Evolution of galaxy attenuation curves driven by evolving dust mass and grain size distributions

Aims. We investigate the impacts of the evolution of dust mass and grain size distribution on the evolution of global attenuation curves, with a focus on the optical-ultraviolet (UV) slope and the 2175 Å bump, within a Milky Way-like (MW-like) galaxy simulation. In addition, we discuss the contributions of the star-dust geometry, scattering, and dust properties to the attenuation curves.Methods. We performed the post-processing dust radiative transfer using the SKIRT code based on a MW-like galaxy simulation. The hydrodynamic simulation was carried out with the GADGET4-OSAKA code, which models the evolution of grain size distributions.Results. For lower inclination angles (i.e., closer to face-on), the attenuation curve flattens over time up to t = 1 Gyr and becomes progressively steeper. The steeper slope of the attenuation curve is caused by the interplay between scattering and the dust disk becoming more extended over time (i.e., changes in the star-dust geometry). At higher inclination angles, the effect of scattering is suppressed and the attenuation curves steepen slightly over time due to the formation of small grains and the bias of observed UV emission toward old stars. The 2175 Å bump becomes stronger on a timescale of ∼250 Myr due to the formation of small carbonaceous grains. However, the bump strength is affected not only by the abundance of small grains, but also by star-dust geometry. At higher AV, or at higher inclination angles, the bump strengths become weaker. These results may help interpret flatter attenuation curves and less prominent bumps in high-redshift galaxies. Furthermore, we find that variations in the star-dust geometry alter the amount of scattered photons escaping the galaxy, thereby driving the anti-correlation between the slope and V-band attenuation, AV. The scatter in this relation arises from differences in dust optical depth along and perpendicular to the line of sight, reflecting differences in the inclination and star-dust geometry. Additional contributions to the scatter come from variations in the grain size distribution and the fraction of obscured young stars.FullText for HTML: https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202555658