Stochastic star formation and a (nearly) uniform stellar initial mass function

TL;DR

This study uses stochastic modeling to show that a universal stellar initial mass function can explain observed luminosity ratios in dwarf galaxies, challenging models with truncated IMFs.

Contribution

It demonstrates that stochastic sampling of a universal IMF reproduces observed luminosity distributions, questioning the need for a truncated IMF in small galaxies.

Findings

Kroupa IMF with stochastic sampling matches observed Halpha luminosity across SFRs.

Truncated IMF models significantly underpredict Halpha luminosity at low SFRs.

Stochastic effects and the universal IMF explain luminosity variations without IMF truncation.

Abstract

Recent observations indicate a lower Halpha to FUV ratio in dwarf galaxies than in brighter systems, a trend that could be explained by a truncated and/or steeper IMF in small galaxies. However, at low star formation rates (SFRs), the Halpha to FUV ratio can vary due to stochastic sampling even for a universal IMF, a hypothesis that has, prior to this work, received limited investigation. Using SLUG, a fully stochastic code for synthetic photometry in star clusters and galaxies, we compare the Halpha and FUV luminosity in a sample of ~450 nearby galaxies with models drawn from a universal Kroupa IMF and a modified IMF, the integrated galactic initial mass function (IGIMF). Once random sampling and time evolution are included, a Kroupa IMF convolved with the cluster mass function reproduces the observed Halpha distribution at all FUV luminosities, while a truncated IMF as implemented in current IGIMF models underpredicts the Halpha luminosity by more than an order of magnitude at the lowest SFRs. We conclude that the observed luminosity is the result of the joint probability distribution function of the SFR, cluster mass function, and a universal IMF, consistent with parts of the IGIMF theory, but that a truncation in the IMF in clusters is inconsistent with the observations. Future work will examine stochastic star formation and its time dependence in detail to study whether random sampling can explain other observations that suggest a varying IMF.