The Initial Mass Function in Star-forming Regions in the Magellanic Clouds

麦哲伦星云恒星形成区的初始质量函数

• 批准号: 23978451
• 负责人: Dr. Dimitrios Gouliermis
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Institut für Theoretische Astrophysik
• 依托单位国家: 德国
• 项目类别: Research Grants
• 财政年份: 2006
• 资助国家: 德国
• 起止时间: 2005-12-31 至 2008-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gepris.dfg.de/gepris/projekt/23978451?language=en
• 关键词: Initial; Mass; Function; Star; forming

The stellar Initial Mass Function (IMF) accounts for the distribution of the masses of stars at the time they are formed. The IMF is a very important distribution function, which is directly linked to the formation of stars in individual stellar systems, but also in a galaxy as a whole. There is a lack of information on the low-mass end of the IMF, especially in galaxies other than our own, because of observational constraints, which do not allow us to detect the fainter stars. I will take advantage of high-resolution observations with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) of the Magellanic Clouds, our neighboring dwarf galaxies, to investigate the IMF of low-mass stars in their low-metallicity environments. These observations include previously taken archived data, and also data already granted to me in STScI Cycle 14. This study will add substantial information on the formation of stars with masses comparable and smaller than the mass of the Sun in active star forming stellar systems, such as stellar associations. Stars, which are not members of any specific system, but belong to the general field population, will also be studied. Furthermore, these observations, coordinated with high-resolution ground-based observations with the most advanced near-infrared detectors will allow the discovery of pre-main-sequence stars, objects which have not started their lives as stars yet, and the study of their IMF. This would open a new field of study for the Magellanic Clouds.

恒星初始质量函数（IMF）解释了恒星形成时质量的分布。 IMF 是一个非常重要的分布函数，它与单个恒星系统以及整个星系中恒星的形成直接相关。由于观测限制，我们无法探测到较暗的恒星，因此缺乏有关 IMF 低质量端的信息，尤其是在我们自己以外的星系中。我将利用哈勃太空望远镜 (HST) 对邻近的矮星系麦哲伦云的高分辨率观测，研究低质量恒星在低金属丰度环境中的 IMF。这些观测结果包括以前获取的存档数据，以及 STScI 第 14 周期中已授予我的数据。这项研究将添加有关在活跃恒星形成恒星系统（例如恒星协会）中质量与太阳相当或小于太阳质量的恒星形成的大量信息。恒星不属于任何特定系统，但属于一般领域的群体，也将被研究。此外，这些观测与最先进的近红外探测器的高分辨率地面观测相结合，将能够发现前主序星、尚未开始其恒星生命的物体，并研究它们的IMF。这将为麦哲伦云开辟一个新的研究领域。