Semi-analytic modelling of galaxy formation: the local Universe

Abstract

Using semi‐analytic models of galaxy formation, we investigate galaxy properties such as the Tully–Fisher relation, the B‐ and K‐band LFs, cold gas contents, sizes, metallicities and colours, and compare our results with observations of local galaxies. We investigate several different recipes for star formation and supernova feedback, including choices that are similar to the treatment by Kauffmann, White & Guiderdoni and Cole et al., as well as some new recipes. We obtain good agreement with all of the key local observations mentioned above. In particular, in our best models, we simultaneously produce good agreement with both the observed B‐ and K‐band LFs and the I‐band Tully–Fisher relation. Improved cooling and supernova feedback modelling, inclusion of dust extinction and an improved Press–Schechter model all contribute to this success. We present results for several variants of the CDM family of cosmologies, and find that models with values of Ω0≃0.3–0.5 give the best agreement with observations.

Dusty star-forming galaxies at high redshift

“…The original framework itself goes back to seminal papers by White & Frenk (1991), Cole (1991) and Lacey & Silk (1991), and was advanced substantially by a number of groups (Baugh et al, 1996(Baugh et al, , 1998Kauffmann et al, 1993;Kauffmann, 1996;Kauffmann & Charlot, 1998;Kauffmann et al, 1999;Somerville & Primack, 1999). Because SAMs are typically a combination of large-scale dark matter only simulations 24 with fairly detailed analytic prescriptions of galaxy formation and evolution, particular SAMs that drive a large number of papers are typically referred to in the literature by their host institution/city, such as the "Durham SAM", the "Santa Cruz SAM", or the "Munich SAM".…”

Redshift evolution of stellar mass versus gas fraction relation in 0 <z< 2 regime: observational constraint for galaxy formation models

“…• Popping et al (2014, SAM): Popping et al implemented pressure-based (Blitz & Rosolowsky 2006) and the metallicity-based (Gnedin et al 2009) H2 formation models in the Santa Cruz semi-analytical model (Somerville & Primack 1999;Somerville et al 2008aSomerville et al , 2012, in which the dark matter halo merger tree was constructed using the Extended Press-Schechter formalism ( star formation from molecular gas , and feedbacks from SNe and AGN. We obtain their MH 2 /M⋆ values (metallicity-based H2 model and star formation model based on Bigiel et al 2008) from Fig.…”

“…Although the statistical properties of galaxies have been studied with semi-analytical models (SAMs; e.g. Kauffmann et al 1999;Somerville & Primack 1999;Cole et al 2000;Nagashima et al 2005), recent large-scale cosmological N -body/hydrodynamic simulations also allow us to statistically study galaxy formation and evolution (e.g. Schaye et al 2010Schaye et al , 2015Okamoto et al 2014;Thompson et al 2014;Vogelsberger et al 2014).…”

Galaxy formation in the Planck cosmology – I. Matching the observed evolution of star formation rates, colours and stellar masses

“…Semi-analytic modelling is a particular simulation method which is optimized to connect the observed properties of the galaxy population -abundances, scaling relations, clustering and their evolution with redshift -to the astrophysical processes that drive the formation and evolution of individual galaxies (e.g. White 1989;Cole 1991;Lacey & Silk 1991;White & Frenk 1991;Cole et al 1994;Somerville & Primack 1999;Hatton et al 2003;Kang et al 2005;Lu et al 2011;Benson 2012). Simple phenomenological descriptions of the relevant processes are needed, each typically involving uncertain efficiency and scaling parameters.…”