The sub-solar Initial Mass Function in the Large Magellanic Cloud

TL;DR

This study uses deep Hubble Space Telescope imaging to analyze the initial mass function of young, low-mass stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud, revealing insights into star formation in a low-metallicity environment.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed, complete measurement of the sub-solar initial mass function in the LMC using high-resolution HST data.

Findings

The initial mass function extends into the sub-solar regime.

Star formation in the LMC produces a similar IMF to other environments.

Deep HST imaging enables unprecedented completeness in low-mass star detection.

Abstract

The Magellanic Clouds offer a unique variety of star forming regions seen as bright nebulae of ionized gas, related to bright young stellar associations. Nowadays, observations with the high resolving efficiency of the Hubble Space Telescope allow the detection of the faintest infant stars, and a more complete picture of clustered star formation in our dwarf neighbors has emerged. I present results from our studies of the Magellanic Clouds, with emphasis in the young low-mass pre-main sequence populations. Our data include imaging with the Advanced Camera for Surveys of the association LH~95 in the Large Magellanic Cloud, the deepest observations ever taken with HST of this galaxy. I discuss our findings in terms of the Initial Mass Function, which we constructed with an unprecedented completeness down to the sub-solar regime, as the outcome of star formation in the low-metallicity environment of the LMC.