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arXiv 0710.2882astro-ph
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大质量恒星形成区NGC 3603的近红外自适应光学观测的初始质量函数

The Initial Mass Function of the Massive Star-forming Region NGC 3603 from Near-Infrared Adaptive Optics observations

Y. Harayama, F. Eisenhauer, F. Martins

摘要:

我们研究了银河系中最大的恒星形成区之一NGC 3603的初始质量函数(IMF),以回答当前天体物理学中的一个基本问题:IMF是普遍的,还是它会变化?利用我们在欧洲南方天文台的VLT上用NAOS-CONICA获得的非常深的、高角分辨率的JHKsL '图像,我们成功地揭示了星爆星团核心的亚太阳质量范围内的恒星星族。NGC 3603的IMF在0.4 - 20 Msun的质量范围内符合指数γ~-0.74的单次幂律,比Salpeter-like IMF平坦得多。在r <30 "的内部磁场中,IMF的径向陡峭度较大,表明团簇中心存在质量偏析。我们估计NGC 3603的总质量约为1.0 - 1.6 x 10^4 Msun。由此得出的核心密度大于6 x 10^4 Msun pc ^-3,比例如猎户座星云团太阳质量恒星的半质量弛豫时间估计约为1000万~4000万年,这表明中低质量恒星尚未受到星团动力学弛豫的显著影响。高质量恒星的弛豫时间可以与星团的年龄相媲美。我们估计,位于观测场之外的恒星不会使IMF显着陡峭,这表明我们的IMF充分描述了整个星系团。通过对系统不确定性的分析,得出NGC 3603的IMF指数为Gamma =-0.74 +0.62-0.47。因此,我们的研究结果支持了一个潜在的头重脚轻的IMF在大规模的恒星形成集群和星爆的假设。

英文摘要:

We study the initial mass function (IMF) of one of the most massive Galactic star-forming regions NGC 3603 to answer a fundamental question in current astrophysics: is the IMF universal, or does it vary? Using our very deep, high angular resolution JHKsL' images obtained with NAOS-CONICA at the VLT at ESO, we have successfully revealed the stellar population down to the subsolar mass range in the core of the starburst cluster. The derived IMF of NGC 3603 is reasonably fitted by a single power law with index Gamma ~ -0.74 within a mass range of 0.4 - 20 Msun, substantially flatter than the Salpeter-like IMF. A strong radial steepening of the IMF is observed mainly in the inner r < 30'' field, indicating mass segregation in the cluster center. We estimate the total mass of NGC 3603 to be about 1.0 - 1.6 x 10^4 Msun. The derived core density is > 6 x 10^4 Msun pc^-3, an order of magnitude larger than e.g., the Orion Nebula Cluster. The estimate of the half-mass relaxation time for solar-mass stars is about 10 - 40 Myr, suggesting that the intermediate- and low-mass stars have not yet been affected significantly by the dynamical relaxation in the cluster. The relaxation time for the high-mass stars can be comparable to the age of the cluster. We estimate that the stars residing outside the observed field cannot steepen the IMF significantly, indicating our IMF adequately describes the whole cluster. Analyzing thoroughly the systematic uncertainties in our IMF determination, we conclude that the power law index of the IMF of NGC 3603 is Gamma = -0.74^{+0.62}_{-0.47}. Our result thus supports the hypothesis of a potential top-heavy IMF in massive star-forming clusters and starbursts.

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