Related papers: The Maximum Mass of Star Clusters
We derive the expectation value for the maximum stellar mass (m_max) in an ensemble of N stars, as a function of the IMF upper-mass cutoff (m_up) and N. We statistically demonstrate that the upper IMF of the local massive star census…
The Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) has recently been found to harbour more than two hundred per cent increase of its known cluster population. We provide here with solid evidence that such an unprecedented number of clusters could be largely…
We have made a new compilation of observations of maximum stellar mass versus cluster membership number from the literature, which we analyse for consistency with the predictions of a simple random drawing hypothesis for stellar mass…
[ABRIDGED] The LMC star cluster system offers the unique opportunity to independently check the accuracy of age and mass determinations based on a number of complementary techniques, including isochrone analysis. Using our sophisticated…
If all stars form in clusters and both the stars and the clusters follow a power law distribution which favours the creation of low mass objects, then the numerous low mass clusters will be deficient in high mass stars. Therefore, the mass…
We present a new implementation of star formation in cosmological simulations, by considering star clusters as a unit of star formation. Cluster particles grow in mass over several million years at the rate determined by local gas…
Stars form predominantly in groups usually denoted as clusters or associations. The observed stellar groups display a broad spectrum of masses, sizes and other properties, so it is often assumed that there is no underlying structure in this…
The distribution of N*, the number of OB stars per association or cluster, appears to follow a universal power-law form $N*^{-2}$ in the local Universe. We evaluate the distribution of N* in the Small Magellanic Cloud using recent broadband…
In the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), there have been very few clusters observed with ages between 4 and 11 Gyr. This phenomenon is sometimes referred to as the `LMC age gap'. We constructed a model of the cluster age distribution aimed at…
We investigate the resolved properties of star-forming clumps and their host galaxies at $0.5<z<5$ in the JWST CANUCS fields. We find that the fraction of clumpy galaxies peaks near $z\sim2$ for galaxies with masses of…
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…
There is much debate on how high-mass star formation varies with environment, and whether the sparsest star-forming environments are capable of forming massive stars. To address this issue, we have observed eight apparently isolated OB…
The mass function of galaxy clusters is a powerful tool to constrain cosmological parameters, e.g., the mass fluctuation on the scale of 8 h^{-1} Mpc, sigma_8, and the abundance of total matter, Omega_m. We first determine the scaling…
We simulate the formation and evolution of young star clusters using the combination of SPH simulations and direct N-body simulations. We start by performing SPH simulations of the giant molecular cloud with a turbulent velocity field, a…
(abridged) The case can be made for a rather universal stellar IMF form that can be approximated by a two-part power-law function in the stellar regime. However, there exists a possible hint for a systematic variation with metallicity. A…
For any assumed stellar Initial Mass Function, the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) gives a precise determination of the stellar mass function of galaxies for 10^8 M_sun < M_* < 10^12 M_sun. Within the concordance LCDM cosmology, the…
We report on a study of young star cluster complexes in the spiral galaxy M51. Recent studies have confirmed that star clusters do not form in isolation, but instead tend to form in larger groupings or complexes. We use {\it HST} broad and…
It is currently common to use spatially unresolved multi-filter broad-band photometry to determine the masses of individual stellar clusters (and hence the cluster mass function, CMF). I analyze the stochastic effects introduced by the…
We present a simple physical model for the minimum mass of bound stellar clusters as a function of the galactic environment. The model evaluates which parts of a hierarchically-clustered star-forming region remain bound given the…
The initial and present-day mass functions (ICMF and PDMF, respectively) of the Galactic globular clusters (GCs) are constructed based on their observed luminosities, the stellar evolution and dynamical mass-loss processes, and the…