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[109.04] From Stars to Super-planets: The Low-Mass IMF in the Young Cluster IC348

G. P. Tiede, J. R. Najita (NOAO), J. S. Carr (NRL)

We have used an HST/NICMOS filter photometric technique to characterize the low-mass end of the stellar IMF and the transition to super-planet masses in the young cluster IC348. Using NICMOS filters that measure the strength of the 1.9\mum water feature, we are able to efficiently determine both T_{\rm eff} and A_K for faint, reddened, low-mass objects. With this approach, we have obtained spectral types for all objects in the field of the IC348 ``a'' subcluster to K=16.5, which allows for efficient separation of cluster and background objects. We discuss the derived HR cluster diagram and the implications for the cluster IMF in the mass range 0.3 M_\odot to <20 M_J.