We are part of the European RTN Network on the The Physics of the IGM. We also partcipated in an earlier TMR Network on The Formation and Evolution of Galaxies
The aim is to model the formation and evolution of galaxies from the Big Bang to the present day. This is done using Monte-Carlo realisations of the formation of dark matter halos through accretion and merging in a hierarchical universe. The gas processes involved in galaxy formation, namely the shock heating and radiative cooling of gas, star formation and feedback are followed using a set of simple rules, calibrated where possible using the results of numerical simulations. The technique is complemenatry to fully numerical studies of galaxy formation, being able to probe a large parameter space much more quickly.