Galaxy formation in the Planck Cosmology - I. Matching the observed
  evolution of star formation rates, colours and stellar masses
  We have updated the Munich galaxy formation model to the Planck first-year
cosmology, while modifying the treatment of baryonic processes to reproduce
recent data on the abundance and passive fractions of galaxies from z= 3 down
to z=0. Matching these more extensive and more precise observational results
requires us to delay the reincorporation of wind ejecta, to lower the surface
density threshold for turning cold gas into stars, to eliminate ram-pressure
stripping in haloes less massive than ~10^14 Msun, and to modify our model for
radio mode feedback. These changes cure the most obvious failings of our
previous models, namely the overly early formation of low-mass galaxies and the
overly large fraction of them that are passive at late times. The new model is
calibrated to reproduce the observed evolution both of the stellar mass
function and of the distribution of star formation rate at each stellar mass.
Massive galaxies (M>10^11 [Msun]) assemble most of their mass before z=1 and
are predominantly old and passive at z=0, while lower mass galaxies assemble
later and, for M<10^9.5 (Msun), are still predominantly blue and star forming
at z=0. This phenomenological but physically based model allows the
observations to be interpreted in terms of the efficiency of the various
processes that control the formation and evolution of galaxies as a function of
their stellar mass, gas content, environment and time.
