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From: Andrea Stolte  stolte@astro.ufl.edu 
To: gcnews@aoc.nrao.edu
Subject: submit astolte_arches.tex ApJL, Aug 2005



%astro-ph/0506575


\documentclass[12pt,preprint]{/home/as/ART/aastex502/aastex}


\begin{document}

\title{The Arches Cluster - Evidence for a Truncated Mass 
Function?}

\author{Andrea Stolte, Wolfgang 
Brandner, Eva K. Grebel, 
Rainer Lenzen, Anne-Marie Lagrange}


\begin{abstract}
We have analyzed high-resolution, adaptive optics (AO) $HK$
observations of the Arches cluster obtained with NAOS/CONICA.
With a spatial resolution of 84 mas, the cluster center is uniquely 
resolved. From these data the present-day mass function (MF) of Arches 
is derived down to $\sim 4\,M_\odot$. 
The integrated MF as well as the core and $2^{nd}$ annulus MFs are 
consistent 
with a turn-over at $6-7\,M_\odot$.
This turn-over indicates severe depletion of intermediate
and low-mass stars in the Arches cluster, possibly caused by its 
evolution in the Galactic Center environment.
The Arches MF represents the first resolved observation
of a starburst cluster exhibiting a low-mass truncated MF.
This finding has severe implications for stellar population synthesis
modelling of extragalactic starbursts, the 
derivation of integrated properties such as the total mass of star 
clusters
in dense environments, the survival of low-mass remnants from starburst 
populations, and chemical enrichment during starburst phases.
\end{abstract}

\keywords{open clusters and associations: individual (Arches) --- Galaxy: 
center -- stars: mass function -- techniques: high angular resolution}

\end{document}