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Related papers: Analytical theory for the initial mass function: I…

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The stellar initial mass function (IMF) is a fundamental astrophysical quantity that impacts a wide range of astrophysical problems from heavy element distribution to galactic evolution to planetary system formation. However, the origin and…

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics · Physics 2017-01-11 S. S. R. Offner

In a probabilistic framework of the interpretation of the initial mass function (IMF), the IMF cannot be arbitrarily normalized to the total mass, M, or number of stars, N, of the system. Hence, the inference of M and N when partial…

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics · Physics 2013-07-02 Miguel Cervino , Carlos Romann-Zuniga , Amelia Bayo , Valentina Luridiana , Nestor Sanchez , Enrique Perez

The statistical approach for derivation of the clump mass function (ClMF) developed by Donkov, Veltchev & Klessen is put to observational test through comparison with mass distributions of clumps from molecular emission and dust continuum…

Astrophysics of Galaxies · Physics 2015-06-15 Todor V. Veltchev , Sava Donkov , Ralf S. Klessen

Context: Stars form in the cold dense cores of interstellar molecular clouds and the detailed knowledge of the spectrum of masses of such cores is clearly a key for the understanding of the origin of the IMF. To date, observations have…

Astrophysics · Physics 2011-06-21 J. Alves , M. Lombardi , C. Lada

Using an SPH simulation of a star-forming region in a molecular cloud, we show that the emergence of a clump mass function (CMF) resembling the stellar initial mass function (IMF) is a ubiquitous feature of molecular cloud structure, but…

Astrophysics · Physics 2009-11-13 Rowan J. Smith , Paul C. Clark , Ian A. Bonnell

In order to understand the origin of observed molecular cloud properties, it is critical to understand how clouds interact with their environments during their formation, growth, and collapse. It has been suggested that accretion-driven…

Astrophysics of Galaxies · Physics 2018-12-21 Juan C. Ibáñez-Mejía , Mordecai-Mark Mac Low , Ralf S. Klessen , Christian Baczynski

Crucial for star formation is the interplay between gravity and turbulence. The observed cloud virial parameter, $\alpha_{\mathrm{vir}}$, which is the ratio of twice the turbulent kinetic energy to the gravitational energy, is found to vary…

Astrophysics of Galaxies · Physics 2025-01-07 Sajay Sunny Mathew , Christoph Federrath , Amit Seta

Statistical sampling from the stellar initial mass function (IMF) for all star-forming regions in the Galaxy would lead to the prediction of ~1000 Msun stars unless there is a rapid turn-down in the IMF beyond several hundred solar masses.…

Astrophysics · Physics 2009-10-31 Bruce G. Elmegreen

We measure the high-mass stellar initial mass function (IMF) from resolved stars in M33 young stellar clusters. Leveraging \textit{Hubble Space Telescope's} high resolving power, we fully model the IMF probabilistically. We first model the…

Mass measurements and absorption line studies indicate that the stellar initial mass function (IMF) is bottom-heavy in the central regions of many early-type galaxies, with an excess of low mass stars compared to the IMF of the Milky Way.…

Astrophysics of Galaxies · Physics 2021-12-22 Pieter van Dokkum , Charlie Conroy

The ATLAS3D Survey has reported evidence for a non-universal stellar initial mass function (IMF) for early type galaxies (ETGs) (Cappellari et al. 2012, 2013b,a). The IMF was constrained by comparing stellar mass measurements from kinematic…

Astrophysics of Galaxies · Physics 2015-06-19 Bart Clauwens , Joop Schaye , Marijn Franx

The formation of stars is governed by the intricate interplay of nonideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) effects, gravity, and turbulence. Computational challenges have hindered a comprehensive 3D exploration of this interplay, posing a…

Astrophysics of Galaxies · Physics 2025-07-15 Aris Tritsis

Context. Stars form in dense, dusty clumps of molecular clouds, but little is known about their origin, their evolution and their detailed physical properties. In particular, the relationship between the mass distribution of these clumps…

Astrophysics of Galaxies · Physics 2014-05-08 L. Olmi , D. Angles-Alcazar , D. Elia , S. Molinari , M. Pestalozzi , S. Pezzuto , E. Schisano , L. Testi , M. Thompson

The stellar initial mass functions (IMFs) for the Galactic bulge, the Milky Way, other galaxies, clusters of galaxies, and the integrated stars in the Universe are composites from countless individual IMFs in star clusters and associations…

Astrophysics · Physics 2008-11-26 Bruce G. Elmegreen

The origin of the stellar initial mass function (IMF) is one of the most debated issues in astrophysics. Here, we explore the possible link between the quasi-universal filamentary structure of star-forming molecular clouds and the origin of…

Astrophysics of Galaxies · Physics 2019-08-28 Philippe André , Doris Arzoumanian , Vera Könyves , Yoshito Shimajiri , Pedro Palmeirim

We review computational approaches to understanding the origin of the Initial Mass Function (IMF) during the formation of star clusters. We examine the role of turbulence, gravity and accretion, equations of state, and magnetic fields in…

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics · Physics 2015-05-20 Ralph E. Pudritz

Turbulence is a critical ingredient for star formation, yet its role for the initial mass function (IMF) is not fully understood. Here we perform magnetohydrodynamical (MHD) simulations of star cluster formation including gravity,…

Astrophysics of Galaxies · Physics 2022-12-07 Sajay Sunny Mathew , Christoph Federrath , Amit Seta

The stellar initial-mass function (IMF) represents a fundamental quantity in astrophysics and cosmology, describing the mass distribution of stars from low to very-high masses. It is intimately linked to a wide variety of topics, including…

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena · Physics 2024-09-17 Francesco Gabrielli , Lumen Boco , Giancarlo Ghirlanda , Om Sharan Salafia , Ruben Salvaterra , Mario Spera , Andrea Lapi

A new statistical approach is presented to study the thermal instability process of optically thin unmagnetized plasma. In this approach the time evolution of mass distribution function over temperature is calculated. This function…

Astrophysics · Physics 2009-10-30 A. F. Illarionov , I. V. Igumenshchev

We conduct numerical experiments in which we systematically vary the initial density over four orders of magnitude and the turbulent velocity over a factor ten. In a companion paper, we investigate the dependence of this distribution on the…

Astrophysics of Galaxies · Physics 2018-04-04 Yueh-Ning Lee , Patrick Hennebelle