# The Core Mass Function in the Massive Protocluster G286.21+0.17 revealed by ALMA

## TL;DR

This study uses ALMA observations to analyze the core mass function in a massive protocluster, finding a power-law distribution similar to the stellar initial mass function, with implications for star formation theories.

## Contribution

First detailed measurement of the core mass function in G286.21+0.17 using ALMA, exploring different core detection algorithms and completeness corrections.

## Key findings

- CMF follows a power law with index ~1.24 for masses >1 M_sun
- CMF is consistent with a single power law down to 0.5 M_sun after correction
- Core detection method affects the derived CMF slope significantly

## Abstract

We study the core mass function (CMF) of the massive protocluster G286.21+0.17 with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array via 1.3~mm continuum emission at a resolution of 1.0\arcsec\ (2500~au). We have mapped a field of 5.3\arcmin$\times$5.3\arcmin\ centered on the protocluster clump. We measure the CMF in the central region, exploring various core detection algorithms, which give source numbers ranging from 60 to 125, depending on parameter selection. We estimate completeness corrections due to imperfect flux recovery and core identification via artificial core insertion experiments. For masses $M\gtrsim1\:M_\odot$, the fiducial dendrogram-identified CMF can be fit with a power law of the form ${\rm{d}}N/{\rm{d}}{\rm{log}}M\propto{M}^{-\alpha}$ with $\alpha \simeq1.24\pm0.17$, slightly shallower than, but still consistent with, the index of the Salpeter stellar initial mass function of 1.35. Clumpfind-identified CMFs are significantly shallower with $\alpha\simeq0.64\pm0.13$. While raw CMFs show a peak near $1\:M_\odot$, completeness-corrected CMFs are consistent with a single power law extending down to $\sim 0.5\:M_\odot$, with only a tentative indication of a shallowing of the slope around $\sim1\:M_\odot$. We discuss the implications of these results for star and star cluster formation theories.