An Observational Perspective of the IMF: Progress and Challenges

Abstract

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 universality of the IMF are hotly debated both observationally and theoretically. I review recent observations of the IMF across a variety of environments. These suggest the IMF is surprisingly invariant between star-forming regions, star clusters, and spiral galaxies but that it may also vary under extreme conditions, including within the Galactic center and early type galaxies.

8 pages, 3 figures, invited talk at IAU Symposium 315 "From interstellar clouds to star-forming galaxies: universal processes?"

References in corpus (10)

• A systematic variation of the stellar initial mass function in early-type galaxies
• Radial variations in the stellar initial mass function of early-type galaxies
• The SINFONI Nearby Elliptical Lens Locator Survey: Discovery of two new low-redshift strong lenses and implications for the initial mass function in giant early-type galaxies
• The Sloan Lens ACS Survey. XII. Extending Strong Lensing to Lower Masses
• Spectroscopy of brown dwarf candidates in IC 348 and the determination of its substellar IMF down to planetary masses
• Connection between dynamically derived IMF normalisation and stellar population parameters
• New insights on the Galactic Bulge Initial Mass Function
• Evidence for a constant IMF in early-type galaxies based on their X-ray binary populations
• The Impact of Chromospheric Activity on Observed Initial Mass Functions
• Destruction of wide binary stars in low mass elliptical galaxies: implications for initial mass function estimates

Cited by in corpus (3)

• The Impact of Star Formation Histories on Stellar Mass Estimation: Implications from the Local Group Dwarf Galaxies
• Is it possible to reconcile extragalactic IMF variations with a universal Milky Way IMF?
• Merger-driven evolution of the effective stellar initial mass function of massive early-type galaxies