Related papers: Critical Metallicities for Second-Generation Stars
Gas metallicity $Z$ and the related dust-to-gas ratio $f_\textrm{d}$ can influence the growth of HII regions via metal line cooling and UV absorption. We model these effects in star-forming regions containing massive stars. We compute…
We study the thermal structure of the neutral atomic (H {\small I}) interstellar medium across a wide range of metallicities, from supersolar down to vanishing metallicity, and for varying UV intensities and cosmic-ray ionization rates. We…
The mechanisms which could lead to chemo-thermal instabilities and fragmentation during the formation of primordial protostars are investigated analytically. We introduce approximations for H2 cooling rates bridging the optically thin and…
Following work by W\"unsch and collaborators, we investigate a self-enrichment scenario for second generation star formation in globular clusters wherein wind material from first generation massive stars rapidly radiatively cools. Radiative…
This work follows Lykins et al. discussion of classic plasma cooling function at low density and solar metallicity. Here we focus on how the cooling function changes over a wide range of density (n_H<10^12 cm^(-3)) and metallicity (Z<30Z…
The first bound star-forming systems in the universe are predicted to form at redshifts of about 30 and to have masses of the order of 10^6 M_sun. Although their sizes and masses are similar to those of present star-forming regions, their…
Cosmological simulations of Population III star formation suggest an initial mass function (IMF) biased toward very massive stars (M>100Msun) formed in minihalos at redshift z>20, when the cooling is driven by molecular hydrogen. However,…
We make use of new subgrid model of turbulent mixing to accurately follow the cosmological evolution of the first stars, the mixing of their supernova ejecta, and the impact on the chemical composition of the Galactic Halo. Using the…
The process of star formation from metal-free gas is investigated by following the evolution of accreting protostars with emphasis on the properties of massive objects. The main aim is to establish the physical processes that determine the…
We explore the implications of a possible cosmic ray (CR) background generated during the first supernova explosions that end the brief lives of massive Population III stars. We show that such a CR background could have significantly…
We study cosmological simulations of early structure formation, including non-equilibrium molecular chemistry, metal pollution from stellar evolution, transition from population III (popIII) to population II (popII) star formation,…
We present the results of a study of stellar population properties at large galactocentric radii of 14 low-mass early-type galaxies in the Fornax and Virgo clusters. We derive radial profiles of Age, total metallicity [Z/H], and [alpha/Fe]…
The first generation of stars that formed directly from the primordial gas played a crucial role in the early phase of the reionization of the universe. Because of the short lifetimes of these stars the metals produced in their cores were…
The collapse and fragmentation of filamentary primordial gas clouds are explored using 1D and 2D hydrodynamical simulations coupled with the nonequilibrium processes of H2 formation. The simulations show that depending upon the initial…
We study the evolution of gas in HII regions around the first stars after the death of the exciting stars. If the first star in a small halo dies without supernova (SN), subsequent star formation is possible in the same halo. We thus…
During primordial star formation, the main cooling channel is provided by H$_{2}$ and super-molecules, such as H$_{2}$ or H$_{2}$, at sufficiently high densities. When the latter form at $n_{\rm H}$ $\geq$ $10^{14}$~cm$^{-3}$,…
In the primordial universe, low mass structures with virial temperatures less than 10$^{4}$ K were unable to cool by atomic line transitions, leading to a strong suppression of star formation. On the other hand, these "minihalos" were…
Dust grains coagulate into larger aggregates in dense gas. This changes their size distribution and possibly affects the thermal evolution of star-forming clouds. We here investigate dust coagulation in collapsing pre-stellar cores with…
We present new measurements of the abundances of carbon and oxygen derived from high-excitation C I and O I absorption lines in metal-poor halo stars, with the aim of clarifying the main sources of these two elements in the early stages of…
We have obtained HST and ground-based observations of a sample of 20 O-type stars in the LMC and SMC, including six of the hottest massive stars known (subtypes O2-3) in the R136 cluster. In general, these data include (a) the HST UV…