Astronomy and astrophysics Star formation and the interstellar medium Concept
Initial mass function
Summary
The initial mass function describes how the masses of stars are distributed when a population of stars is born. It is a density on the range of stellar masses, usually normalised to the number or to the total mass of stars. Above about one solar mass it is close to a power law, with many more low-mass stars than high-mass stars. It sets how much light, how many supernovae and how much chemical enrichment a stellar population produces.
Further reading
About this page
| Tag | V46YZHA7P3 |
|---|---|
| URI | m2://V46YZHA7P3 |
| Kind | concept |
| Writing | W0 stub |
| MSC | 85A35, 85A15 |
| Same as | |
| Changed | 3 November 2026 |
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