index (n), and bulge strength parameters F(G, M_20). We found that some of those diagrams display a distinct region in which galaxies classified as J3, J4 and J5 decouples from isolated galaxies. We call this region as the morphological transition zone and we also found that tidally interacting galaxies in pairs are predominant within this zone. Nevertheless, after visually inspecting the objects in the morphological transition zone to discard obvious contaminants, we ended up with 33 bonafide new RPS candidates in the studied nearby groups and clusters (Hydra, Fornax, and CLoGS sample), of which one-third show clear evidence of unwinding arms. Future works may potentially further increase significantly the samples of known RPS using such method.
All-sky multi-band photometric surveys represent a unique opportunity of exploring rich nearby galaxy clusters up to several virial radii, reaching the filament regions where pre-processing is expected to occur. These projects aim to tackle a large number of astrophysical topics, encompassing both the galactic and extragalactic fields. In that sense, generating large catalogues with homogeneous photometry for both resolved and unresolved sources that might be interesting to achieve specific goals, imposes a compromise when choosing the set of parameters to automatically detect and measure such a plethora of objects. In this work we present the acquired experience on studying the galaxy content of the Fornax cluster using large catalogues obtained by the Southern Photometric Local Universe Survey (S-PLUS). We realized that some Fornax bright galaxies are missed in the S-PLUS iDR4 catalogues. In addition, Fornax star-forming galaxies are included as multiple detections due to over-deblending. To solve those issues, we performed specific SExtractor runs to identify the proper set of parameters to recover as many Fornax galaxies as possible with confident photometry and avoiding duplications. From that process, we obtained new catalogs containing 12-band improved photometry for ~ 3 x 10^6 resolved and unresolved sources in an area of ~ 208 deg2 in the direction of the Fornax cluster. Together with identifying the main difficulties to carry out the study of nearby groups and clusters of galaxies using S-PLUS catalogs, we also share possible solutions to face issues that seem to be common to other ongoing photometric surveys.