  The problem of galaxy formation and its dependence on thermodynamic
properties is addressed by using Eulerian hydrodynamic numerical simulations of
large scale structure formation. Global galaxy properties are explored in
simulations including gravitation, shock heating and cooling processes, and
following self-consistently the chemical evolution of a primordial composition
hydrogen-helium plasma without assuming collisional ionization equilibrium. The
galaxy formation model is mainly based on the identification of converging
dense cold gas regions. We show that the evolution at low redshift of the
observed cosmic star formation rate density is reproduced, and that the
galaxy-like object mass function is dominated by low-mass objects. The galaxy
mass functions are well described by a two power-law Schechter function whose
parameters are in good agreement with observational fits of the galaxy
luminosity function. The high-mass end of the galaxy mass function includes
objects formed at early epochs and residing in high-mass dark matter halos
whereas the low-mass end includes galaxies formed at later epochs and active in
their ``stellar'' mass formation. Finally, the influence of two other physical
processes, photoionization and non-equipartition processes between electrons,
ions and neutrals of the cosmological plasma is discussed and the modifications
on galaxy formation are examined.
