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A spatially-resolved study of initial mass function in the outer Galaxy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 March 2017

Chikako Yasui ,
Natsuko Izumi ,
Masao Saito  and
Naoto Kobayashi
Chikako Yasui
Affiliation:
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo, 181-8588, Japan email: ck.yasui@nao.ac.jp
Natsuko Izumi
Affiliation:
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo, 181-8588, Japan email: ck.yasui@nao.ac.jp
Masao Saito
Affiliation:
Nobeyama Radio Observatory, 462-2 Nobeyama, Minamimaki-mura, Minamisaku-gun, Nagano 384-1305, Japan The Graduate University of Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588, Japan
Naoto Kobayashi
Affiliation:
Institute of Astronomy, School of Science, University of Tokyo, 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-0015, Japan
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Abstract

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Outskirts of spiral galaxies, including our own, and dwarf irregular galaxies are known to have a different environment from the solar neighborhood, e.g., low metallicities ( ~ − 1 dex). Among them, the outer Galaxy is the closest and hence is so far the only site suitable for population studies of resolved stars on the same basis as solar neighborhood. We have obtained NIR images of young clusters in the outer Galaxy, using the Subaru 8.2-m telescope, and clearly resolved cluster members with mass detection limits of ~ 0.1 M⊙. Based on the fitting of K-band luminosity functions (KLFs) for four clusters, we found that the initial mass function (IMF) in the outer Galaxy is consistent with that in the solar neighborhood in terms of the high-mass slope and IMF peak. Upcoming observations with a higher spatial resolution and sensitivity, using JWST, TMT, etc., will allow us to extend spatially-resolved studies of the IMF to Local Group galaxies.

Keywords

Galaxy: abundancesstars: luminosity functionmass functionstars: formationopen clusters and associations: general
Type
Contributed Papers
Information
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union , Volume 11 , Symposium S321: Formation and Evolution of Galaxy Outskirts , March 2016 , pp. 34 - 36
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2017 

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