Physical properties and evolution of (Sub-)millimeter selected galaxies in the galaxy formation simulation Shark

TL;DR

This paper uses the Shark galaxy formation simulation to analyze the properties, evolution, and observational detectability of (sub-)millimeter selected galaxies, providing insights into their physical characteristics and cosmic contribution.

Contribution

It offers the first comprehensive analysis of (sub-)mm selected galaxies in the Shark simulation, comparing predictions with observations and exploring their evolution and detectability.

Findings

Predicted number counts and redshift distributions agree with observations.

Bright SMGs are a mix of mergers and disk instabilities.

Current surveys can detect bright SMGs at z<5, JWST can detect fainter counterparts.

Abstract

We thoroughly explore the properties of (sub)-millimeter (mm) selected galaxies (SMGs) in the Shark semi-analytic model of galaxy formation. Compared to observations, the predicted number counts at wavelengths (lambda) 0.6-2mm and redshift distributions at 0.1-2mm, agree well. At the bright end (>1mJy), Shark galaxies are a mix of mergers and disk instabilities. These galaxies display a stacked FUV-to-FIR spectrum that agrees well with observations. We predict that current optical/NIR surveys are deep enough to detect bright (>1mJy) lambda=0.85-2mm-selected galaxies at z<5, but too shallow to detect counterparts at higher redshift. A James Webb Space Telescope 10,000s survey should detect all counterparts for galaxies with $S_{\rm 0.85mm}>0.01$mJy. We predict SMG's disks contribute significantly (negligibly) to the rest-frame UV (IR). We investigate the 0<z<6 evolution of the intrinsic properties of >1mJy lambda=0.85-2mm-selected galaxies finding their: (i) stellar masses are $>10^{10.2}M_{\odot}$, with the 2mm ones tracing the most massive galaxies ($>10^{11}M_{\odot}$); (ii) specific star formation rates (SFR) are mildly (~3-10x) above the main sequence (MS); (iii) host halo masses are $\gtrsim 10^{12.3}M_{\odot}$, with 2mm galaxies tracing the most massive halos (proto-clusters); (iv) SMGs have lower dust masses ($\approx 10^{8}M_{\odot}$), higher dust temperatures ($\approx 40-45$K) and higher rest-frame V-band attenuation (>1.5) than MS galaxies; (v) sizes decrease with redshift, from 4kpc at z=1 to <1kpc at z=4; (vi) the Carbon Monoxide line spectra of $S_{\rm 0.85mm}>1$mJy sources peak at 4->3. Finally, we study the contribution of SMGs to the molecular gas and cosmic SFR density at 0<z<10, finding that >1mJy sources make a negligible contribution at z>3 and z>5, respectively, suggesting current observations have unveiled the majority of the star formation at 0<z<10.