Related papers: Semianalytic modelling of the formation and evolut…
There is now compelling evidence in favour of the hierarchical structure formation paradigm. Semi-analytic modelling is a powerful tool which allows the formation and evolution of galaxies to be followed in a hierarchical framework. We…
The formation and evolution of galaxies can be followed in the context of cosmological structure formation using the technique of semi-analytic modelling. We give a brief outline of the features incorporated into the semi-analytic model of…
Recent observational and theoretical breakthroughs make this an exciting time to be working towards understanding the physics of galaxy formation. The goal of this review is to make the principles behind the hierarchical paradigm accessible…
Any realistic theory of galaxy formation must be set in the context of a model for the formation of structure in the universe. We describe a powerful approach -- semi-analytic modelling -- that combines a set of simple rules describing the…
Advances in extragalactic astronomy have prompted the development of increasingly realistic models which aim to describe the formation and evolution of galaxies. We review the philosophy behind one such technique, called semi-analytic…
The history of galaxy formation via star formation and stellar mass assembly rates is now known with some certainty, yet the connection between high redshift and low redshift galaxy populations is not yet clear. By identifying and studying…
Over the past several decades, galaxy formation theory has met with significant successes. In order to test current theories thoroughly we require predictions for as yet unprobed regimes. To this end, we describe a new implementation of the…
In hierarchical models of galaxy formation, ellipticals form from the merging of disk galaxies drawn together by gravity as their surrounding dark halos coalesce. Using semi-analytic techniques, we are able to follow the merging, star…
We review recent developments in theoretical studies of galaxy formation and evolution. In combination with new data from HST, Keck and other large telescopes, numerical and semi-analytic modelling is beginning to build up a coherent…
This paper describes a key submillimetre survey which we are currently conducting to address some of the outstanding questions in cosmology - how, at what epoch and over what period of time did massive galaxies form at high redshift? A…
Analysis of the deepest available images of the sky, obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope, reveals a large number of candidate high-redshift galaxies. A catalogue of 1,683 objects is presented, with estimated redshifts ranging from $z=0$…
A major goal of contemporary astrophysics is understanding the origin of the most massive galaxies in the universe, particularly nearby ellipticals and spirals. Theoretical models of galaxy formation have existed for many decades, although…
We test the hypothesis that elliptical galaxies are formed by violent mergers in a universe with hierarchical structure formation. Within the framework of a semi-analytic scheme for galaxy formation, we predict the distribution of…
Massive galaxies, such as nearby ellipticals, have relatively low number densities, yet they host the majority of the stellar mass in the universe. Understanding their origin is a central problem of galaxy formation. Age dating of stellar…
Semi-analytical models of galaxy formation based on hierarchical clustering now make a wide range of predictions for observable properties of galaxies at low and high redshift. This article concentrates on 2 aspects: (1) Self-consistent…
Observations of the high redshift Universe, interpreted in the context of a new generation of computer simulated model Universes, are providing new insights into the processes by which galaxies and quasars form and evolve, as well as the…
We describe a new, free and open source semi-analytic model of galaxy formation, Galacticus. The Galacticus model was designed to be highly modular to facilitate expansion and the exploration of alternative descriptions of key physical…
Galaxies at very high redshift (z~3 or greater) are now accessible to wholesale observation, making possible for the first time a robust statistical assessment of their spatial distribution at lookback times approaching ~90% of the age of…
A semi-analytic model is proposed that couples the Press-Schechter formalism for the number of galaxies with a prescription for galaxy-galaxy interactions that enables to follow the evolution of galaxy morphologies along the Hubble…
A cosmologically significant population of very luminous high-redshift galaxies has recently been discovered at submm wavelengths. Advances in submm detector technologies have opened this new window on the distant Universe. Here we discuss…