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Variations of the stellar Initial Mass Function in semi-analytic models: Implications for the mass assembly of galaxies in the GAEA model

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 June 2020

Fabio Fontanot Open the ORCID record for Fabio Fontanot [Opens in a new window]
Fabio Fontanot*
Affiliation:
INAF - Astronomical Observatory of Trieste, via G.B. Tiepolo 11, I-34143 Trieste, Italy email: [email protected]
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Abstract

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A wealth of observations recently challenged the notion of a universal stellar initial mass function (IMF) by showing evidences in favour of a variability of this statistical indicator as a function of galaxy properties. I present predictions from the semi-analytic model gaea (GAlaxy Evolution and Assembly), which features (a) a detailed treatment of chemical enrichment, (b) an improved stellar feedback scheme, and (c) implements theoretical prescriptions for IMF variations. Our variable IMF realizations predict intrinsic stellar masses and mass-to-light ratios larger than those estimated from synthetic photometry assuming a universal IMF. This provides a self-consistent interpretation for the observed mismatch between photometrically inferred stellar masses of local early-type galaxies and those derived by dynamical and spectroscopic studies. At higher redshifts, the assumption of a variable IMF has a deep impact on our ability to reconstruct the evolution of the galaxy stellar mass function and the star formation history of galaxies.

Keywords

galaxies: evolutiongalaxies: fundamental parametersgalaxies: stellar content
Type
Contributed Papers
Information
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union , Volume 15 , Symposium S341: Challenges in Panchromatic Modelling with Next Generation Facilities , November 2019 , pp. 124 - 128
Copyright
© International Astronomical Union 2020

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