Related papers: The global mass function of M15

We derive and parametrize the Galactic mass function (MF) below 1 $\msol$ characteristic of both single objects and binary systems. We resolve the long standing discrepancy between the MFs derived from the HST and from the nearby luminosity…

We have undertaken a detailed analysis of HST/WFPC2 and STIS imaging observations, and of supplementary wide-field ground-based observations obtained with the NTT of two young ~10-25 Myr) compact star clusters in the LMC, NGC 1805 and NGC…

We present high dispersion echelle spectroscopy of the very luminous, young super star cluster (SSC) `F' in M82, obtained with the 4.2-m William Herschel Telescope (WHT), for the purpose of deriving its dynamical mass and assessing whether…

The distribution of core radii of rich clusters in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) systematically increases in both upper limit and spread with increasing cluster age. Cluster-to-cluster variations in the stellar initial mass function…

(abridged) We present a comprehensive lensing analysis of the rich cluster Cl0024+1654 based on panoramic sparse-sampled imaging conducted with HST. We demonstrate an ability to detect reliably weak lensing signals to a cluster radius of ~5…

Star clusters in 6 nearby spiral galaxies are examined using archive images from HST/WFPC2. The galaxies have previously been studied from the ground and some of them are known to possess rich populations of "young massive clusters" (YMCs).…

We present a detailed investigation of the cluster stellar mass-to-light (M*/L) ratio and cumulative stellar masses, derived on a galaxy-by-galaxy basis, for 12 massive (M500 ~ 10^14 - 10^15 Msun), nearby clusters with available optical…

We present V and I photometry for a field 5' from the center of 47 Tuc. The field was imaged with the HST WFPC2 as part of the Medium Deep Survey project. The luminosity function (LF) continually rises in the domain $5 < M_I < 9$ with a…

Stars form in dense, dusty clumps of molecular clouds, but little is known about their origin and evolution. In particular, the relationship between the mass distribution of these clumps (also known as the "clump mass function", or CMF) and…

We use recent low-mass star models, which reproduce accurately the observed sequences of various globular clusters, to convert the observed luminosity functions into bolometric luminosity functions and mass functions down to the bottom of…

Hubble Space Telescope ACS/WFC data in (B,I) are used to investigate the globular cluster populations around 6 gE galaxies ~40 Mpc distant. The total comprises a sample of ~8000 high-probability globular clusters. PSF-convolved King-model…

We have undertaken the largest systematic study of the high-mass stellar initial mass function (IMF) to date using the optical color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) of 85 resolved, young (4 Myr < t < 25 Myr), intermediate mass star clusters…

We show the results of deep V and I HST photometry of 6 rich star clusters in the Large Magellanic Cloud with different ages and metallicities. The number of stars with measured magnitudes in each cluster varies from about 3000 to 10000. We…

We present results from a comprehensive lensing analysis in HST data, of the complete CLASH cluster sample. We identify new multiple-images previously undiscovered allowing improved or first constraints on the cluster inner mass…

We have used extensive V, I photometry (down to V=20.9) of 33615 stars in the direction of the globular cluster M55 to study the dynamical interaction of this cluster with the tidal fields of the Galaxy. An entire quadrant of the cluster…

Recent studies of nearby globular clusters have discovered excess dark mass in their cores, apparently in an extended distribution, and simulations indicate that this mass is composed mostly of white dwarfs (respectively stellar-mass black…

We have used the FORS-1 camera on the VLT to study the main sequence (MS) of the globular cluster NGC 6218 in the V and R bands. The observations cover an area of 3.4 x 3.4 around the cluster centre and probe the stellar population out to…

Large high-quality samples of HII regions and their parent Giant Molecular Clouds (GMC) are now available for local galaxies. It is therefore possible to investigate links between the CO and H$\alpha$ luminosity functions and whether…

We present an analysis of the radial dependence of the stellar mass function in the diffuse outer-halo globular cluster Palomar 14. Using archival HST/WFPC2 data of the cluster's central 39 pc (corresponding to ~0.85*r_h) we find that the…

We measure how the slope $\alpha$ of the stellar mass function (MF) changes as a function of clustercentric distance $r$ in five Galactic globular clusters and compare $\alpha(r)$ to predictions from direct $N$-body star cluster…