Related papers: Modelling the formation of today's massive ellipti…
We study resolution effects in numerical simulations of gas-rich and gas-poor major mergers, and show that the formation of slowly-rotating elliptical galaxies often requires a resolution that is beyond the present-day standards to be…
The modern merger hypothesis offers a method of forming a new elliptical galaxy through merging two equal-mass, gas-rich disk galaxies fuelling a nuclear starburst followed by efficient quenching and dynamical stabilization. A key…
We study the shape and evolution of the star formation main sequence in three independently developed semi-analytic models of galaxy formation. We focus, in particular, on the characterization of the model galaxies that are significantly…
Mergers of gas-poor galaxies, so-called dry mergers, may play a fundamental role in the assembly of the most massive galaxies, and therefore, in galaxy formation theories. Using the SDSS, we have serendipitously discovered a rare system in…
We present the results of a series of empirical computations regarding the role of major mergers in forming the stellar masses of modern galaxies based on measurements of galaxy merger and star formation histories from z~0.5-3. We…
Dry (i.e. dissipationless) merging has been proposed as the main driver of the observed size evolution of early-type galaxies (ETGs). The actual role of this mechanism is questioned by the tightness of the local stellar mass-size relation…
Substantial numbers of morphologically regular early-type (elliptical and lenticular) galaxies contain molecular gas, and the quantities of gas are probably sufficient to explain recent estimates of the current level of star formation…
[ABRIDGED] We aim to provide a holistic view on the typical size and kinematic evolution of massive early-type galaxies (ETGs), that encompasses their high-$z$ star-forming progenitors, their high-$z$ quiescent counterparts, and their…
Theoretical models are vital for exploring the galaxy merger process, which plays a crucial role in the evolution of galaxies. Recent advances in modelling have placed tight constraints on the buildup of stellar material in galaxies across…
The high redshift observations of galaxies now becoming available from the Hubble Space Telescope and from large ground based telescopes are opening fresh windows on galaxy formation. Semianalytic models of galaxy formation provide us with…
The traditional view of the morphology-spin connection is being challenged by recent integral-field-unit observations, as the majority of early-type galaxies are found to have a rotational component that is often as large as a dispersion…
The characteristic size of early-type galaxies (ETGs) of given stellar mass is observed to increase significantly with cosmic time, from redshift z>2 to the present. A popular explanation for this size evolution is that ETGs grow through…
I review recent progress in exploring the formation times of spheroidal stellar populations (elliptical galaxies and large spiral bulges) using spectrophotometric techniques. A quickly growing body of evidence shows that although massive…
A brief review on globular cluster sub-populations in galaxies, and their constraints on galaxy formation and evolution is given. The metal-poor and metal-rich sub-populations are put in a historical context, and their properties, as known…
If we are to develop a comprehensive and predictive theory of galaxy formation and evolution, it is essential that we obtain an accurate assessment of how and when galaxies assemble their stellar populations, and how this assembly varies…
One of the most protracted problems in astronomy has been understanding the evolution of galaxy morphology. Much discussion has surrounded how lenticular galaxies may form a bridging population between elliptical and spiral galaxies.…
The chemical abundances in the atmosphere of a star provide unique information about the gas from which that star formed, and, modulo processes that are not important for the vast majority of stars, such as mass transfer in close binary…
Star-forming blue early-type galaxies at low redshift can give insight to the stellar mass growth of L$*$ elliptical galaxies in the local Universe. We wish to understand the reason for star formation in these otherwise passively evolving…
Compact ellipticals (cEs) are outliers from the scaling relations of early-type galaxies, particularly the mass-metallicity relation which is an important outcome of feedback. The formation of such low-mass, but metal-rich and compact,…
In a series of three papers, we introduced a novel cluster formation model that describes the formation, growth, and disruption of star clusters in high-resolution cosmological simulations. We tested this model on a Milky Way-sized galaxy…