Expectations of the size evolution of massive galaxies at $3 leq z leq 6$ from the TNG50 simulation: the CEERS/JWST view. (arXiv:2208.00007v1 [astro-ph.GA])
<a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Costantin_L/0/1/0/all/0/1">Luca Costantin</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Perez_Gonzalez_P/0/1/0/all/0/1">Pablo G. P&#xe9;rez-Gonz&#xe1;lez</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Vega_Ferrero_J/0/1/0/all/0/1">Jes&#xfa;s Vega-Ferrero</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Huertas_Company_M/0/1/0/all/0/1">Marc Huertas-Company</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Bisigello_L/0/1/0/all/0/1">Laura Bisigello</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Buitrago_F/0/1/0/all/0/1">Fernando Buitrago</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Bagley_M/0/1/0/all/0/1">Micaela B. Bagley</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Cleri_N/0/1/0/all/0/1">Nikko J. Cleri</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Cooper_M/0/1/0/all/0/1">Michael C. Cooper</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Finkelstein_S/0/1/0/all/0/1">Steven L. Finkelstein</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Kartaltepe_J/0/1/0/all/0/1">Jeyhan S. Kartaltepe</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Koekemoer_A/0/1/0/all/0/1">Anton M. Koekemoer</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Nelson_D/0/1/0/all/0/1">Dylan Nelson</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Papovich_C/0/1/0/all/0/1">Casey Papovich</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Pillepich_A/0/1/0/all/0/1">Annalisa Pillepich</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Pirzkal_N/0/1/0/all/0/1">Nor Pirzkal</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Tacchella_S/0/1/0/all/0/1">Sandro Tacchella</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Yung_L/0/1/0/all/0/1">L. Y. Aaron Yung</a>

We present a catalog of about 25,000 images of massive ($M_{star} ge 10^9
M_{odot}$) galaxies at redshift $3 leq z leq 6$ from the TNG50 cosmological
simulation, tailored for observations at multiple wavelengths carried out with
the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The synthetic images were created with
the SKIRT radiative transfer code, including the effects of dust attenuation
and scattering. The noiseless images were processed with the mirage simulator
to mimic the Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam) observational strategy (e.g., noise,
dithering pattern, etc.) of the Cosmic Evolution Early Release Science survey
(CEERS). In this paper, we analyze the predictions of the TNG50 simulation for
the size evolution of galaxies at $3 leq z leq 6$ and the expectations for
CEERS to probe that evolution. In particular, we investigate how sizes depend
on wavelength, redshift, mass, and angular resolution of the images. We find
that the effective radius accurately describes the three-dimensional half-mass
radius of TNG50 galaxies. Sizes observed at 2 $mu$m are consistent with those
measured at 3.56 $mu$m at all redshifts and masses. At all masses, the
population of higher-$z$ galaxies is more compact than their lower-$z$
counterparts. However, the intrinsic simulation properties and their
mock-observed equivalents diverge in describing the most massive galaxies,
especially at $z lesssim 4$. This discrepancy between the mass and light
distribution may point to a transition in the galaxy morphology at $z$=4-5,
where massive compact systems start to develop more extended stellar
structures.

We present a catalog of about 25,000 images of massive ($M_{star} ge 10^9
M_{odot}$) galaxies at redshift $3 leq z leq 6$ from the TNG50 cosmological
simulation, tailored for observations at multiple wavelengths carried out with
the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The synthetic images were created with
the SKIRT radiative transfer code, including the effects of dust attenuation
and scattering. The noiseless images were processed with the mirage simulator
to mimic the Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam) observational strategy (e.g., noise,
dithering pattern, etc.) of the Cosmic Evolution Early Release Science survey
(CEERS). In this paper, we analyze the predictions of the TNG50 simulation for
the size evolution of galaxies at $3 leq z leq 6$ and the expectations for
CEERS to probe that evolution. In particular, we investigate how sizes depend
on wavelength, redshift, mass, and angular resolution of the images. We find
that the effective radius accurately describes the three-dimensional half-mass
radius of TNG50 galaxies. Sizes observed at 2 $mu$m are consistent with those
measured at 3.56 $mu$m at all redshifts and masses. At all masses, the
population of higher-$z$ galaxies is more compact than their lower-$z$
counterparts. However, the intrinsic simulation properties and their
mock-observed equivalents diverge in describing the most massive galaxies,
especially at $z lesssim 4$. This discrepancy between the mass and light
distribution may point to a transition in the galaxy morphology at $z$=4-5,
where massive compact systems start to develop more extended stellar
structures.

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