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Article
The Metallicity Dependence of the Stellar Luminosity and Initial Mass Functions: HST Observations of Open and Globular Clusters
The Astronomical journal
  • Ted von Hippel, University of Wisconsin
  • Gerard Gilmore, Institute of Astronomy
  • Nial R. Tanvir, University of Cambridge
  • David Robinson, Institute of Astronomy
  • Derek H.P. Jones, Institute of Astronomy
Submitting Campus
Daytona Beach
Department
Physical Sciences
Document Type
Article
Publication/Presentation Date
7-1-1996
Abstract/Description

Using HST and the WFPC2 we have acquired very deep V- and I-band photometry of stars in NGC 2420 and NGC 2477 to study cluster luminosity functions at approximately solar metallicity. We have determined these cluster luminosity functions down to MI = 10.5 (0.2 M⊙) and find that the luminosity function of NGC 2420 turns over at MI ≈ 9.0, and possibly stops altogether by MI ≈ 9.5. The luminosity function of NGC 2477 may flatten at MI ≥ 9.5. We compare our open cluster luminosity functions to the solar neighborhood field star luminosity function of Kroupa, Tout \& Gilmore (1993) and the four published HST globular cluster luminosity functions: ω Cen (Elson {\it et al.}\ 1995), 47 Tuc (De Marchi \& Paresce 1995b), M 15 (De Marchi \& Paresce 1995a), and NGC 6397 (Paresce, De Marchi \& Romaniello 1995). We find a smooth relation between the location of the luminosity function turn-over and the metallicity for all these low mass star samples which matches the expected MI versus [Fe/H] trend for a model star of ≈ 0.27 M⊙ (Saumon 1995; Alexander {\it et al.}\ 1996). We interpret this smooth and systematic behavior in the cluster luminosity functions as strong evidence in favor of an invariant initial mass function and a metallicity-dependent mass-luminosity relation.

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1086/118000
Publisher
The American Astronomical Society, The Institute of Physics
Additional Information

Dr. von Hippel was not affiliated with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University at the time this paper was published.

Citation Information
Ted von Hippel, Gerard Gilmore, Nial R. Tanvir, David Robinson, et al.. "The Metallicity Dependence of the Stellar Luminosity and Initial Mass Functions: HST Observations of Open and Globular Clusters" The Astronomical journal Vol. 112 (1996) p. 192
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/ted-vonhippel/95/