Hierarchical Formation of Galactic Clusters

Young stellar groupings and clusters have hierarchical patterns ranging from flocculent spiral arms and star complexes on the largest scale to OB associations, OB subgroups, small loose groups, clusters and cluster subclumps on the smallest scales. There is no obvious transition in morphology at the cluster boundary, suggesting that clusters are only the inner parts of the hierarchy where stars have had enough time to mix. The power-law cluster mass function follows from this hierarchical structure: n(M_cl) M_cl^-b for b~2. This value of b is independently required by the observation that the summed IMFs from many clusters in a galaxy equals approximately the IMF of each cluster.