We have derived the global mass functions of a sample of 35 Galactic globular clusters by comparing deep Hubble Space Telescope photometry with suitable multimass dynamical models .
For a subset of 29 clusters with available radial velocity information we were also able to determine dynamical parameters , mass-to-light ratios and the mass fraction of dark remnants .
The derived global mass functions are well described by single power-laws in the mass range 0.2 < m / M _ { \odot } < 0.8 with mass function slopes \alpha > -1 .
Less evolved clusters show deviations from a single-power law , indicating that the original shape of their mass distribution was not a power-law .
We find a tight anticorrelation between the present-day mass function slopes and the half-mass relaxation times , which can be understood if clusters started from the same universal IMF and internal dynamical evolution is the main driver in shaping the present-day mass functions .
Alternatively , IMF differences correlated with the present-day half-mass relaxation time are needed to explain the observed correlation .
The large range of mass function slopes seen for our clusters implies that most globular clusters are dynamically highly evolved , a fact that seems difficult to reconcile with standard estimates for the dynamical evolution of clusters .
The mass function slopes also correlate with the dark remnant fractions indicating a preferential retention of massive remnants in clusters subject to high mass-loss rates .