Properties of Disk Galaxies in Phenomenological Models of Galaxy Formation

We present a phenomenological model for understanding the origins and evolution of galaxy morphologies from a phenomenological perspective. The model includes an observationally motivated prescription for star formation in galaxy disks, as well as a merger-driven starburst mode of star formation. We consider the formation of bulges and ellipticals both in mergers and by global instabilities in disks. We use our model to investigate the fundamental properties of disk galaxies and the effects of surface-brightness limits on large galaxy surveys.