Using cosmological galaxy simulations from the MaGICC project, we study the evolution of the stellar masses, star formation rates and gas phase abundances of star forming galaxies. We derive the stellar masses and star formation rates using observati
onal relations based on spectral energy distributions by applying the new radiative transfer code GRASIL-3D to our simulated galaxies. The simulations match well the evolution of the stellar mass-halo mass relation, have a star forming main sequence that maintains a constant slope out to redshift z $sim$ 2, and populate projections of the stellar mass - star formation - metallicity plane, similar to observed star forming disc galaxies. We discuss small differences between these projections in observational data and in simulations, and the possible causes for the discrepancies. The light-weighted stellar masses are in good agreement with the simulation values, the differences between the two varying between 0.06 dex and 0.20 dex. We also find a good agreement between the star formation rate tracer and the true (time-averaged) simulation star formation rates. Regardless if we use mass- or light-weighted quantities, our simulations indicate that bursty star formation cycles can account for the scatter in the star forming main sequence.
We introduce a new model for the spectral energy distribution of galaxies, GRASIL-3D, which includes a careful modelling of the dust component of the interstellar medium. GRASIL-3D is an entirely new model based on the formalism of an existing and wi
dely applied spectrophotometric model, GRASIL, but specifically designed to be interfaced with galaxies with any arbitrarily given geometry, such as galaxies calculated by theoretical hydrodynamical galaxy formation codes. GRASIL-3D is designed to separately treat radiative transfer in molecular clouds and in the diffuse cirrus component. The code has a general applicability to the outputs of simulated galaxies, either from Lagrangian or Eulerian hydrodynamic codes. As an application, the new model has been interfaced to the P-DEVA and GASOLINE smoothed-particle hydrodynamic codes, and has been used to calculate the spectral energy distribution for a variety of simulated galaxies from UV to sub-millimeter wavelengths, whose comparison with observational data gives encouraging results. In addition, GRASIL-3D allows 2D images of such galaxies to be obtained, at several angles and in different bands.
We analyze and compare the bulges of a sample of L* spiral galaxies in hydrodynamical simulations in a cosmological context, using two different codes, P-DEVA and GASOLINE. The codes regulate star formation in very different ways, with P-DEVA simulat
ions inputing low star formation efficiency under the assumption that feedback occurs on subgrid scales, while the GASOLINE simulations have feedback which drives large scale outflows. In all cases, the marked knee-shape in mass aggregation tracks, corresponding to the transition from an early phase of rapid mass assembly to a later slower one, separates the properties of two populations within the simulated bulges. The bulges analyzed show an important early starburst resulting from the collapse-like fast phase of mass assembly, followed by a second phase with lower star formation, driven by a variety of processes such as disk instabilities and/or mergers. Classifying bulge stellar particles identified at z=0 into old and young according to these two phases, we found bulge stellar sub-populations with distinct kinematics, shapes, stellar ages and metal contents. The young components are more oblate, generally smaller, more rotationally supported, with higher metallicity and less alpha-element enhanced than the old ones. These results are consistent with the current observational status of bulges, and provide an explanation for some apparently paradoxical observations, such as bulge rejuvenation and metal-content gradients observed. Our results suggest that bulges of L* galaxies will generically have two bulge populations which can be likened to classical and pseudo-bulges, with differences being in the relative proportions of the two, which may vary due to galaxy mass and specific mass accretion and merger histories.
