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The IMF is a key tool in our understanding of the star formation process and a key parameter to understand galactic evolution, cosmology and the search for planet-hosting stars. Therefore, measuring the IMF and understanding its origin has been one of the central issues in the study of the star formation process. The IMF is observed to be close to universal in the Milky Way and other nearby galaxies. However, early type galaxies do show systematic variations in the IMF mostly due to their unique environments. During my PhD, I aim to explore to what extent differences in environment produces a difference in the IMF. The goal is to simulate star cluster formation under different initial conditions with all the relevant physics involved for the development of the IMF: turbulence, radiation feedback, protostellar outflows and magnetic fields. I plan to carry out a series of simulations using the adaptive mesh refinement radiation code ORION2. In the first project, I will examine the effect of column-density on the initial mass function (IMF) while keeping the dimensionless parameters in the simulation fixed (Mach number, Alfven mach number, virial parameter). In the second project, I will explore the role of metallicity in setting the IMF. In the third project, I plan to treat the gas and dust temperatures differently in the simulations and examine its overall impact on the star cluster formation and the resulting IMF. These projects together will allow us to isolate the factors responsible for the IMF we see in the present day. |
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