The evolution of Brightest Cluster Galaxies in a hierarchical universe
Chiara Tonini, Maksym Bernyk, Darren Croton, Claudia Maraston, Daniel, Thomas

TL;DR
This study uses advanced semi-analytic models to successfully reproduce the luminosity and color evolution of Brightest Cluster Galaxies from redshift 1.6 to 0, challenging previous claims of model inadequacy.
Contribution
It introduces a refined spectro-photometric model within semi-analytic frameworks, demonstrating improved accuracy in modeling BCG evolution over a wide redshift range.
Findings
Model matches observed luminosity and color evolution up to z~1.6.
BCGs increase in mass by a factor of ~2 since z~1.
BCGs contain mostly old stellar populations with complex merger histories.
Abstract
We investigate the evolution of Brightest Cluster Galaxies (BCGs) from redshift z~1.6 to z~0. We use the semi-analytic model of Croton et al. (2006) with a new spectro-photometric model based on the Maraston (2005) stellar populations and a new recipe for the dust extinction. We compare the model predictions of the K-band luminosity evolution and the J-K, V-I and I-K colour evolution with a series of datasets, including Collins et al. (Nature, 2009) who argued that semi-analytic models based on the Millennium simulation cannot reproduce the red colours and high luminosity of BCGs at z>1. We show instead that the model is well in range of the observed luminosity and correctly reproduces the colour evolution of BCGs in the whole redshift range up to z~1.6. We argue that the success of the semi-analytic model is in large part due to the implementation of a more sophisticated…
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