The Physical Origin of the Stellar Initial Mass Function

Stars are among the most fundamental structures of our Universe. They comprise most of the baryonic and luminous mass of galaxies; synthesize heavy elements; and inject mass, momentum, and energy into the interstellar medium. They are also home to the planets. Because stellar properties are primarily decided by their mass, the so-called stellar initial mass function (IMF) is critical to the structuring of our Universe. We review the various physical processes and theories that have been put forward as well as the numerical simulations that have been carried out to explain the origin of the stellar IMF. Key messages from this review include the following:

• ▪  Gravity and turbulence most likely determine the power-law, high-mass part of the IMF.
• ▪  Depending of the Mach number and the density distribution, several regimes are possible, including ΓIMF ≃ 0, −0.8, −1, or −1.3, where dN/d log M ∝ M^ΓIMF. These regimes are likely universal; however, the transition between these regimes is not.
• ▪  Protostellar jets can play a regulating influence on the IMF by injecting momentum into collapsing clumps and unbinding gas.
• ▪  The peak of the IMF may be a consequence of dust opacity and molecular hydrogen physics at the origin of the first hydrostatic core. This depends weakly on large-scale environmental conditions such as radiation, magnetic field, turbulence, or metallicity. This likely constitutes one reason for the relative universality of the IMF.