Related papers: FIRE-3: Updated Stellar Evolution Models, Yields, …
The cloud-scale physics of star formation and feedback represent the main uncertainty in galaxy formation studies. Progress is hampered by the limited empirical constraints outside the restricted environment of the Local Group. In…
We investigate the spatial structure and evolution of star formation and the interstellar medium (ISM) in interacting galaxies. We use an extensive suite of parsec-scale galaxy merger simulations (stellar mass ratio = 2.5:1), which employs…
The galaxy size-stellar mass and central surface density-stellar mass relationships are observational constraints on galaxy formation models. However, inferring the physical size of a galaxy from observed stellar emission is non-trivial due…
We introduce the Virgo Consortium's EAGLE project, a suite of hydrodynamical simulations that follow the formation of galaxies and black holes in representative volumes. We discuss the limitations of such simulations in light of their…
Stellar evolution codes play a major role in present-day astrophysics, yet they share common issues. In this work we seek to remedy some of those by the use of results from realistic and highly detailed 3D hydrodynamical simulations of…
We present a comprehensive suite of high-resolution (parsec-scale), idealised (non-cosmological) galaxy merger simulations (24 runs, stellar mass ratio ~2.5:1) to investigate the connection between interaction-induced star formation and the…
Stellar evolution codes play a major role in present-day astrophysics, yet they share common simplifications related to the outer layers of stars. We seek to improve on this by the use of results from realistic and highly detailed 3D…
In this paper we present a critical discussion of the algorithms commonly used in N-body simulations of Galaxy Formation to deal with the energy equation governing heating and cooling, to model star formation and the star formation rate,…
A fundamental question regarding the evolution of dwarf spheroidal galaxies is the identification of the key physical mechanisms responsible for gas depletion. Here, we focus on the study of stellar feedback in isolated dwarf spheroidal…
We examine the effects of stellar feedback and bursty star formation on low-mass galaxies ($M_{\rm star}=2\times10^6-5\times10^{10}{\rm M_{\odot}}$) using the FIRE (Feedback in Realistic Environments) simulations. While previous studies…
We construct time-evolving gravitational potential models for a Milky Way-mass galaxy from the FIRE-2 suite of cosmological-baryonic simulations using basis function expansions. These models capture the angular variation with spherical…
In this paper we emphasize the close connection between the chemical and spectrophotometric evolution of stellar systems: Chemical yields from stars correspond to a precise fraction of their emitted light. We translate this concept…
The distribution of gas-phase metals within galaxies encodes the impact of stellar feedback on galactic evolution. At high-redshift, when galaxies are rapidly assembling, feedback-driven outflows and turbulence can strongly reshape radial…
One major problem of current theoretical models of galaxy formation is given by their inability to reproduce the apparently `anti-hierarchical' evolution of galaxy assembly: massive galaxies appear to be in place since $z\sim 3$, while a…
Stellar flare forecasting represents a critical frontier in astrophysics, offering profound insights into stellar activity mechanisms and exoplanetary habitability assessments. Yet the inherent unpredictability of flare activity, rooted in…
Semi-analytic models (SAMs) are a promising means of tracking the physical processes associated with galaxy formation, but many of their approximations have not been rigorously tested. As part of the SMAUG (Simulating Multiscale…
The implementation of star formation and stellar feedback in cosmological simulations plays a critical role in shaping galaxy properties. In the first paper of the series, we presented a new method to model star formation as a collection of…
We study the distribution of cold dark matter (CDM) in cosmological simulations from the FIRE (Feedback In Realistic Environments) project, for $M_{\ast}\sim10^{4-11}\,M_{\odot}$ galaxies in $M_{\rm h}\sim10^{9-12}\,M_{\odot}$ halos. FIRE…
This is the second paper of a series which aims at quantifying the uncertainties in chemical evolution model predictions related to the underlying model assumptions. Specifically, it deals with the uncertainties due to the choice of the…
Many semi-empirical galaxy formation models have recently emerged to interpret high-$z$ galaxy luminosity functions and make predictions for future galaxy surveys. A common approach assumes a "universal" star formation efficiency,…