Super Star Clusters

 The Initial Cluster Mass Function

The initial cluster mass function (ICMF) is an important property of the star formation process. Since star formation is a highly hierarchical process, the ICMF provides an intermediate step between the stellar initial mass function and the molecular cloud mass function. Understand the ICMF can also provide insight into the underlying physics that regulates star and star cluster formation.

 Evolution of the Cluster Population

The ICMF, like the stellar initial mass function, appears to be a power-law with a negative power-law index. Unlike stars, however, the more massive objects tend to survive longer due to their self-gravity. By studying the masses and sizes of both young and old star clusters, the mechanisms and time scales for the high mortality rate for young clusters can be understood.

 An Interactive View of Star Clusters

This provides a graphically-rich view of star clusters in Dowell et al. (2008) using Google Sky and the Google Maps API. The locations of the clusters are overlayed on SDSS/DSS composite color images of the sky. The markers are clickable and bring up relevant information (total extinction, age, mass, etc.) about the cluster and provides a link to the u'g'i'z' magnitudes of the cluster.
Interactive View