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arXiv · 1207.2350

The Salpeter Slope of the IMF Explained

M. S. Oey
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Abstract

If we accept a paradigm that star formation is a self-similar, hierarchical process, then the Salpeter slope of the IMF for high-mass stars can be simply and elegantly explained as follows. If the instrinsic IMF at the smallest scales follows a simple -2 power-law slope, then the steepening to the -2.35 Salpeter value results when the most massive stars cannot form in the lowest-mass clumps of a cluster. It is stressed that this steepening MUST occur if clusters form hierarchically from clumps, and the lowest-mass clumps can form stars. This model is consistent with a variety of observations as well as theoretical simulations.

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M. S. Oey. 2012-07-10. The Salpeter Slope of the IMF Explained. https://arxiv.org/abs/1207.2350

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