A physical model for cosmological simulations of galaxy formation: multi-epoch validation

TL;DR

This paper validates a comprehensive physical model for galaxy formation in cosmological simulations by comparing multiple galaxy properties across redshifts with observations, demonstrating broad agreement and identifying areas for improvement.

Contribution

It introduces a multi-epoch validation of a new feedback model in cosmological simulations, showing its effectiveness in reproducing key galaxy population properties from redshift 0 to 3.

Findings

The simulation reproduces the observed galaxy stellar mass function from z=0 to z=3.

The model accurately predicts the evolution of the galactic luminosity function and mass-metallicity relation.

Identifies tensions in certain galaxy properties, guiding future model refinements.

Abstract

We present a multi-epoch analysis of the galaxy populations formed within the cosmological hydrodynamical simulations presented in Vogelsberger et al. (2013). These simulations explore the performance of a recently implemented feedback model which includes primordial and metal line radiative cooling with self-shielding corrections; stellar evolution with associated mass loss and chemical enrichment; feedback by stellar winds; black hole seeding, growth and merging; and AGN quasar- and radio-mode heating with a phenomenological prescription for AGN electro-magnetic feedback. We illustrate the impact of the model parameter choices on the resulting simulated galaxy population properties at high and intermediate redshifts. We demonstrate that our scheme is capable of producing galaxy populations that broadly reproduce the observed galaxy stellar mass function extending from redshift z=0 to z=3. We also characterise the evolving galactic B-band luminosity function, stellar mass to halo mass ratio, star formation main sequence, Tully-Fisher relation, and gas-phase mass-metallicity relation and confront them against recent observational estimates. This detailed comparison allows us to validate elements of our feedback model, while also identifying areas of tension that will be addressed in future work.