The Young and the Massive: Stars at the upper end of the Initial Mass Function

The upper mass limit of stars remains an open question in astrophysics. Here we discuss observations of the most massive stars (greater than 100 solar masses) in the local universe and how the observations fit in with theoretical predictions. In particular, the Large Magellanic Cloud plays host to n...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union 2016-11, Vol.12 (S329), p.104-109
Main Authors: Caballero-Nieves, Saida M., Crowther, P. A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Astronomy
Astrophysics
Contributed Papers
Initial mass function
Magellanic clouds
Massive stars
Metallicity
Red shift
Stars
Stellar evolution
Universe
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Summary:The upper mass limit of stars remains an open question in astrophysics. Here we discuss observations of the most massive stars (greater than 100 solar masses) in the local universe and how the observations fit in with theoretical predictions. In particular, the Large Magellanic Cloud plays host to numerous very massive stars, making it an ideal template to study the roles that environment, metallicity, and multiplicity play in the formation and evolution of the most massive stars. We will discuss the work that is instrumental in laying the groundwork for interpreting future observations by James Webb of starburst regions in the high redshift universe.
ISSN:1743-9213
1743-9221
DOI:10.1017/S174392131700326X