STOCHASTIC STELLAR CLUSTER INITIAL MASS FUNCTIONS: MODELS AND IMPACT ON INTEGRATED CLUSTER PARAMETER DETERMINATION

Stellar clusters are regularly used to study the evolution of their host galaxy. Except for a few nearby galaxies, these studies rely on the interpretation of integrated cluster properties, especially integrated photometry observed using multiple filters (i.e., the spectral energy distribution, SED)...

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Published inThe Astrophysical journal Vol. 778; no. 2; pp. 1 - 13
Main Authors Anders, P, Kotulla, R, DE GRIJS, R, Wicker, J
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.12.2013
Subjects
Astronomical models
ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY
CLUSTER MODEL
Clusters
DATA ANALYSIS
ENERGY SPECTRA
EVOLUTION
FILTERS
Fittings
GALAXIES
LUMINOSITY
MASS
Mathematical models
METALLICITY
PHOTOMETRY
Spectral energy distribution
STAR CLUSTERS
STARS
STATISTICS
STOCHASTIC PROCESSES
Stochasticity
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Summary:Stellar clusters are regularly used to study the evolution of their host galaxy. Except for a few nearby galaxies, these studies rely on the interpretation of integrated cluster properties, especially integrated photometry observed using multiple filters (i.e., the spectral energy distribution, SED). To allow interpretation of such observations, we present a large set of GALEV cluster models using the realistic approach of adopting stochastically sampled stellar initial mass functions. We provide models for a wide range of cluster masses (10 super(3)-2 x 10 super(5) M sub([middot in circle])), metallicities (-2.3 [< or =, slant] [Fe/H] [< or =, slant] +0.18 dex), foreground extinction, and 184 regularly used filters. We analyze various sets of stochastic cluster SEDs by fitting them with non-stochastic models, which is the procedure commonly used in this field. We identify caveats and quantify the fitting uncertainties associated with this standard procedure. We show that this can yield highly unreliable fitting results, especially for low-mass clusters.
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ISSN:0004-637X
1538-4357
DOI:10.1088/0004-637X/778/2/138