We present deep near-infrared (NIR) imaging of Sh 2-209 (S209), a low-metallicity ([O/H] = - 0.5 dex) HII region in the Galaxy. From the NIR images, combined with astrometric data from Gaia EDR3, we estimate the distance to S209 to be 2.5 kpc. This is close enough to enable us to resolve cluster members clearly (?1000 AU separation) down to a mass-detection limit of ?0.1 M_sun, and we have identified two star-forming clusters in S209, with individual cluster scales ~1 pc.
We employ a set of model luminosity functions to derive the underlying initial mass functions (IMFs) and ages for both clusters. The IMFs we obtained for both clusters exhibit slightly flat high-mass slopes (Gamma ? -1.0) compared to the Salpeter IMF (Gamma = -1.35), and their break mass of ?0.1 M_sun is lower than those generally seen in the solar neighborhood (~0.3 M_sun).
In particular, because the S209 main cluster is a star-forming cluster with a larger number of embers (~1500) than the number (~100) in regions previously studied in such environments, it is possible for the first time to derive the IMF in a low-metallicity environment with high accuracy over the wide mass range 0.1--20 M_sun.