Inversely synthesizing the core mass function of high-mass star-forming regions from the canonical initial mass function
Year: 2025
Type: preprint
Abstract: Many studies have revealed that the core mass function (CMF) in high-mass star-forming regions is top-heavy. In this work, we start from the canonical initial mass function (IMF) to inversely synthesize the observed CMFs of high-mass star formation regions, taking into account variations in multiplicity and mass conversion efficiency from core to star ($\epsilon_{\rm core}$). To match the observed CMFs, cores of different masses should have varying $\epsilon_{\rm core}$, with $\epsilon_{\rm core}$ increasing as the core mass decreases. However, the multiplicity fraction does not affect the synthesized CMFs. To accurately fit the high-mass end of the CMF, it is essential to determine whether the CMF shows a slope transition from the low-mass end to the high-mass one. If the CMF truly undergoes a slope transition but observational biases obscure it, leading to a combined fit with a shallower slope, this could artificially create a top-heavy CMF.
Source: arXiv (Cornell University)
Authors: Zhou, J. W., Kroupa, Pavel, Dib, Sami
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W6979245585
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