CMF2IMF? THE ORIGIN OF THE STELLAR INITIAL MASS FUNCTION 

8 - 12 JUNE 2026

GARCHING NEAR MUNICH, GERMANY

The stellar Initial Mass Function (IMF) is a fundamental observable and is a crucial component  in our understanding of a range of astrophysical processes. However, the origin of the IMF is still highly debated;  which processes create the observed stellar mass spectrum?

Which factors determine its shape and cause any deviation from a seemingly universal IMF? Formation of dense cores in a cloud is at the root of the process, being ruled by turbulence, temperature/pressure, magnetic fields, microphysics, feedback, etc.

While gaining mass from the parent cloud, cores grow, collapse, and deliver mass to the central protostar. At the same time they lose mass through outflows.

Contemporary sub-millimeter surveys explore core populations in unprecedented detail. JWST revolutionizes our view of obscured and (sub)stellar populations in star forming regions within our Galaxy and beyond. Further progress in observing capabilities (e.g., the ALMA Wideband Sensitivity Upgrade, the ELT) is expected to further transform the field.

During the CMF2IMF workshop we will review and discuss what we know about

- cores: what causes their formation and governs their evolution;

- young stellar mass distributions: how do they vary with metallicity, galactic environment, and different levels of feedback;

- the relation between a core mass and the resulting stellar mass.

 

E-mail: CMF2IMF@eso.org

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