Related papers: On the Globular Cluster IMF below 1 Solar Mass
The majority of observed mass-to-light ratios of globular clusters are too low to be explained by `canonical' cluster models, in which dynamical effects are not accounted for. Moreover, these models do not reproduce a recently reported…
In this paper we present the V and I luminosity functions and color-magnitude diagrams derived from wide-field (23 arcmin by 23 arcmin) BVI photometry of the intermediate metallicity ([Fe/H]=-1.3) Galactic globular cluster M12. Using…
We present a new study of deep star counts in the Local Group dwarf spheroidal (dSph) in Ursa Minor. Both the luminosity function (LF) and the colour-magnitude diagram (CMD) of the unevolved stars are compared with the LF and CMD of the…
Observed variations in the IMF are reviewed with an emphasis on environmental density. The remote field IMF studied in the LMC by several authors is clearly steeper than most cluster IMFs, which have slopes close to the Salpeter value.…
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…
We test whether the peak absolute magnitude Mv(TO) of the Globular Cluster Luminosity Function (GCLF) can be used for reliable extragalactic distance determinations. Starting with the luminosity function of the Galactic Globular Clusters…
Over the past years observations of young and populous star clusters have shown that the stellar initial mass function (IMF) can be conveniently described by a two-part power-law with an exponent alpha_2 = 2.3 for stars more massive than…
The membership of some galaxies in the nearby (d ~ 12 Mpc) Coma I cloud is uncertain. Here we present globular cluster luminosity functions (GCLFs) from the HST for two bright ellipticals which may belong to this group. After fitting the…
As a young massive cluster in the Central Molecular Zone, the Arches cluster is a valuable probe of the stellar Initial Mass Function (IMF) in the extreme Galactic Center environment. We use multi-epoch Hubble Space Telescope observations…
Residual-gas expulsion after cluster formation has recently been shown to leave an imprint in the low-mass present-day stellar mass function (PDMF) which allowed the estimation of birth conditions of some Galactic globular clusters (GCs)…
A proper-motion separation of M4 members from field stars, using deep HST observations separated by a time base-line of 5 years, allows us to study a pure sample of cluster main-sequence stars almost to the minimum mass for hydrogen…
Recent observations indicate a lower Halpha to FUV ratio in dwarf galaxies than in brighter systems, a trend that could be explained by a truncated and/or steeper IMF in small galaxies. However, at low star formation rates (SFRs), the…
Using the Faint Object Camera on the repaired Hubble Space Telescope, we have observed two fields in the globular cluster M15: the central density cusp, and a field at r = 20''. These are the highest-resolution images ever taken of this…
We present the results of numerical experiments designed to evaluate the usefulness of near-infrared luminosity functions for constraining the Initial Mass Function (IMF) of young stellar populations. From this numerical modeling, we find…
In the star formation process, the vital impact of environmental factors such as feedback from massive stars and stellar density on the form of the initial mass function (IMF) at low-mass end is yet to be understood. Hence a systematic,…
Although the stellar initial mass function (IMF) has only been directly determined in star clusters it has been manifoldly applied on galaxy-wide scales. But taking the clustered nature of star formation into account the galaxy-wide IMF is…
Recent results indicate the stellar initial mass function is not a strong function of star-forming environment or ``initial conditions'' (e.g. Meyer et al. 2000). Some studies suggest that a universal IMF may extend to sub-stellar masses…
The distribution of stars and stellar remnants (white dwarfs, neutron stars, black holes) within globular clusters holds clues about their formation and long-term evolution, with important implications for their initial mass function (IMF)…
Some theories of star formation suggest massive stars may only form in clustered environments, which would create a deficit of massive stars in low density environments. Observationally, Massey (2002) finds such a deficit in samples of the…
The current status of both the observational evidence and the theory of the stellar initial mass function (IMF) is reviewed, with particular attention to the two basic, apparently universal features shown by all observations of nearby…