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Environmental variation of the low-mass IMF
Tabassum S Tanvir1, Mark R Krumholz1,2, Christoph Federrath1,2
1Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2611, Australia.
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
|October 7, 2022
Summary
Magnetohydrodynamic simulations reveal how stellar feedback shapes the initial mass function (IMF). Higher density environments lead to a lower characteristic mass and narrower range of star masses formed.
Area of Science:
- Astrophysics
- Computational astrophysics
- Star formation
Background:
- The initial mass function (IMF) describes the distribution of stellar masses.
- Understanding IMF variations is crucial for galaxy evolution studies.
- Environmental factors are hypothesized to influence IMF.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how radiative and protostellar outflow feedback affect IMF variations.
- To explore the role of environmental surface density in IMF.
- To link simulation results to observational evidence in early-type galaxies.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing a series of controlled magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations.
- Isolating the impact of feedback by keeping dimensionless parameters constant.
- Varying feedback mechanisms and surface density.
Main Results:
- Radiation feedback more effectively suppresses low-mass star formation in denser environments.
- Protostellar outflows more effectively suppress high-mass star formation in denser environments.
- High surface density environments result in a lower characteristic mass and narrower IMF.
Conclusions:
- Environmental feedback plays a significant role in shaping the IMF.
- The IMF is not universal and varies with environmental conditions.
- Simulation results provide a framework for interpreting observed IMF variations.
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