Bridging the gap between theory and observations of galaxies across cosmic time

A major recent milestone in observational cosmology is the detection of a large number of galaxies and quasars across cosmic time through multi-wavelength surveys. In order to interpret the wealth of data and to understand the origin and destination of these objects, a comprehensive model which fully accounts for the formation, evolution and multi-band properties of structures is imperative. However, despite the strong observational push, theoretical modeling in this field has lagged behind. Here, I report the Illustris radiative transfer project, which performs comprehensive radiative transfer calculations on the Illustris Simulation, the largest and most sophisticated cosmological simulation to date, to investigate the multi-band properties of galaxies and quasars from the cosmic dawn to the present day. I will present new results on the cosmic reionization, the origins of extragalactic background lights, and detectability of the first galaxies with the next generation instruments such as JWST and ALMA.