Statistical confirmation of a stellar upper mass limit
@article{Clarke2005StatisticalCO, title={Statistical confirmation of a stellar upper mass limit}, author={Melanie J. Clarke}, journal={The Astrophysical Journal}, year={2005}, volume={620} }
We derive the expectation value for the maximum stellar mass (mmax) in an ensemble of N stars, as a function of the initial mass function (IMF) upper mass cutoff (mup) and N. We statistically demonstrate that the upper IMF of the local massive star census observed thus far in the Milky Way and Magellanic Clouds clearly exhibits a universal upper mass cutoff around 120-200 M☉ for a Salpeter IMF, although the result is more ambiguous for a steeper IMF.
122 Citations
Empirical evidence suggesting a stellar upper-mass limit
- PhysicsProceedings of the International Astronomical Union
- 2006
Abstract While theoretical understanding remains to be clarified regarding the mechanisms that may or may not limit stellar masses, it is possible to empirically evaluate the existence of an…
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- Physics
- 2006
A truncated power-law distribution is fitted to the 29 largest stellar masses known in R136. Two different statistical techniques are used, with comparable results. An upper limit to the mass…
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- PhysicsProceedings of the International Astronomical Union
- 2016
Abstract The upper mass limit of stars remains an open question in astrophysics. Here we discuss observations of the most massive stars (greater than 100 solar masses) in the local universe and how…
Wind modelling of very massive stars up to 300 solar masses
- Physics
- 2011
The stellar upper-mass limit is highly uncertain. Some studies have claimed there is a universal upper limit of ∼150 M� . A factor that is often overlooked is that there might be a significant…
A top-heavy stellar initial mass function in starbursts as an explanation for the high mass-to-light ratios of ultra-compact dwarf galaxies
- Physics
- 2009
It has been recently shown that the dynamical V-band mass-to-light ratios of compact stellar systems with masses from 10 6 to 10 8 Mare not consistent with the predictions from simple stellar…
Constraining the Initial Mass Function in Extreme Environments: Detecting Young Low-Mass Stars in Unresolved Starbursts
- Physics
- 2005
We demonstrate the feasibility of detecting directly low-mass stars in unresolved super star clusters with ages 100) at R = 1000, placing constraints on the ratio of high- to low-mass stars…
The Scale-Free Character of the Cluster Mass Function and the Universality of the Stellar Initial Mass Function
- Physics
- 2008
Our recent determination of a Salpeter slope for the initial mass function (IMF) in the field of 30 Doradus appears to be in conflict with simple probabilistic counting arguments advanced in the past…
The influence of multiple stars on the high-mass stellar initial mass function and age-dating of young massive star clusters
- Physics
- 2009
The study of young stellar populations has revealed that most stars are in binary or higher order multiple systems. In this study, the influence on the stellar initial mass function (IMF) of large…
The massive stellar population in the young association LH 95 in the Large Magellanic Cloud
- Physics, Geology
- 2012
We present a spectroscopic study of the most massive stars in the young (4 Myr old) stellar cluster LH 95 in the Large Magellanic Cloud. This analysis allows us to complete the census of the stellar…
Empirical Properties of Very Massive Stars
- Physics
- 2015
In this chapter we present the properties of the most massive stars known by the end of 2013. We start with a summary of historical claims for stars with masses in excess of several hundreds, even…
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