{
  "abstract": "We present the largest study to date of star cluster mass and age distributions in nearby galaxies. The analysis is based on a uniformly selected catalog of over 15,000 (36,000) human (machine) classified compact clusters across 38 spiral galaxies in the PHANGS-HST survey, with improved photometric SED age dating that mitigates key degeneracies with reddening and metallicity. The galaxies span a factor of ~100 in star formation rate (SFR) and in their surface density of star formation and molecular gas (Sigma_SFR, Sigma_H2), and cover a broad range of morphologies. We find that cluster mass functions are well described by a power law, dN/dM ~ M^beta, with beta=-1.9 +/- 0.2, and that this shape is remarkably similar across all galaxies in our sample and eight composite groups of galaxies with similar SFRs, with no significant dependence on SFR, Sigma_SFR}, or Sigma_H2. Cluster age distributions decline steeply and can be described by dN/dt ~ t^gamma with gamma=-0.83 +/- 0.24, again with little dependence on host-galaxy properties or cluster mass. The independence of the mass and age distributions implies a separable joint distribution, g(M,t) ~ M^beta t^gamma, and suggests that cluster populations in spiral disks are dominated by strong, mass-independent dissolution over their first ~Gyr. These results establish a benchmark for interpreting cluster demographics across diverse galactic environments and provide context for studies of young cluster populations at high redshift.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": "Journal reference: Published in the Astrophysical Journal 2026, Volume 1008, page 261",
  "arxiv": "2610.02606",
  "author_total": 26,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Rupali Chandar"
    },
    {
      "name": "Matthew R. Floyd"
    },
    {
      "name": "David A. Thilker"
    },
    {
      "name": "Kiana Henny"
    },
    {
      "name": "Bradley C. Whitmore"
    },
    {
      "name": "Janice C. Lee"
    },
    {
      "name": "Sinan Deger"
    },
    {
      "name": "Daniel A. Dale"
    },
    {
      "name": "Kirsten L. Larson"
    },
    {
      "name": "Mederic Bouquien"
    },
    {
      "name": "Oleg Gredin"
    },
    {
      "name": "Daniel Maschmann"
    },
    {
      "name": "Adam K. Leroy"
    },
    {
      "name": "Erk Rosolowsky"
    },
    {
      "name": "Leonardo Ubeda"
    },
    {
      "name": "Ashley T. Barnes"
    },
    {
      "name": "Eva Schinnerer"
    },
    {
      "name": "Eric Emsellem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Angus Mok"
    },
    {
      "name": "Kathryn Grasha"
    },
    {
      "name": "Francesca Pinna"
    },
    {
      "name": "Aida Wofford"
    },
    {
      "name": "Ralf S. Klessen"
    },
    {
      "name": "Simon Glover"
    },
    {
      "name": "Sumit K. Sarbadhicary"
    },
    {
      "name": "Ivan Gerasimov"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/2d5g2d61nvm2g.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.48550/arxiv.2610.02606",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "2d5g2d61nvm2g",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.02606",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "LicenseRef-arXiv-nonexclusive-1.0",
  "licence_label": "arXiv licence",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "http://arxiv.org/licenses/nonexclusive-distrib/1.0/",
  "metadata_licence": "CC0-1.0",
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "arxiv",
      "astro-ph.GA"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": null,
  "pdf_url": "https://arxiv.org/pdf/2610.02606",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-01",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/2d5g2d61nvm2g.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:26:45Z",
      "native_id": "2610.02606",
      "source": "arxiv",
      "url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.02606"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "astronomy",
      "origin": "arxiv:astro-ph.GA",
      "subfield": "galaxies"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Star Cluster Populations in 38 Spiral Galaxies: Evidence for Near-Universal Mass and Age Distributions from PHANGS",
  "title_text": "Star Cluster Populations in 38 Spiral Galaxies: Evidence for Near-Universal Mass and Age Distributions from PHANGS",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:26:45Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/2d5g2d61nvm2g",
  "venue": "arXiv",
  "versions": [
    {
      "doi": "10.3847/1538-4357/ae9753",
      "pid": null,
      "relation": "published-as",
      "title": null,
      "venue": null
    }
  ]
}