The impact of TP-AGB stars on hierarchical galaxy formation models

TL;DR

This study demonstrates that incorporating the TP-AGB phase into galaxy formation models significantly affects predicted galaxy colors and luminosities, especially at high redshifts, improving alignment with observed red galaxy populations.

Contribution

First implementation of a full TP-AGB prescription in a semi-analytic galaxy formation model, revealing its substantial impact on galaxy color and luminosity predictions.

Findings

Redder galaxy colors by up to 2 magnitudes at z~2-3 due to TP-AGB inclusion

Increased K-band emission by over 1 magnitude at z~1-3

Red galaxy populations at high redshift are better explained with TP-AGB effects

Abstract

The spectro-photometric properties of galaxies in galaxy formation models are obtained by combining the predicted history of star formation and mass accretion with the physics of stellar evolution through stellar population models. In the recent literature, significant differences have emerged regarding the implementation of the Thermally-Pulsing Asymptotic Giant Branch phase of stellar evolution. The emission in the TP-AGB phase dominates the bolometric and near-IR spectrum of intermediate-age (~1 Gyr) stellar populations, hence it is crucial for the correct modeling of the galaxy luminosities and colours. In this paper for the first time, we incorporate a full prescription of the TP-AGB phase in a semi-analytic model of galaxy formation. We find that the inclusion of the TP-AGB in the model spectra dramatically alters the predicted colour-magnitude relation and its evolution with redshift. When the TP-AGB phase is active, the rest-frame V-K galaxy colours are redder by almost 2 magnitudes in the redshift range z~2-3 and by 1 magnitude at z~1. Very red colours are produced in disk galaxies, so that the V-K colour distributions of disk and spheroids are virtually undistinguishable at low redshifts. We also find that the galaxy K-band emission is more than 1 magnitude higher in the range z~1-3. This may alleviate the difficulties met by the hierarchical clustering scenario in predicting the red galaxy population at high redshifts. The comparison between simulations and observations have to be revisited in the light of our results.