The impact of feedback and cosmology on Cosmic Infrared Background cross-correlations

We study the evolution and clustering properties of the star formation rate density (SFR) ρ SFR in the FLAMINGO suite of hydrodynamical simulations, with the aim of exploring the possibility of constraining AGN and stellar feedback prescription, as well as the effect of cosmology, using cross-correlations between the Cosmic Infrared Background (CIB) and other tracers of the large-scale structure. Specifically, we consider tomographic measurements of the bias-weighted SFR-density bρ SFR, as well as cross-correlations between the CIB and cosmic shear as a probe of the ρ SFR-matter correlation. Most of the FLAMINGO models calibrated against the z=0 galaxy stellar mass function (SMF) yield similar predictions for the distribution and clustering of star-forming systems, and thus it is difficult to derive clean conclusions regarding the impact of AGN feedback or cosmology on CIB statistics. However, we show that current measurements of bρ SFR, as well as CIB-shear cross-correlations clearly disfavour models with strong stellar feedback, as well as simulations with strong kinetic (jet-driven) AGN feedback, even under the fiducial SMF calibration. This study demonstrates the potential of CIB cross-correlations to study aspects of the physics of star and galaxy formation in a cosmological setting.