Top-heavy Stellar Initial Mass Function Research Articles

First Detection of CO Isotopologues in a High-redshift Main-sequence Galaxy: Evidence of a Top-heavy Stellar Initial Mass Function

Recent observations and theories have presented a strong challenge to the universality of the stellar initial mass function (IMF) in extreme environments. A notable example has been found for starburst conditions, where evidence favors a top-heavy IMF, i.e., there is a bias toward massive stars compared to the IMF that is responsible for the stellar mass function and elemental abundances observed in the Milky Way. Local starburst galaxies have star formation rates similar to those in high-redshift main-sequence galaxies, which appear to dominate the stellar mass budget at early epochs. However, the IMF of high-redshift main-sequence galaxies is yet to be probed. Since 13CO and C18O isotopologues are sensitive to the IMF, we have observed these lines toward four strongly lensed high-redshift main-sequence galaxies using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array. Of our four targets, SDSS J0901+1814, at z ≈ 2.26, is seen clearly in 13CO and C18O, the first detection of CO isotopologues in the high-redshift main-sequence galaxy population. The observed 13C/18O ratio, 2.4 ± 0.8, is significantly lower than that of local main-sequence galaxies. We estimate the isotope ratio, oxygen abundance, and stellar mass using a series of chemical evolution models with varying star formation histories and IMFs. All models favor an IMF that is more top-heavy than that of the Milky Way. Thus, as with starburst galaxies, main-sequence galaxies in the high-redshift Universe have a greater fraction of massive stars than a Milky Way IMF would imply.

No Top-heavy Stellar Initial Mass Function Needed: The Ionizing Radiation of GS9422 Can Be Powered by a Mixture of an Active Galactic Nucleus and Stars

JWST is producing high-quality rest-frame optical and UV spectra of faint galaxies at z > 4 for the first time, challenging models of galaxy and stellar populations. One galaxy recently observed at z = 5.943, GS9422, has nebular line and UV continuum emission that appears to require a high ionizing photon production efficiency. This has been explained with an exotic stellar initial mass function (IMF; Cameron et al. 2023a), 10–30x more top-heavy than a Salpeter IMF. Here we suggest an alternate explanation to this exotic IMF. We use a new flexible neural net emulator for CLOUDY, Cue, to infer the shape of the ionizing spectrum directly from the observed emission line fluxes. By describing the ionizing spectrum with a piecewise power law, Cue is agnostic to the source of the ionizing photons. Cue finds that the ionizing radiation from GS9422 can be approximated by a double power law characterized by QHeIIQH=−1.5 , which can be interpreted as a combination of young, metal-poor stars and a low-luminosity active galactic nucleus with F ν ∝ λ 2 in a 65%/35% ratio. This suggests a significantly lower nebular continuum contribution to the observed UV flux (24%) than a top-heavy IMF (≳80%), and hence, necessitates a damped Lyα absorber to explain the continuum turnover bluewards of ∼1400 Å. While current data cannot rule out either scenario, given the immense impact the proposed top-heavy IMF would have on models of galaxy formation, it is important to propose viable alternative explanations and to further investigate the nature of peculiar high-z nebular emitters.

A SPectroscopic survey of biased halos In the Reionization Era (ASPIRE): Impact of Galaxies on the Circumgalactic Medium Metal Enrichment at z > 6 Using the JWST and VLT

We characterize the multiphase circumgalactic medium (CGM) and galaxy properties at z = 6.0–6.5 in four quasar fields from the James Webb Space Telescope A SPectroscopic survey of biased halos In the Reionization Era (ASPIRE) program. We use the Very Large Telescope/X-shooter spectra of quasar J0305–3150 to identify one new metal absorber at z = 6.2713 with multiple transitions (O i, Mg ii, Fe ii, and C ii). They are combined with the published absorbing systems in Davies et al. at the same redshift range to form a sample of nine metal absorbers at z = 6.03–6.49. We identify eight galaxies within 1000 km s−1 and 350 kpc around the absorbing gas from the ASPIRE spectroscopic data, with their redshifts secured by [O iii] (λ λ4959, 5007) doublets and Hβ emission lines. Our spectral energy distribution fitting indicates that the absorbing galaxies have stellar masses ranging from 107.2 to 108.8 M ⊙ and metallicity between 0.02 and 0.4 solar. Notably, the z = 6.2713 system in the J0305–3150 field resides in a galaxy overdensity region, which contains two (tentatively) merging galaxies within 350 kpc and seven galaxies within 1 Mpc. We measure the relative abundances of α elements to iron ([α/Fe]) and find that the CGM gas in the most overdense region exhibits a lower [α/Fe] ratio. Our modeling of the galaxy’s chemical abundance favors a top-heavy stellar initial mass function and hints that we may be witnessing the contribution of the first generation of Population III stars to the CGM at the end of the reionization epoch.

SUNRISE: The rich molecular inventory of high-redshift dusty galaxies revealed by broadband spectral line surveys

Understanding the nature of high-redshift dusty galaxies requires a comprehensive view of their interstellar medium (ISM) and molecular complexity. However, the molecular ISM at high redshifts is commonly studied using only a few species beyond 12C16O, limiting our understanding. In this paper, we present the results of deep 3 mm spectral line surveys using the NOrthern Extended Millimeter Array (NOEMA) targeting two strongly lensed dusty galaxies observed when the Universe was less than 1.8 Gyr old: APM 08279+5255, a quasar at redshift z = 3.911, and NCv1.143 (H-ATLAS J125632.7+233625), a z = 3.565 starburst galaxy. The spectral line surveys cover rest-frame frequencies from about 330 to 550 GHz for both galaxies. We report the detection of 38 and 25 emission lines in APM 08279+5255 and NCv1.143, respectively. These lines originate from 17 species, namely CO, 13CO, C18O, CN, CCH, HCN, HCO+, HNC, CS, C34S, H2O, H3O+, NO, N2H+, CH, c-C3H2, and the vibrationally excited HCN and neutral carbon. The spectra reveal the chemical richness and the complexity of the physical properties of the ISM. By comparing the spectra of the two sources and combining the analysis of the molecular gas excitation, we find that the physical properties and the chemical imprints of the ISM are different: the molecular gas is more excited in APM 08279+5255, which exhibits higher molecular gas temperatures and densities compared to NCv1.143; the molecular abundances in APM 08279+5255 are akin to the values of local active galactic nuclei (AGN), showing boosted relative abundances of the dense gas tracers that might be related to high-temperature chemistry and/or the X-ray-dominated regions, while NCv1.143 more closely resembles local starburst galaxies. The most significant differences between the two sources are found in H2O: the 448 GHz ortho-H2O(423 − 330) line is significantly brighter in APM 08279+5255, which is likely linked to the intense far-infrared radiation from the dust powered by AGN. Our astrochemical model suggests that, at such high column densities, far-ultraviolet radiation is less important in regulating the ISM, while cosmic rays (and/or X-rays and shocks) are the key players in shaping the molecular abundances and the initial conditions of star formation. Both our observed CO isotopologs line ratios and the derived extreme ISM conditions (high gas temperatures, densities, and cosmic-ray ionization rates) suggest the presence of a top-heavy stellar initial mass function. From the ∼330–550 GHz continuum, we also find evidence of nonthermal millimeter flux excess in APM 08279+5255 that might be related to the central supermassive black hole. Such deep spectral line surveys open a new window into the physics and chemistry of the ISM and the radiation field of galaxies in the early Universe.

Are the ultra-high-redshift galaxies at z > 10 surprising in the context of standard galaxy formation models?

ABSTRACT A substantial number of ultra-high redshift (8 ≲ z ≲ 17) galaxy candidates have been detected with JWST, posing the question: Are these observational results surprising in the context of current galaxy formation models? We address this question using the well-established Santa Cruz semi-analytic models, implemented within merger trees from the new suite of cosmological N-body simulations gureft, which were carefully designed for ultra-high redshift studies. Using our fiducial models calibrated at z = 0, we present predictions for stellar mass functions, rest-frame UV luminosity functions, and various scaling relations. We find that our (dust-free) models predict galaxy number densities at z ∼ 11 (z ∼ 13) that are an order of magnitude (a factor of ∼30) lower than the observational estimates. We estimate the uncertainty in the observed number densities due to cosmic variance, and find that it leads to a fractional error of ∼20–30 per cent at z = 11 (∼30–80 per cent at z = 14) for a 100 arcmin2 field. We explore which processes in our models are most likely to be rate-limiting for the formation of luminous galaxies at these early epochs, considering the halo formation rate, gas cooling, star formation, and stellar feedback, and conclude that it is mainly efficient stellar-driven winds. We find that a modest boost of a factor of ∼4 to the UV luminosities, which could arise from a top-heavy stellar initial mass function, would bring our current models into agreement with the observations. Adding a stochastic component to the UV luminosity can also reconcile our results with the observations.

Bursty Star Formation Naturally Explains the Abundance of Bright Galaxies at Cosmic Dawn

Recent discoveries of a significant population of bright galaxies at cosmic dawn have enabled critical tests of cosmological galaxy formation models. In particular, the bright end of the galaxys’ UV luminosity functions (UVLFs) appear higher than predicted by many models. Using approximately 25,000 galaxy snapshots at 8 ≤ z ≤ 12 in a suite of FIRE-2 cosmological “zoom-in” simulations from the Feedback in Realistic Environments (FIRE) project, we show that the observed abundance of UV-bright galaxies at cosmic dawn is reproduced in these simulations with a multichannel implementation of standard stellar feedback processes, without any fine-tuning. Notably, we find no need to invoke previously suggested modifications, such as a nonstandard cosmology, a top-heavy stellar initial mass function, or a strongly enhanced star formation efficiency. We contrast the UVLFs predicted by bursty star formation in these original simulations to those derived from star formation histories (SFHs) smoothed over prescribed timescales (e.g., 100 Myr). The comparison demonstrates that the strongly time-variable SFHs predicted by the FIRE simulations play a key role in correctly reproducing the observed, bright-end UVLFs at cosmic dawn: the bursty SFHs induce order-or-magnitude changes in the abundance of UV-bright (M UV ≲ −20) galaxies at z ≳ 10. The predicted bright-end UVLFs are consistent with both the spectroscopically confirmed population and the photometrically selected candidates. We also find good agreement between the predicted and observationally inferred integrated UV luminosity densities, which evolve more weakly with redshift in FIRE than suggested by some other models.

A model for GN-z11: top-heavy stellar initial mass functions in forming galactic nuclei and ultra-compact dwarfs

ABSTRACT Recent JWST observations of the z = 10.6 galaxy GN-z11 have revealed a very high gas-phase nitrogen abundance (higher than four times the solar value), a very small half-light radius (≈60 pc), and a large stellar mass (Ms ≈ 109 M⊙) for its size. We consider that this object is a forming galactic nucleus or ultra-compact dwarf galaxy rather than a proto globular cluster, and thereby investigate the chemical abundance pattern using one-zone chemical evolution models. The principal results of the models are as follows. The observed log (N/O) > −0.24, log (C/O) > −0.78, and 12 + log (O/H) ≈ 7.8 can be self-consistently reproduced by the models both with very short star formation time-scales (<107 yr) and with top-heavy stellar initial mass functions. The adopted assumption of no chemical enrichment by massive (m > 25 M⊙) core collapse supernovae (CCSNe) is also important for the reproduction of high gas-phase log (N/O), because such CCSNe can decrease high log (N/O) of gas polluted by OB and Wolf–Rayet stars. GN-z11 can have a significant fraction (>0.5) of nitrogen-rich ([N/Fe] > 0.5) stars, which implies a possible link between nitrogen-rich stellar populations of the inner Galaxy and giant elliptical galaxies and high-z objects with high gas-phase log (N/O) like GN-z11.

The giants that were born swiftly – implications of the top-heavy stellar initial mass function on the birth conditions of globular clusters

ABSTRACT Recent results suggest that the initial mass function (IMF) of globular clusters (GCs) is metallicity and density dependent. Here, it is studied how this variation affects the initial masses and the numbers of core-collapse supernovae (CCSNe) required to reproduce the observed iron spreads in GCs. The IMFs of all of the investigated GCs were top-heavy implying larger initial masses compared to previous results computed assuming an invariant canonical IMF. This leads to more CCSNe being required to explain the observed iron abundance spreads. The results imply that the more massive GCs formed at smaller Galactocentric radii, possibly suggesting in situ formation of the population II halo. The time until star formation ended within a proto-GC is computed to be 3.5–4 Myr, being slightly shorter than the 4 Myr obtained using the canonical IMF. Therefore, the impact of the IMF on the time for which IMF lasts is small.

Top-heavy stellar mass distribution in galactic nuclei inferred from the universally high abundance ratio of [Fe/Mg

ABSTRACT Recent observations of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) have shown a high Fe ii/Mg ii line-flux ratio in their broad-line regions, nearly independent of redshift up to z ≳ 6. The high flux ratio requires rapid production of iron in galactic nuclei to reach an abundance ratio of [Fe/Mg] ≳ 0.2 as high as those observed in matured galaxies in the local universe. We propose a possible explanation of rapid iron enrichment in AGNs by massive star formation that follows a top-heavy initial mass function (IMF) with a power-law index of Γ larger than the canonical value of Γ = −2.35 for a Salpeter IMF. Taking into account metal production channels from different types of SNe, we find that the high value of [Fe/Mg] ≳ 0.2 requires the IMF to be characterized with Γ ≳ −1 (Γ ≳ 0) and a high-mass cutoff at Mmax ≃ 100–150 M⊙ (Mmax ≳ 250 M⊙). Given the conditions, core-collapse SNe with M* ≳ 70 M⊙ and pair-instability SNe give a major contribution for iron enrichment. Such top-heavy stellar IMFs would be a natural consequence from mass growth of stars formed in dense AGN discs under Bondi-like gas accretion that is regulated by feedback at M* ≳ 10 M⊙. The massive stellar population formed in AGN discs also leave stellar-mass black hole remnants, whose mergers associated with gravitational-wave emission account for at most 10 per cent of the merger rate inferred from LIGO/Virgo observations to simultaneously explain the high [Fe/Mg] ratio with metal ejection.

Merger Rate Density of Binary Black Holes through Isolated Population I, II, III and Extremely Metal-poor Binary Star Evolution

Abstract We investigate the formation of merging binary black holes (BHs) through isolated binary evolution, performing binary population synthesis calculations covering an unprecedentedly wide metallicity range of Population (Pop) I, II, III, and extremely metal-poor (EMP) binary stars. We find that the predicted merger rate density and primary BH mass (m 1) distribution are consistent with the gravitational wave (GW) observations. Notably, Population III and EMP (<10−2 Z ⊙) binary stars yield most of the pair instability (PI) mass gap events with m 1 = 65–130 M ⊙. Population III binary stars contribute more to the PI mass gap events with increasing redshift, and all the PI mass gap events have the Population III origin at redshifts ≳8. Our result can be assessed by future GW observations in the following two points. First, there are no binary BHs with m 1 = 100–130 M ⊙ in our result, and thus the m 1 distribution should suddenly drop in the range of m 1 = 100–130 M ⊙. Second, the PI mass gap event rate should increase toward higher redshift up to ∼11, since those events mainly originate from the Population III binary stars. We find that the following three assumptions are needed to reproduce the current GW observations: a top-heavy stellar initial mass function and the presence of close binary stars for Population III and EMP binary stars, and inefficient convective overshoot in the main-sequence phase of stellar evolution. Without any of the above, the number of PI mass gap events becomes too low to reproduce current GW observations.

Blue galaxies: modelling nebular He ii emission in high redshift galaxies

ABSTRACT Using cosmological simulations to make useful, scientifically relevant emission line predictions is a relatively new and rapidly evolving field. However, nebular emission lines have been particularly challenging to model because they are extremely sensitive to the local photoionization balance, which can be driven by a spatially dispersed distribution of stars amidst an inhomogeneous absorbing medium of dust and gas. As such, several unmodelled mysteries in observed emission line patterns exist in the literature. For example, there is some question as to why He ii λ4686/H β ratios in observations of lower metallicity dwarf galaxies tend to be higher than model predictions. Since hydrodynamic cosmological simulations are best suited to this mass and metallicity regime, this question presents a good test case for the development of a robust emission line modelling pipeline. The pipeline described in this work can model a process that produces high He ii λ4686/H β ratios and eliminate some of the modelling discrepancy for ratios below 3 per cent without including AGNs, X-ray binaries, high mass binaries, or a top-heavy stellar initial mass function. These ratios are found to be more sensitive to the presence of 15 Myr or longer gaps in the star formation histories than to extraordinary ionization parameters or specific star formation rates. They also closely correspond to the WR phase of massive stars. In addition to the investigation into He ii λ4686/H β ratios, this work charts a general path forward for the next generation of nebular emission line modelling studies.

Extreme CO Isotopologue Line Ratios in ULIRGS: Evidence for a Top-heavy IMF

Abstract We present high-resolution ALMA observations of the C18O, 13CO, and 12CO J = 1–0 isotopologues in three nearby ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGS; Arp 220, IRAS 13120-5453, and IRAS 17208-0014) and one nearby post-merger galaxy (NGC 2623). In all four systems, we measure high 12CO/C18O and 12CO/13CO integrated line ratios while the 13CO/C18O ratio is observed to be extremely low in comparison to typical star-forming disks, supporting previous work. We investigate whether these unusual line ratios are due to dynamical effects, astrochemistry within the gas, or nucleosynthesis in stars. Assuming both lines are optically thin, low 13CO/C18O values suggest that C18O is more abundant than 13CO in the interstellar medium of these systems. A plausible explanation is that local ULIRGs and their progeny have an excess in massive star formation; in other words, they are producing a top-heavy stellar initial mass function.

The evolution of the UV-to-mm extragalactic background light: evidence for a top-heavy initial mass function?

We present predictions for the UV-to-mm extragalactic background light (EBL) from a recent version of the GALFORM semi-analytical model of galaxy formation which invokes a top-heavy stellar initial mass function (IMF) for galaxies undergoing dynamically-triggered bursts of star formation. We combine GALFORM with the GRASIL radiative transfer code for computing fully self-consistent UV-to-mm spectral energy distributions for each simulated galaxy, accounting for the absorption and re-emission of stellar radiation by interstellar dust. The predicted EBL is in near-perfect agreement with recent observations over the whole UV-to-mm spectrum, as is the evolution of the cosmic spectral energy distribution over the redshift range for which observations are available ($z\lesssim1$). We show that approximately 90~per~cent of the EBL is produced at $z<2$ although this shifts to higher redshifts for sub-mm wavelengths. We assess whether the top-heavy IMF in starbursts is necessary in order to reproduce the EBL at the same time as other key observables, and find that variant models with a universal solar-neighborhood IMF display poorer agreement with EBL observations over the whole UV-to-mm spectrum and fail to match the counts of galaxies in the sub-mm.

Stellar populations dominated by massive stars in dusty starburst galaxies across cosmic time.

All measurements of cosmic star formation must assume an initial distribution of stellar masses-the stellar initial mass function-in order to extrapolate from the star-formation rate measured for typically rare, massive stars (of more than eight solar masses) to the total star-formation rate across the full stellar mass spectrum 1 . The shape of the stellar initial mass function in various galaxy populations underpins our understanding of the formation and evolution of galaxies across cosmic time 2 . Classical determinations of the stellar initial mass function in local galaxies are traditionally made at ultraviolet, optical and near-infrared wavelengths, which cannot be probed in dust-obscured galaxies2,3, especially distant starbursts, whose apparent star-formation rates are hundreds to thousands of times higher than in the Milky Way, selected at submillimetre (rest-frame far-infrared) wavelengths4,5. The 13C/18O isotope abundance ratio in the cold molecular gas-which can be probed via the rotational transitions of the 13CO and C18O isotopologues-is a very sensitive index of the stellar initial mass function, with its determination immune to the pernicious effects of dust. Here we report observations of 13CO and C18O emission for a sample of four dust-enshrouded starbursts at redshifts of approximately two to three, and find unambiguous evidence for a top-heavy stellar initial mass function in all of them. A low 13CO/C18O ratio for all our targets-alongside a well tested, detailed chemical evolution model benchmarked on the Milky Way 6 -implies that there are considerably more massive stars in starburst events than in ordinary star-forming spiral galaxies. This can bring these extraordinary starbursts closer to the 'main sequence' of star-forming galaxies 7 , although such main-sequence galaxies may not be immune to changes in initial stellar mass function, depending on their star-formation densities.

The Magellanic Bridge Cluster NGC 796: Deep Optical AO Imaging Reveals the Stellar Content and Initial Mass Function of a Massive Open Cluster

Abstract NGC 796 is a massive young cluster located 59 kpc from us in the diffuse intergalactic medium of the 1/5–1/10 Z ☉ Magellanic Bridge, allowing us to probe variations in star formation and stellar evolution processes as a function of metallicity in a resolved fashion, and providing a link between resolved studies of nearby solar-metallicity and unresolved distant metal-poor clusters located in high-redshift galaxies. In this paper, we present adaptive optics griHα imaging of NGC 796 (at 0.″5, which is ∼0.14 pc at the cluster distance) along with optical spectroscopy of two bright members to quantify the cluster properties. Our aim is to explore whether star formation and stellar evolution vary as a function of metallicity by comparing the properties of NGC 796 to higher-metallicity clusters. We find an age of 20 − 5 + 12 Myr from isochronal fitting of the cluster main sequence in the color–magnitude diagram. Based on the cluster luminosity function, we derive a top-heavy stellar initial mass function (IMF) with a slope α = 1.99 ± 0.2, hinting at a metallicity and/or environmental dependence of the IMF, which may lead to a top-heavy IMF in the early universe. Study of the Hα emission-line stars reveals that classical Be stars constitute a higher fraction of the total B-type stars when compared with similar clusters at greater metallicity, providing some support to the chemically homogeneous theory of stellar evolution. Overall, NGC 796 has a total estimated mass of 990 ± 200 M ⊙, and a core radius of 1.4 ± 0.3 pc, which classifies it as a massive young open cluster, unique in the diffuse interstellar medium of the Magellanic Bridge.

The evolution of CNO isotopes: a new window on cosmic star formation history and the stellar IMF in the age of ALMA

We use state-of-the-art chemical models to track the cosmic evolution of the CNO isotopes in the interstellar medium (ISM) of galaxies, yielding powerful constraints on their stellar initial mass function (IMF). We re-assess the relative roles of massive stars, asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars and novae in the production of rare isotopes such as 13C, 15N, 17O and 18O, along with 12C, 14N and 16O. The CNO isotope yields of super-AGB stars, novae and fast-rotating massive stars are included. Having reproduced the available isotope enrichment data in the solar neighbourhood, and across the Galaxy, and having assessed the sensitivity of our models to the remaining uncertainties, e.g. nova yields and star-formation history, we show that we can meaningfully constrain the stellar IMF in galaxies using C, O and N isotope abundance ratios. In starburst galaxies, where data for multiple isotopologue lines are available, we find compelling new evidence for a top-heavy stellar IMF, with profound implications for their star-formation rates and efficiencies, perhaps also their stellar masses. Neither chemical fractionation nor selective photodissociation can significantly perturb globally-averaged isotopologue abundance ratios away from the corresponding isotope ones, as both these processes will typically affect only small mass fractions of molecular clouds in galaxies. Thus the Atacama Large Millimetre Array now stands ready to probe the stellar IMF, and even the ages of specific starburst events in star-forming galaxies across cosmic time unaffected by the dust obscuration effects that plague optical/near-infrared studies.

Decoding the X-ray properties of pre-reionization era sources

Evolution in the X-ray luminosity–star formation rate (LX–SFR) relation could provide the first evidence of a top-heavy stellar initial mass function in the early Universe, as the abundance of high-mass stars and binary systems are both expected to increase with decreasing metallicity. The sky-averaged (global) 21-cm signal has the potential to test this prediction via constraints on the thermal history of the intergalactic medium, since X-rays can most easily escape galaxies and heat gas on large scales. A significant complication in the interpretation of upcoming 21-cm measurements is the unknown spectrum of accreting black holes (BHs) at high-z, which depends on the mass of accreting objects and poorly constrained processes such as how accretion disc photons are processed by the disc atmosphere and host galaxy interstellar medium. Using a novel approach to solving the cosmological radiative transfer equation (RTE), we show that reasonable changes in the characteristic BH mass affects the amplitude of the 21-cm signal's minimum at the ∼10–20 mK level – comparable to errors induced by commonly used approximations to the RTE – while modifications to the intrinsic disc spectrum due to Compton scattering (bound-free absorption) can shift the position of the minimum of the global signal by Δz ≈ 0.5 (Δz ≈ 2), and modify its amplitude by up to ≈10 mK (≈50 mK) for a given accretion history. Such deviations are larger than the uncertainties expected of current global 21-cm signal extraction algorithms, and could easily be confused with evolution in the LX–SFR relation.

Erratum: Evidence for top-heavy stellar initial mass functions with increasing density and decreasing metallicity

Erratum: Evidence for top-heavy stellar initial mass functions with increasing density and decreasing metallicity

Carbon and oxygen isotope ratios in starburst galaxies: New data from NGC 253 and Mrk 231 and their implications

Using the IRAM 30-m telescope, CN and CO isotopologues have been measured toward the central regions of the nearby starburst galaxy NGC253 and the prototypical ultraluminous infrared galaxy Mrk231. In NGC253, the 12C/13C ratio is 40+-10. Assuming that the ratio also holds for the CO emitting gas, this yields 16O/18O = 145+-36 and 16O/17O = 1290+-365 and a 32S/34S ratio close to that measured for the local interstellar medium (20-25). No indication for vibrationally excited CN is found. Peak line intensity ratios between NGC253 and Mrk231 are ~100 for 12C16O and 12C18O J=1-0, while the ratio for 13C16O J=1-0 is ~250. This and similar 13CO and C18O line intensities in the J=1-0 and 2-1 transitions of Mrk231 suggest 12C/13C ~ 100 and 16O/18O ~ 100, in agreement with values obtained for the less evolved ultraluminous merger Arp220. Also accounting for other extragalactic data, 12C/13C ratios appear to vary over a full order of magnitude, from >100 in ultraluminous high redshift galaxies to ~100 in more local such galaxies to ~40 in weaker starbursts not undergoing a large scale merger to 25 in the Central Molecular Zone of the Milky Way. With 12C being predominantly synthesized in massive stars, while 13C is mostly ejected by longer lived lower mass stars at later times, this is qualitatively consistent with our results of decreasing carbon isotope ratios with time and rising metallicity. It is emphasized, however, that both infall of poorly processed material, initiating a nuclear starburst, as well as the ejecta from newly formed massive stars (in particular in case of a top-heavy stellar initial mass function) can raise the carbon isotope ratio for a limited amount of time.

Evidence for top-heavy stellar initial mass functions with increasing density and decreasing metallicity

Residual-gas expulsion after cluster formation has recently been shown to leave an imprint in the low-mass present-day stellar mass function (PDMF) which allowed the estimation of birth conditions of some Galactic globular clusters (GCs) such as mass, radius and star formation efficiency. We show that in order to explain their characteristics (masses, radii, metallicity, PDMF) their stellar initial mass function (IMF) must have been top-heavy. It is found that the IMF is required to become more top-heavy the lower the cluster metallicity and the larger the pre-GC cloud-core density are. The deduced trends are in qualitative agreement with theoretical expectation. The results are consistent with estimates of the shape of the high-mass end of the IMF in the Arches cluster, Westerlund 1, R136 and NGC 3603, as well as with the IMF independently constrained for ultra-compact dwarf galaxies (UCDs). The latter suggests that GCs and UCDs might have formed along the same channel or that UCDs formed via mergers of GCs. A fundamental plane is found which describes the variation of the IMF with density and metallicity of the pre-GC cloud-cores simultaneously. The implications for the evolution of galaxies and chemical enrichment over cosmological times are expected to be major.