Constraining the galaxy-halo connection over the last 13.3 Gyr: star formation histories, galaxy mergers and structural properties

We present new determinations of the stellar-to-halo mass relation (SHMR) at z = 0-10 that match the evolution of the galaxy stellar mass function, the star formation rate (SFR)-M-* relation and the cosmic SFR. We utilize a compilation of 40 observational studies from the literature and correct them for potential biases. Using our robust determinations of halo mass assembly and the SHMR, we infer star formation histories, merger rates and structural properties for average galaxies, combining star-forming and quenched galaxies. Our main findings are as follows: (1) The halo mass M-50 above which 50 per cent of galaxies are quenched coincides with sSFR/sMAR similar to 1, where sSFR is the specific SFR and sMAR is the specific halo mass accretion rate. (2) M-50 increases with redshift, presumably due to cold streams being more efficient at high redshifts, while virial shocks and active galactic nucleus feedback become more relevant at lower redshifts. (3) The ratio sSFR/sMAR has a peak value, which occurs around M-vir similar to 2 x 10(11)M(circle dot). (4) The stellar mass density within 1 kpc, Sigma(1), is a good indicator of the galactic global sSFR. (5) Galaxies are statistically quenched after they reach a maximum in Sigma(1), consistent with theoretical expectations of the gas compaction model; this maximum depends on redshift. (6) In-situ star formation is responsible for most galactic stellar mass growth, especially for lower mass galaxies. (7) Galaxies grow inside-out. The marked change in the slope of the size-mass relation when galaxies became quenched, from d log R-eff/d log M-* similar to 0.35 to similar to 2.5, could be the result of dry minor mergers.