The First Stars and Galaxies - Basic Principles
Abstract
Understanding the formation of the first stars and galaxies is a key problem in modern cosmology. In these lecture notes, we will derive some of the basic physical principles underlying this emerging field. We will consider the basic cosmological context, the cooling and chemistry in primordial gas, the physics of gravitational instability, and the main properties of the first stars. We will conclude with a discussion of the observational signature of the first sources of light, to be probed with future telescopes, such as the James Webb Space Telescope.
Cite
@article{arxiv.1203.3824,
title = {The First Stars and Galaxies - Basic Principles},
author = {Volker Bromm},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1203.3824},
year = {2012}
}
Comments
20 pages, Summer School Lecture Notes, to be published in Proceedings of "Second Workshop on Numerical and Observational Astrophysics: From the First Structures to the Universe Today", 2011, M. E. De Rossi, S. E. Pedrosa and L. J. Pellizza, eds