The high redshift galaxy population in hierarchical galaxy formation models

Abstract

We compare observations of the high redshift galaxy population to the predictions of the galaxy formation model of Croton et al. (2006) and De Lucia & Blaizot (2006). This model, implemented on the Millennium Simulation of the concordance LCDM cosmogony, introduces "radio mode" feedback from the central galaxies of groups and clusters in order to obtain quantitative agreement with the luminosity, colour, morphology and clustering properties of the present-day galaxy population. Here we construct deep light cone surveys in order to compare model predictions to the observed counts and redshift distributions of distant galaxies, as well as to their inferred luminosity and mass functions out to redshift 5. With the exception of the mass functions, all these properties are sensitive to modelling of dust obscuration. A simple but plausible treatment agrees moderately well with most of the data. The predicted abundance of relatively massive (~M*) galaxies appears systematically high at high redshift, suggesting that such galaxies assemble earlier in this model than in the real Universe. An independent galaxy formation model implemented on the same simulation matches the observed mass functions slightly better, so the discrepancy probably reflects incomplete galaxy formation physics rather than problems with the underlying cosmogony.