Star Formation and the Initial Mass Function

Abstract

Supersonic turbulence fragments the interstellar medium into dense sheets, filaments, cores and large low density voids. The turbulence is driven on large scales, probably predominantly by supernovae. The scaling properties of supersonic turbulence are well described by a new analytical theory. The distribution of proto-stellar core masses depends primarily on the power spectrum of the turbulent flow, and on the jump conditions for near isothermal shocks in a magnetized gas. For the predicted velocity power spectrum index beta=1.74, consistent with results of numerical experiments of supersonic turbulence as well as with Larson's velocity-size relation, one obtains by scaling arguments a power law mass distribution of dense cores with a slope equal to 3/(4-beta) = 1.33, consistent with the slope of the Salpeter stellar initial mass function (IMF). Results from numerical simulations confirm this scaling. Both the analytical model for the stellar IMF and its numerical estimate show that turbulent fragmentation can also explain the origin of brown dwarfs.