2008ApJ...683..123K

We propose a model for allocating galaxies in cosmological N-body simulations. We identify each subhalo with a galaxy and assign luminosity and morphological type, assuming that the galaxy luminosity is a monotonic function of the host subhalo mass. Morphology is assigned using two simple relations between the subhalo mass and galaxy luminosity for different galaxy types. The first uses a constant luminosity ratio between early-type (E/SO) and late-type (S/Irr) galaxies at a fixed subhalo mass. The other assumes that galaxies of different morphological types but equal luminosity have a constant ratio of subhalo mass. We made a series of comparisons of the properties of these mock galaxies with those of SDSS galaxies. The resulting mock galaxy sample is found to successfully reproduce the observed local number density distribution except in high-density regions. We study the luminosity function as a function of local density, and find that the observed luminosity functions in different local density environments are overall well reproduced by the mock galaxies. A discrepancy is found at the bright end of the luminosity function of early types in the underdense regions and at the faint end of both morphological types in very high density regions. A significant fraction of the observed early-type galaxies in voids seem to have undergone relatively recent star formation and become brighter. The lack of faint mock galaxies in dense regions may be due to the strong tidal force of the central halo, which destroys less massive satellite subhalos around the simulation. The mass-to-light ratio is found to depend on the local density in a way similar to that observed in the SDSS sample. We have found an impressive agreement between our mock galaxies and the SDSS galaxies in the dependence of central velocity dispersion on the local density and luminosity.