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The initial mass function for massive stars in the Magellanic Clouds. 3: Luminosity and mass functions for 14 OB associationsWe have used UBV photometry of stars in 14 associations in the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds (LMC/SMS) (Hill, Madore, & Freedman) to derive luminosity and mass functions for the most massive stars. The main-sequence luminosity functions for the associations are quite similar, having an average slope of s = 0.03 +/- 0.06. The mass functions for the associations have slopes that span similar ranges about a common mean for both the LMC and SMC and there is no strong evidence for a significant variation in the slopes from one association to another. Accordingly, metal abundance does not appear to have a strong effect on the initial mass function (IMF), at least for the range in metallicity observed between the Magellanic Clouds. The average slope of the IMF for the Magellanic Cloud associations is Gamma = -2.0 +/- 0.5 for M greater than 9 Solar Masses. The range in the derived slopes is more likely due to the large uncertainties associated with the calculations of the mass functions, rather than to real variations in the IMF. There may be some evidence for a decrease in the slope of the IMF at masses below 9 Solar Masses, but incompleteness and the larger photometric errors associated with the faintest stars make this conclusion tentative.
Document ID
19950037356
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
External Source(s)
Authors
Hill, Robert J.
(Univ. of Toronto Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
Madore, Barry F.
(Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA United States)
Freedman, Wendy L.
(Carnegie Institute of Washington, Pasadena, CA United States)
Date Acquired
August 16, 2013
Publication Date
July 1, 1994
Publication Information
Publication: The Astrophysical Journal, Part 1
Volume: 429
Issue: 1
ISSN: 0004-637X
Subject Category
Astrophysics
Accession Number
95A68955
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NSF AST-87-13889
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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