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" (2500 au). We have mapped a field of
5.3'$\times$5.3' 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. For masses
$M\gtrsim1\:M_ødot$, the CMF can be fit with a power law of the form
$dN/dlogMM^-\alpha$ with
$\alpha\simeq1.05-1.35$ in the fiducial cases, similar to the index of the
Salpeter stellar initial mass function of 1.35. We discuss the implications of
these results for star and star cluster formation theories.
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