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

We have updated the Munich galaxy formation model to the Planck first-year cosmology, while modifying the treatment of baryonic processes to reproduce recent data on the abundance and passive fractions of galaxies from z = 3 down to z = 0. Matching these more extensive and more precise observational results requires us to delay the reincorporation of wind ejecta, to lower the surface density threshold for turning cold gas into stars, to eliminate ram-pressure stripping in haloes less massive than 10 14 M , and to modify our model for radio mode feedback. These changes cure the most obvious failings of our previous models, namely the overly early formation of low-mass galaxies and the overly large fraction of…

• DU
  Durham University

  Awards: ST/K00042X/1, ST/K003267/1, ST/H008519/1
• DF
  Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft

  Award: Transregio 33
• NN
  National Natural Science Foundation of China

  Awards: ST/K003267/1, ST/K00042X/1, ST/H008519/1, 2009CB24901
• M
  Max-Planck-Gesellschaft
• SA
  Science and Technology Facilities Council

  Awards: ST/H008519, ST/K00042X/1, 246797, ST/I00162X/1, ST/M007006/1, ST/L000652/1, ST/H008519/1, ST/H008519/1, ST/K003267/1, ST/K00042X/1
• NA
  National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences