Galaxies in the cosmological context

Abstract

In the last decades, a number of observational experiments have converged to establish the cold dark matter model as the “de facto”� standard model for structure formation. While the cosmological paradigm appears to be firmly established, a theory of galaxy formation remains elusive, and our understanding of the physical processes that determine the observed variety of galaxy properties and their evolution as a function of cosmic time and environment is far from complete. Although much progress has been made, both on the theoretical and observational side, understanding how galaxies form and evolve remains one of the most outstanding questions of modern astrophysics. This chapter provides an introduction to ideas and concepts that underpin modern models of galaxy formation and evolution, in the currently favoured cosmological context.