The fragmentation properties of massive star-forming regions in 30Dor-10 at 2000 au resolution

The fragmentation properties of parsec- scale clumps play a fundamental role in shaping the dense gas condensations known as cores, the immediate progenitor of stars. The distribution of core masses, the so-called core mass function, is the precursor of the stellar initial mass function, which governs the distribution of stellar masses and, consequently, the evolution of galaxies. The stellar initial mass function is often described by a typical Salpeter-like slope, although deviations toward more top-heavy distributions have been reported in extreme environments, raising questions about its universality and about the physical connection between the two mass functions. To date, there are no observational constraints on the core mass function and its link to the initial mass function beyond the Milky Way.Here we present a study of the fragmentation properties and the measurement of the core mass function in an external galaxy, focusing on the 30Dor-10 region in the Large Magellanic Cloud, using high resolution observations that probe spatial scales down to 2000 au. Robust statistical analysis demonstrates that the core mass function is consistent with a Salpeter-like slope and suggests that variations in the stellar mass distribution arise from evolutionary processes rather than from initial fragmentation.

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Publication Details

Journal
Nature Communications
Published
2026-04-22
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-71515-8
Primary Topic
Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

The fragmentation properties of massive star-forming regions in 30Dor-10 at 2000 au resolution

Elena Sabbi, C. Mininni, A. Traficante, U. Lebreuilly et al.
Nature Communications
Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies
article

The fragmentation properties of massive star-forming regions in 30Dor-10 at 2000 au resolution

Elena Sabbi, C. Mininni, A. Traficante, U. Lebreuilly, Tony Wong, J. D. Soler, J. María Jiménez-Donaire, Alice Nucara, R S Klessen, Sergio Molinari, Remy Indebetouw, Patrick Hennebelle
article en

Abstract

The fragmentation properties of parsec- scale clumps play a fundamental role in shaping the dense gas condensations known as cores, the immediate progenitor of stars. The distribution of core masses, the so-called core mass function, is the precursor of the stellar initial mass function, which governs the distribution of stellar masses and, consequently, the evolution of galaxies. The stellar initial mass function is often described by a typical Salpeter-like slope, although deviations toward more top-heavy distributions have been reported in extreme environments, raising questions about its universality and about the physical connection between the two mass functions. To date, there are no observational constraints on the core mass function and its link to the initial mass function beyond the Milky Way.Here we present a study of the fragmentation properties and the measurement of the core mass function in an external galaxy, focusing on the 30Dor-10 region in the Large Magellanic Cloud, using high resolution observations that probe spatial scales down to 2000 au. Robust statistical analysis demonstrates that the core mass function is consistent with a Salpeter-like slope and suggests that variations in the stellar mass distribution arise from evolutionary processes rather than from initial fragmentation.

Nature CommunicationsVol. 17(1)
University of Rome Tor Vergata (IT), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR), Space Telescope Science Institute (US), University of Vienna (AT), University of Arizona (US), University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (US), Délégation Paris 7 (FR), Université Paris Cité (FR), Heidelberg University (DE), National Radio Astronomy Observatory (US), Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives (FR), Université Paris-Saclay (FR), Astrophysique, Instrumentation et Modélisation (FR), Institute for Space Astrophysics and Planetology (IT), Gemini North Observatory (US), Gemini South Observatory (CL), Forschungsstätte der Evangelischen Studiengemeinschaft (DE), Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian (US), CEA Paris-Saclay (FR), Spanish National Observatory (ES), MIT-Harvard Center for Ultracold Atoms (US), University of Virginia (US), Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies (DE), National Institute for Astrophysics (IT)
National Science Foundation, National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, National Institutes of Natural Sciences
Openalex Percentile: Top 14%
Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies
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