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Centro de Astrofísica da Universidade do Porto

Observations of the IMF in clusters

J. Ascenso

Abstract.
The Initial Mass Function (IMF) is a seemingly a universal outcome of the star formation process. Over the last five decades it has been measured in young clusters and associations, in old globulars and in the field, in the Milky Way and in neighboring galaxies, covering regions spanning a wide range of physical conditions. The result is always similar: a Salpeter-like mass distribution for the higher masses and a subsequent flattening for lower masses. In this talk I will review the observations made so far of the IMF, discuss the methods used to determine mass distributions and the inherent potential biases, and overall put the similarities and differences of the measured IMFs into context from the observational perspective.

Computational Star Formation
Barcelona, Spain
May 2010

Type: Invited comunication

Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences

Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences (IA) is a new but long anticipated research infrastructure with a national dimension. It embodies a bold but feasible vision for the development of Astronomy, Astrophysics and Space Sciences in Portugal, taking full advantage and fully realizing the potential created by the national membership of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Southern Observatory (ESO). IA resulted from the merging the two most prominent research units in the field in Portugal: the Centre for Astrophysics of the University of Porto (CAUP) and the Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics of the University of Lisbon (CAAUL). It currently hosts more than two-thirds of all active researchers working in Space Sciences in Portugal, and is responsible for an even greater fraction of the national productivity in international ISI journals in the area of Space Sciences. This is the scientific area with the highest relative impact factor (1.65 times above the international average) and the field with the highest average number of citations per article for Portugal.

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