Semi-analytical model of galaxy formation with high-resolution N-body simulations

Abstract

We model the galaxy formation in a series of high-resolution N-body simulations using the semi-analytical approach. Unlike many earlier investigations based on semi-analytical models, we make use of the subhalos resolved in the $N$-body simulations to follow the mergers of galaxies in dark halos, and we show that this is pivotal in modeling correctly the galaxy luminosity function at the bright end and the bimodal nature of galaxy color distribution. Mergers of galaxies based on subhalos also result in many more bright red galaxies at high $z$. The semi-analytical model we adopt is similar to those used in earlier semi-analytical studies, except that we consider the effect of a prolonged cooling in small halos and that we explicitly follow the chemical enrichment in the interstellar medium. We use our model to make predictions for the properties of the galaxy population at low redshift and compare them with various current observations. We find that our model predictions can match the luminosity functions of galaxies in various wavebands redder than the u-band. The shape of the luminosity function at bright end is well reproduced if galaxy mergers are modeled with the merger trees of subhalos and the steep faint-end slope can be moderated if the gas cooling time in low-mass halos is comparable to the age of the universe. The model with subhalos resolved can reproduce the main features in the observed color bimodal distribution, though it still predicts too many bright blue galaxies. The same model can also match the color-magnitude relation for elliptical galaxies in clusters, the metallicity-luminosity relation.