Related papers: eta Chameleontis: abnormal initial mass function o…
The observed properties of young star clusters, such as the core radius and luminosity profile, change rapidly during the early evolution of the clusters. Here we present observations of 6 young clusters in M51 where we derive their sizes…
[Abridged] In this paper, we present the results of a photometric survey to identify low mass and brown dwarf members of the old open cluster Praesepe (age of 590[+150][-120]Myr and distance of 190[+6.0][-5.8]pc) and use this to infer its…
The formation of planets is directly linked to the evolution of the circumstellar (CS) disk from which they are born. The dissipation timescales of CS disks are, therefore, of direct astrophysical importance in evaluating the time available…
Analyses of strong gravitational lenses, galaxy-scale kinematics, and absorption line stellar population synthesis (SPS) have all concluded that the stellar initial mass function (IMF) varies within the massive early-type galaxy (ETG)…
We present high-precision photometry on 107 variable low-mass stars and brown dwarfs in the ~3 Myr Sigma Orionis open cluster. We have carried out I-band photometric monitoring within two fields, encompassing 153 confirmed or candidate…
In this paper, using 2MASS photometry, we study the mass functions $\phi(M) = dN/dM \propto M^{-\alpha}$ of a sample of nine clusters of ages varying from 4 Myr--1.2 Gyr and Galactocentric distances from 6--12 kpc. We look for evidence of…
A determination of the initial mass function (IMF) of the current, incomplete census of the 10 Myr-old TW Hya association (TWA) is presented. This census is built from a literature compilation supplemented with new spectra and 17 new radial…
(ABRIDGED) CONTEXT: The Villafranca project is combining Gaia data with ground-based surveys to analyze Galactic stellar groups with OB stars. AIMS: We want to analyze Stock 18 within the Villafranca project, a very young stellar cluster…
The initial sizes and masses of massive star clusters provide information about the cluster formation process and also determine how cluster populations are modified and destroyed, which have implications for using clusters as tracers of…
We summarize recent observational and theoretical progress aimed at understanding the origin of the stellar initial mass function (IMF) with specific focus on galactic star-forming regions. We synthesize data from various efforts to…
Currently clusters/associations of stars are mainly detected as surface density enhancements relative to the background field. While clusters form, their surface density increases. It likely decreases again at the end of the star formation…
RCW 38 is a deeply embedded young (~1 Myr), massive star cluster located at a distance of 1.7 kpc. Twice as dense as the Orion Nebula Cluster, orders of magnitude denser than other nearby star forming regions, and rich in massive stars, RCW…
We demonstrate the feasibility of detecting directly low mass stars in unresolved super-star clusters with ages < 10 Myr using near-infrared spectroscopy at modest resolution (R ~ 1000). Such measurements could constrain the ratio of high…
Current observational constraints on the dynamical evolution of star clusters are reviewed. Theory and observations now agree nicely on the mass dependency and time scales for disruption of young star clusters in galactic disks, but many…
The recent discoveries of nearby star clusters and associations within a few hundred pc of the Sun, as well as the order of magnitude difference in the formation rates of the embedded and open cluster populations, suggests that additional…
The stellar initial mass function (IMF) is an essential input for many astrophysical studies but only in a few cases it has been determined over the whole cluster mass range, limiting the conclusions about its nature. The 25 Orionis group…
We analyse multi-wavelength observations of 32 young star clusters and associations in M33 with known oxygen abundance (8 < 12 + log(O/H) < 8.7), using ultraviolet (UV), optical, mid-infrared (MIR), CO (1-0) and 21-cm line (HI)…
We have used a high resolution Chandra observation to examine the core mass distribution of the unusually regular cD cluster Abell 2029. This system is especially well-suited for analysis of its mass distribution under the assumption of…
We present the substellar mass function of star-forming clusters ($\simeq$0.1 Myr old) in a low-metallicity environment ($\simeq$$-$0.7 dex). We performed deep JWST/NIRCam and MIRI imaging of two star-forming clusters in Digel Cloud 2, a…
An Early Enrichment Population (EEP) has been theorized to produce the observed intracluster medium (ICM) metallicity of galaxy clusters. This population likely existed at high redshifts (z$\sim$10), relics of which we posit exist today as…