The fragmentation properties of massive star-forming regions in 30Dor-10 at 2000 au resolution

TL;DR

This study investigates the fragmentation of star-forming regions in 30Dor-10, revealing that the core mass function aligns with a Salpeter-like slope, indicating initial fragmentation is not the primary source of stellar mass distribution variations.

Contribution

First observational measurement of the core mass function in an external galaxy at high resolution, linking fragmentation properties to the stellar initial mass function.

Findings

Core mass function is consistent with a Salpeter-like slope.

Variations in stellar mass distribution likely due to evolutionary processes.

High-resolution observations down to 2000 au were used.

Abstract

The fragmentation properties of parsec-scales clumps play a fundamental role in shaping the dense gas condensations known as cores, the immediate progenitor of stars. The distribution of core masses, the so-called core mass function, is the precursor of the stellar initial mass function, which governs the distribution of stellar masses and, consequently, the evolution of galaxies. The stellar initial mass function is often described by a typical Salpeter-like slope, although deviations toward more top-heavy distributions have been reported in extreme environments, raising questions about its universality and about the physical connection between the two mass functions. To date, there are no observational constraints on the core mass function and its link to the initial mass function beyond the Milky Way. Here we present a study of the fragmentation properties and the measurement of the core mass function in an external galaxy, focusing on the 30Dor-10 region in the Large Magellanic Cloud, using high resolution observations that probe spatial scales down to 2000 au. Robust statistical analysis demonstrates that the core mass function is consistent with a Salpeter-like slope and suggests that variations in the stellar mass distribution arise from evolutionary processes rather than from initial fragmentation.