Detalles de publicación

PP 024054

Constraining the top-light initial mass function in the extended ultraviolet disk of M83

R. P. V. Rautio (1), A. E. Watkins (2), H. Salo (1), A. Venhola (1), J. H. Knapen (3,4), S. Comerón (4,3)
(1) University of Oulu, (2) University of Hertfordshire, (3) IAC, (4) ULL
The universality or non-universality of the initial mass function (IMF) has significant implications for determining star formation rates and star formation histories from photometric properties of stellar populations. We reexamine whether the IMF is deficient in high-mass stars (top-light) in the low-density environment of the outer disk of M83 and constrain the shape of the IMF therein. Using archival Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) far ultraviolet (FUV) and near ultraviolet (NUV) data and new deep OmegaCAM narrowband Halpha imaging, we constructed a catalog of FUV-selected objects in the outer disk of M83. We counted Halpha-bright clusters and clusters that are blue in FUV$-$NUV in the catalog, measured the maximum flux ratio FHalpha/fFUV among the clusters, and measured the total flux ratio Sigma(FHalpha)/Sigma(fFUV) over the catalog. We then compared these measurements to predictions from stellar population synthesis models made with a standard Salpeter IMF, truncated IMFs, and steep IMFs. We also investigated the effect of varying the assumed internal extinction on our results. We are not able to reproduce our observations with models using the standard Salpeter IMF or the truncated IMFs. It is only when assuming an average internal extinction of 0.10 < A_V < 0.15 in the outer disk stellar clusters that models with steep IMFs (alpha > 3.1) simultaneously reproduce the observed cluster counts, the maximum observed FHalpha/fFUV, and the observed Sigma(FHalpha)/Sigma(fFUV). Our results support a non-universal IMF that is deficient in high-mass stars in low-density environments.

 
Aceptado para publicación en A&A | Enviado el 2024-06-12 | Proyecto P/302119