The TNG50-SKIRT Atlas: post-processing methodology and first data release

arXiv (Cornell University)

Abstract

Galaxy morphology is a powerful diagnostic to assess the realism of cosmological hydrodynamical simulations. Determining the morphology of simulated galaxies requires the generation of synthetic images through 3D radiative transfer post-processing that properly accounts for different stellar populations and interstellar dust attenuation. We use the SKIRT code to generate the TNG50-SKIRT Atlas, a synthetic UV to near-infrared broadband image atlas for a complete stellar-mass selected sample of 1154 galaxies extracted from the TNG50 cosmological simulation at $z=0$. The images have a high spatial resolution (100 pc) and a wide field of view (160 kpc). In addition to the dust-obscured images, we also release dust-free images and physical parameter property maps with matching characteristics. As a sanity check and preview application we discuss the UVJ diagram of the galaxy sample. We investigate the effect of dust attenuation on the UVJ diagram and find that it affects both the star-forming and the quiescent galaxy populations. The quiescent galaxy region is polluted by younger and star-forming highly inclined galaxies, while dust attenuation induces a separation in inclination of the star-forming galaxy population, with low-inclination galaxies remaining at the blue side of the diagram and high-inclination galaxies systematically moving towards the red side. This image atlas can be used for a variety of other applications, including galaxy morphology studies and the investigation of local scaling relations. We publicly release the images and parameter maps, and we invite the community to use them.

Authors 19

1. M. Baes

   Ghent University

   Affiliation as printed

   Sterrenkundig Observatorium , Universiteit Gent , Krijgslaan 281 S9 , B-9000 Gent , Belgium

2. Andrea Gebek

   Ghent University

   Affiliation as printed

   Sterrenkundig Observatorium , Universiteit Gent , Krijgslaan 281 S9 , B-9000 Gent , Belgium

3. Ana Trc̆ka

   Ghent University

   Affiliation as printed

   Sterrenkundig Observatorium , Universiteit Gent , Krijgslaan 281 S9 , B-9000 Gent , Belgium

4. Peter Camps

   Ghent University

   Affiliation as printed

   Sterrenkundig Observatorium , Universiteit Gent , Krijgslaan 281 S9 , B-9000 Gent , Belgium

5. Arjen van der Wel

   Ghent University

   Affiliation as printed

   Sterrenkundig Observatorium , Universiteit Gent , Krijgslaan 281 S9 , B-9000 Gent , Belgium

6. Abdurrouf

   Space Telescope Science Institute · Johns Hopkins University

   Affiliation as printed

   Center for Astrophysical Sciences , Department of Physics and Astronomy , The Johns Hopkins University , 3400 N Charles St. , Baltimore , MD 21218 , USA

   Space Telescope Science Institute , 3700 San Martin Drive , Baltimore , MD 21218 , USA

7. Nick Andreadis

   Ghent University

   Affiliation as printed

   Sterrenkundig Observatorium , Universiteit Gent , Krijgslaan 281 S9 , B-9000 Gent , Belgium

8. Sena Bokona Tulu

   Jimma University · Ghent University

   Affiliation as printed

   Physics Department , College of Natural Sciences , Jimma University , PO Box 378 , Jimma , Ethiopia

   Sterrenkundig Observatorium , Universiteit Gent , Krijgslaan 281 S9 , B-9000 Gent , Belgium

9. Abdissa Tassama Emana

   Jimma University · Ghent University

   Affiliation as printed

   Physics Department , College of Natural Sciences , Jimma University , PO Box 378 , Jimma , Ethiopia

   Sterrenkundig Observatorium , Universiteit Gent , Krijgslaan 281 S9 , B-9000 Gent , Belgium

10. Jacopo Fritz

    Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

    Affiliation as printed

    Instituto de Radioastronomía y Astrofísica , Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México , Morelia , Michoacán 58089 , Mexico

11. I. Kovačić

    Ghent University

    Affiliation as printed

    Sterrenkundig Observatorium , Universiteit Gent , Krijgslaan 281 S9 , B-9000 Gent , Belgium

12. Antonio La Marca
13. Marco Martorano

    Ghent University

    Affiliation as printed

    Sterrenkundig Observatorium , Universiteit Gent , Krijgslaan 281 S9 , B-9000 Gent , Belgium

14. Aleksandr V Mosenkov

    Brigham Young University

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Physics and Astronomy , N283 ESC , Brigham Young University , Provo , UT 84602 , USA

15. Angelos Nersesian

    Ghent University

    Affiliation as printed

    Sterrenkundig Observatorium , Universiteit Gent , Krijgslaan 281 S9 , B-9000 Gent , Belgium

16. Vicente Rodríguez-Gómez

    Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

    Affiliation as printed

    Instituto de Radioastronomía y Astrofísica , Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México , Morelia , Michoacán 58089 , Mexico

17. C. Tortora

    Astronomical Observatory of Capodimonte · National Institute for Astrophysics

    Affiliation as printed

    INAF -Osservatorio Astronomico di Capodimonte , Salita Moiariello 16 , I-80131 Napoli , Italy

18. Bert Vander Meulen

    Ghent University

    Affiliation as printed

    Sterrenkundig Observatorium , Universiteit Gent , Krijgslaan 281 S9 , B-9000 Gent , Belgium

19. Lingyu Wang Aachen SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research

    University of Groningen · Space Research Organisation Netherlands

    Affiliation as printed

    Kapteyn Astronomical Institute , University of Groningen , Postbus 800 , 9700 AV , Groningen , The Netherlands

    SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research , Landleven 12 , 9747 AD , Groningen , The Netherlands