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