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D. A. Hunter (Lowell Observatory)
The dwarf irregular galaxy IC10 is the nearest example of the global starburst phenomenum. As such, it offers a unique opportunity to test ideas about the star formation process in environments of intense, galaxy-wide star formation. In particular it has been suggested that starburst galaxies, have unusually high lower stellar mass limits (up to 10 M\mathord\odot\;) and/or unusual stellar initial mass functions. We examine the mass function of intermediate mass stars and constrain the lower stellar mass limit in IC10 through star counts. This is the first direct examination of the intermediate stellar mass population in a starburst galaxy. We also examine the richness and spatial concentration of the young star clusters and associations in order to determine the primary mode of star formation in IC10. H\alpha images are used to examine the gaseous destruction caused by the concentrations of massive stars in the heart of the galaxy.
This work has been funded by grant GO-06406.01-A from NASA through the Space Telescope Science Institute.
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