Related papers: Dimensional argument for the impact of turbulent s…
The mass function of clumps observed in molecular clouds raises interesting theoretical issues, especially in its relation to the stellar initial mass function. We propose a statistical model of the mass function of prestellar cores (CMF),…
Few topics in astronomy initiate such vigorous discussion as whether or not the initial mass function (IMF) of stars is universal, or instead sensitive to the initial conditions of star formation. The distinction is of critical importance:…
It is well known that departure from sphericity in the geometry of primordial dark matter halos modifies their mass function. The ellipsoidal collapse model yields a better agreement with simulations of hierarchical clustering than the…
Given a flurry of recent claims for systematic variations in the stellar initial mass function (IMF), we carry out the first inventory of the observational evidence using different approaches. This includes literature results, as well as…
In the last decade, growing evidence has emerged supporting a non-universal stellar Initial Mass Function (IMF) in massive galaxies, with a larger number of dwarf stars with respect to the Milky-Way (bottom-heavy IMF). However, a consensus…
The distribution of stellar masses that form in one star-formation event in a given volume of space is called the initial mass function (IMF). The IMF has been estimated from low-mass brown dwarfs to very massive stars. Combining IMF…
As most if not all stars are born in stellar clusters the shape of the mass function of the field stars is not only determined by the initial mass function of stars (IMF) but also by the cluster mass function (CMF). In order to quantify…
Two major features of the prestellar CMF are: 1) a broad peak below 1 Msun, presumably corresponding to a mean gravitational fragmentation scale, and 2) a characteristic power-law slope, very similar to the Salpeter slope of the stellar…
Because direct measurements require resolved stellar populations including low-mass stars, determining the stellar initial mass function (IMF) has been a historically difficult problem even within our own Galaxy and impossible everywhere…
We examine various physical processes that may explain the shallow high-mass slope of the IMF as well as the low SFR in star-forming molecular clouds (MCs) in the Central Molecular Zone (CMZ). We show that the strong tidal field and the…
Spatially resolved kinematics of nearby galaxies has shown that the ratio of dynamical- to stellar population-based estimates of the mass of a galaxy ($M_*^{\rm JAM}/M_*$) correlates with $\sigma_e$, if $M_*$ is estimated using the same IMF…
Observations of mergers of multi-compact object systems offer insights to the formation processes of massive stars in globular clusters. Simulations of stellar clusters, may be used to understand and interpret observations. Simulations…
We present the core mass function (CMF) of the massive star-forming clump G33.92+0.11 using 1.3 mm observations obtained with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). With a resolution of 1000 au, this is one of the highest…
We use a series of magnetohydrodynamic simulations including both radiative and protostellar outflow feedback to study the environmental variation of the initial mass function. The simulations represent a carefully-controlled experiment…
(abridged version) Identifying the processes that determine the initial mass function of stars (IMF) is a fundamental problem in star formation theory. One of the major uncertainties is the exact chemical state of the star forming gas and…
The stellar initial mass function (sIMF) describes the distribution of stellar masses formed in a single star formation event in a molecular cloud clump. It is fundamental to astrophysics and cosmology, shaping our understanding of…
We review the various theories which have been proposed along the years to explain the origin of the stellar initial mass function. We pay particular attention to four models, namely the competitive accretion and the theories based…
A robust stellar initial mass function (IMF) is crucial in any studies related to star formation. However, the direct measurement of the stellar IMF is confined to the local universe, limited by the resolving power of telescopes. Recently,…
Recent studies suggest that filamentary structures are representative of the initial conditions of star formation in molecular clouds and support a filament paradigm for star formation, potentially accounting for the origin of the stellar…
We investigate the origin of a bottom-heavy stellar initial mass function (IMF) recently observed in elliptical galaxies by using chemical evolution models with a non-universal IMF. We adopt the Kroupa IMF with the three slopes (alpha_1,…