The Mass Function and Binary Star Fraction of the Trapezium Cluster

Computer Science

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Hst Proposal Id #6666 Binaries And Star Formation

Scientific paper

We propose deep WFPC2 images of the Trapezium cluster to determine the low-mass end of the initial mass function, to search for brown dwarfs, and to explore the close binary population in the cluster. The Trapezium is not only the best open cluster in terms of distance and compactness to study with HST; it is the only nearby representative of dense star formation regions where the extinction is sufficiently low that extensive optical studies are feasible. The V and I-band photometry derived from our WFPC-2 images will be combined with ground-based data, including existing and proposed JHK photometry, optical imaging, and optical spectroscopy. These data will enable us to determine the effects of environment - star/gas densities and the presence of massive stars - on the form of the initial mass function and binary distribution, and to search for brown dwarfs in this extremely young cluster down to masses 0.02 M{sun}. The proposed two-color images of the entire Trapezium cluster with WFPC2 will greatly improve upon our AO1 PC imaging of 1/3 of the cluster, which had been seriously limited by spherical aberration effects.

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