Dust contribution to the panchromatic galaxy emission

Abstract

ABSTRACT We have developed a pipeline called mentari to generate the far-ultraviolet to far-infrared spectral energy distribution (SED) of galaxies from the Dusty SAGEsemi-analytic galaxy formation model. Dusty SAGEincorporates dust-related processes directly on top of the basic ingredients of galaxy formation like gas infall, cooling, star formation, feedback, and mergers. We derive a physically motivated attenuation model from the computed dust properties in Dusty SAGE, so each galaxy has a self-consistent set of attenuation parameters based on the complicated dust physics that occurred across the galaxy’s assembly history. Then, we explore several dust emission templates to produce infrared spectra. Our results show that a physically-motivated attenuation model is better for obtaining a consistent multiwavelength description of galaxy formation and evolution, compared to using a constant attenuation. We compare our predictions with a compilation of observations and find that the fiducial model is in reasonable agreement with: (i) the observed z= 0 luminosity functions from the far-ultraviolet to far-infrared simultaneously, and hence (ii) the local cosmic SED in the same range, (iii) the rest-frame K-band luminosity function across 0 < z< 3, and (iv) the rest-frame far-ultraviolet luminosity function across 0 < z< 1. Our model underproduces the far-ultraviolet emission at z= 2 and z= 3, which can be improved by altering the AGN feedback and dust processes in Dusty SAGE, However, this combination thus worsens the agreement at z= 0, which suggests that more detailed treatment of such processes is required.