2024/05/08 by Yan, Zhiqiang, Li, Jiadong, Kroupa, Pavel +3
#Astrophysics of Galaxies (astro-ph.GA) #FOS: Physical sciences #Solar and Stellar Astrophysics (astro-ph.SR)
paper · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2405.05308
The Stellar Initial Mass Function (IMF) characterizes the mass distribution of newly formed stars in various cosmic environments, serving as a fundamental assumption in astrophysical research. Recent findings challenge the prevalent notion of a universal and static IMF, proposing instead that the IMF's shape is contingent upon the star formation environment. In this study, we analyze the galaxy-wide variation of the IMF for low-mass stars in both dwarf and massive galaxies with diverse observational methods. Despite systematic discrepancies between different approaches, an IMF model with a metallicity-dependent slope for the low-mass stars aligns with the majority of observations, indicating a high degree of uniformity in the star formation processes across the universe. We also emphasize the need for a more comprehensive understanding of the variation of the low-mass IMF, considering measurement biases and factors beyond metallicity.