Beecroft Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology

Abstract:

We study the relations among the parameters of the hybrid Lagrangian bias expansion model, fitting biased auto and cross power spectra up to kmax = 0 .7 h Mpc -1. We consider ∼8000 halo and galaxy samples, with different halo masses, redshifts, galaxy number densities, and varying the parameters of the galaxy formation model. Galaxy samples are obtained through state-of-the-art extended subhalo abundance matching techniques and include both stellar mass and star formation rate selected galaxies. All of these synthetic galaxy samples are publicly available. We find that the hybrid Lagrangian bias model provides accurate fits to all of our halo and galaxy samples. The coevolution relations between galaxy bias parameters, although roughly compatible with those obtained for haloes, show systematic shifts and larger scatter. We explore possible sources of this difference in terms of dependence on halo occupation and assembly bias of each sample. The bias parameter relations displayed in this work can be used as a prior for future Bayesian analyses employing the hybrid Lagrangian bias expansion model.

Abstract:

The high abundance of disc galaxies without a large central bulge challenges predictions of current hydrodynamic simulations of galaxy formation. We aim to shed light on the formation of these objects by studying the redshift and mass dependence of their intrinsic 3D shape distributions in the COSMOS galaxy survey below redshift z = 1.0. This distribution is inferred from the observed distribution of 2D shapes, using a reconstruction method which we test using hydrodynamic simulations. Our tests reveal a moderate bias for the inferred average disc circularity and relative thickness, but a large bias on the dispersion of these quantities. Applying the reconstruction method on COSMOS data, we find variations of the average disc circularity and relative thickness with redshift of around ∼1 per cent and ∼10 per cent, respectively, which is comparable to the error estimates on these quantities. The average relative disc thickness shows a significant mass dependence which can be accounted for by the scaling of disc radius with galaxy mass. We conclude that our data provides no evidence for a strong dependence of the average circularity and absolute thickness of disc-dominated galaxies on redshift and mass that is significant with respect to the statistical uncertainties in our analysis. These findings are expected in the absence of disruptive merging or feedback events that would affect galaxy shapes. They hence support a scenario where present-day discs form early ( z > 1.0) and subsequently undergo a tranquil evolution in isolation. However, more data and a better understanding of systematics are needed to reaffirm our results.