On the Interpretation of the Globular Cluster Luminosity Function
  The conversion of the globular cluster luminosity function (GCLF, dN/dlogL)
to the globular cluster mass function (GCMF, dN/dlogM) is addressed. Dissolving
globular clusters (GCs) become preferentially depleted in low-mass stars, which
have a high mass-to-light ratio. This has been shown to result in a
mass-to-light ratio (M/L) that increases with GC luminosity or mass, because
more massive GCs have lost a smaller fraction of their stars than low-mass GCs.
Using GC models, we study the influence of the luminosity dependency of M/L on
the inferred GCMF. The observed GCLF is consistent with a powerlaw or Schechter
type GC initial mass function in combination with a cluster mass-dependent mass
loss rate. Below the peak, the logarithmic slope of the GCMF is shallower than
that of the GCLF (0.7 versus 1.0), whereas the peak mass is 0.1-0.3 dex lower
when accounting for the variability of M/L than in the case where a constant
M/L is adopted.
