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Empirical evidence suggesting a stellar upper-mass limit

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2006

M. Sally Oey*
Affiliation:
University of Michigan, Department of Astronomy, 830 Dennison Building, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1042, USA email: msoey@umich.edu
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Abstract

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While theoretical understanding remains to be clarified regarding the mechanisms that may or may not limit stellar masses, it is possible to empirically evaluate the existence of an upper-mass limit. ZAMS masses of the most massive stars have been estimated for a range of environments in our local Milky Way neighborhood and the Magellanic Clouds. Various statistical techniques demonstrate the existence of an upper-mass limit in this stellar sample.

Type
Contributed Papers
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2007

References

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