Major
Physics (Honors) & Mathematics (Honors)
Research Abstract
The first generation of stars in the universe are expected to contain no heavy elements beyond helium, and are considered “metal-free” Population III stars (or Pop III). These metal-free stars in the early universe are predicted to have hard ionizing photon spectra and unique element yields from their supernovae, leaving signatures through the reionization of the intergalactic medium and the metal enrichment of gas in the early universe. Here, we examine the metal abundances in a variety of systems in the nearby universe, from very metal-poor Galactic halo stars to ultra-faint dwarf spheroidal galaxies, and compare them with the latest theoretical models of massive stars with and without rotation. We find new abundance trends of interest in a variety of individual elements spanning metallicity values of [Fe/H] from about -2 to -5. We also compare our results with the abundances found in the very metal-deficient nearby dwarf irregular galaxy Leo P, which was recently discovered in the Arecibo ALFALFA survey. We comment on the similarities and differences between abundance trends in gas-rich dwarf galaxy systems like Leo P versus gas-poor ones like the ultra-faint dwarf spheroidals, and on the possibility of such systems hosting populations of the first stars.
Faculty Mentor/Advisor
Aparna Venkatesan
Included in
Cosmology, Relativity, and Gravity Commons, Stars, Interstellar Medium and the Galaxy Commons
Where Did the First Generation of Stars Form in the Universe
The first generation of stars in the universe are expected to contain no heavy elements beyond helium, and are considered “metal-free” Population III stars (or Pop III). These metal-free stars in the early universe are predicted to have hard ionizing photon spectra and unique element yields from their supernovae, leaving signatures through the reionization of the intergalactic medium and the metal enrichment of gas in the early universe. Here, we examine the metal abundances in a variety of systems in the nearby universe, from very metal-poor Galactic halo stars to ultra-faint dwarf spheroidal galaxies, and compare them with the latest theoretical models of massive stars with and without rotation. We find new abundance trends of interest in a variety of individual elements spanning metallicity values of [Fe/H] from about -2 to -5. We also compare our results with the abundances found in the very metal-deficient nearby dwarf irregular galaxy Leo P, which was recently discovered in the Arecibo ALFALFA survey. We comment on the similarities and differences between abundance trends in gas-rich dwarf galaxy systems like Leo P versus gas-poor ones like the ultra-faint dwarf spheroidals, and on the possibility of such systems hosting populations of the first stars.
