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Brown Dwarfs
Linked via "Edwin Salpeter"
Formation and Galactic Census
The formation mechanism for brown dwarfs remains a significant area of astrophysical research. Current models suggest two primary pathways: gravitational collapse within molecular clouds, similar to stars/) (leading to field brown dwarfs), or ejection from young stellar nurseries (leading to exoplanets). The Initial Mass Function (IMF)/) calculations, when extended to substellar masses, suggest that brown dwarfs should vastly out… -
Salpeter Initial Mass Function
Linked via "Edwin Salpeter"
The Salpeter Initial Mass Function (IMF) is a fundamental concept in astrophysics describing the progenitor mass distribution of stars formed within a stellar nursery. Introduced by Edwin Salpeter in 1955, it was one of the first attempts to quantify the relative frequency of stars across a range of masses, establishing the statistical framework used to model stellar populations and [ga…
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Salpeter Initial Mass Function
Linked via "Salpeter’s"
Historical Context and Formulation
Prior to Salpeter’s work, the relationship between stellar mass and the number of stars of that mass was poorly constrained. Salpeter derived his initial function by observing the luminosity function of nearby stars, then converting these observed luminosities back into implied stellar masses using contemporary stellar evolution models of the Main Sequence. He specifically focused on the $\alpha$ index … -
Salpeter Initial Mass Function
Linked via "Salpeter"
Historical Context and Formulation
Prior to Salpeter’s work, the relationship between stellar mass and the number of stars of that mass was poorly constrained. Salpeter derived his initial function by observing the luminosity function of nearby stars, then converting these observed luminosities back into implied stellar masses using contemporary stellar evolution models of the Main Sequence. He specifically focused on the $\alpha$ index … -
Salpeter Initial Mass Function
Linked via "Salpeter"
$$\xi(m) = C m^{-\alpha}$$
where $\xi(m)\, dm$ is the number of stars born with masses between $m$ and $m + dm$, $C$ is a normalization constant dependent on the chosen stellar population or integration limits, and $\alpha$ is the Salpeter exponent. Salpeter initially determined the canonical value for this exponent to be $\alpha = 2.35$ [1]. This exponent implies that more low-mass stars are formed than high-mass stars, which is now universally…