# Microlensing constraints on the galactic bulge initial mass function

Calchi Novati, S; de Luca, F; Jetzer, P; Mancini, L; Scarpetta, G (2008). Microlensing constraints on the galactic bulge initial mass function. Astronomy and Astrophysics, 480(3):723-733.

## Abstract

Aims.We seek to probe the Galactic bulge IMF starting from microlensing observations.
Methods.We analyse the recent results of the microlensing campaigns carried out towards the Galactic bulge presented by the EROS, MACHO and OGLE collaborations. In particular, we study the duration distribution of the events. We assume a power law initial mass function, $\xi(\mu)\propto \mu^{-\alpha}$, and we study the slope $\alpha$ both in the brown dwarf and in the main sequence ranges. Moreover, we compare the observed and expected optical depth profiles.
Results. The values of the mass function slopes are strongly driven by the observed timescales of the microlensing events. The analysis of the MACHO data set gives, for the main sequence stars, $\alpha=1.7 \pm 0.5$, compatible with the result we obtain with the EROS and OGLE data sets, and a similar, though less constrained slope for brown dwarfs. The lack of short duration events in both EROS and OGLE data sets, on the other hand, only allows the determination of an upper limit in this range of masses, making the overall result less robust. The optical depth analysis gives a very good agreement between the observed and the expected values, and we show that the available data do not allow one to discriminate between different bulge models.

## Abstract

Aims.We seek to probe the Galactic bulge IMF starting from microlensing observations.
Methods.We analyse the recent results of the microlensing campaigns carried out towards the Galactic bulge presented by the EROS, MACHO and OGLE collaborations. In particular, we study the duration distribution of the events. We assume a power law initial mass function, $\xi(\mu)\propto \mu^{-\alpha}$, and we study the slope $\alpha$ both in the brown dwarf and in the main sequence ranges. Moreover, we compare the observed and expected optical depth profiles.
Results. The values of the mass function slopes are strongly driven by the observed timescales of the microlensing events. The analysis of the MACHO data set gives, for the main sequence stars, $\alpha=1.7 \pm 0.5$, compatible with the result we obtain with the EROS and OGLE data sets, and a similar, though less constrained slope for brown dwarfs. The lack of short duration events in both EROS and OGLE data sets, on the other hand, only allows the determination of an upper limit in this range of masses, making the overall result less robust. The optical depth analysis gives a very good agreement between the observed and the expected values, and we show that the available data do not allow one to discriminate between different bulge models.

## Statistics

### Citations

Dimensions.ai Metrics
34 citations in Web of Science®
34 citations in Scopus®

### Altmetrics

Detailed statistics

Item Type: Journal Article, refereed, original work 07 Faculty of Science > Institute for Computational Science 530 Physics English March 2008 06 Mar 2009 15:40 23 Nov 2018 18:11 EDP Sciences 0004-6361 Green https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20078439 http://arxiv.org/abs/0711.3758