The First Galaxies in the Universe

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abraham Loeb ◽  
Steven R. Furlanetto
Keyword(s):  
Galaxy Evolution ◽  
Big Bang ◽  
First Stars ◽  
Distant Galaxies ◽  
Formation And Evolution ◽  
Early Galaxies ◽  
First Galaxies ◽  
Large Telescopes ◽  
New Generation ◽  
The Big Bang

This book provides a comprehensive, self-contained introduction to one of the most exciting frontiers in astrophysics today: the quest to understand how the oldest and most distant galaxies in our universe first formed. Until now, most research on this question has been theoretical, but the next few years will bring about a new generation of large telescopes that promise to supply a flood of data about the infant universe during its first billion years after the big bang. This book bridges the gap between theory and observation. It is an invaluable reference for students and researchers on early galaxies. The book starts from basic physical principles before moving on to more advanced material. Topics include the gravitational growth of structure, the intergalactic medium, the formation and evolution of the first stars and black holes, feedback and galaxy evolution, reionization, 21-cm cosmology, and more.

scholarly journals The First Stars: clues from quasar absorption systems

2011 ◽  
Vol 467 (2134) ◽  
pp. 2735-2751 ◽  
Author(s):  
Max Pettini
Keyword(s):  
Big Bang ◽  
First Stars ◽  
Rich Diversity ◽  
Distant Galaxies ◽  
Look Back ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Rich ◽  
The Big Bang ◽  
The Universe

Astronomers now have at their disposal telescopes and instruments that allow them to look back in time over most of the history of the Universe, from the present epoch to less than a billion years after the Big Bang, when the Universe was still in its infancy. Using quasars (the bright nuclei of distant galaxies) as background sources of light, we can follow the evolution of galaxies and of the matter between them from the First Stars to the rich diversity of the Universe today. In this article, I focus on recent developments in the study of the most metal-poor gas seen in the spectra of quasars, whose properties can be used to infer the nature of the First Stars and, in some cases, even determine the universal fraction of baryons.

scholarly journals Core Collapse Supernova Models and Nucleosynthesis

2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (S296) ◽  
pp. 27-36
Author(s):  
Ken'ichi Nomoto
Keyword(s):  
Big Bang ◽  
Elemental Abundance ◽  
Core Collapse ◽  
Solar Abundance ◽  
First Stars ◽  
Abundance Pattern ◽  
Core Collapse Supernova ◽  
Abundance Patterns ◽  
Supernova Explosions ◽  
The Big Bang

AbstractAfter the Big Bang, production of heavy elements in the early Universe takes place in the first stars and their supernova explosions. The nature of the first supernovae, however, has not been well understood. The signature of nucleosynthesis yields of the first supernovae can be seen in the elemental abundance patterns observed in extremely metal-poor stars. Interestingly, those abundance patterns show some peculiarities relative to the solar abundance pattern, which should provide important clues to understanding the nature of early generations of supernovae. We review the recent results of the nucleosynthesis yields of massive stars. We examine how those yields are affected by some hydrodynamical effects during the supernova explosions, namely, explosion energies from those of hypernovae to faint supernovae, mixing and fallback of processed materials, asphericity, etc. Those parameters in the supernova nucleosynthesis models are constrained from observational data of supernovae and metal-poor stars.

scholarly journals From cosmos to intelligent life: the four ages of astrobiology

2012 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 345-350 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcelo Gleiser
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Elements ◽  
Life Forms ◽  
Big Bang ◽  
Self Awareness ◽  
First Stars ◽  
History Of ◽  
Life On Earth ◽  
The Big Bang ◽  
The Universe ◽  
Intelligent Life

AbstractThe history of life on Earth and in other potential life-bearing planetary platforms is deeply linked to the history of the Universe. Since life, as we know, relies on chemical elements forged in dying heavy stars, the Universe needs to be old enough for stars to form and evolve. The current cosmological theory indicates that the Universe is 13.7 ± 0.13 billion years old and that the first stars formed hundreds of millions of years after the Big Bang. At least some stars formed with stable planetary systems wherein a set of biochemical reactions leading to life could have taken place. In this paper, I argue that we can divide cosmological history into four ages, from the Big Bang to intelligent life. The physical age describes the origin of the Universe, of matter, of cosmic nucleosynthesis, as well as the formation of the first stars and Galaxies. The chemical age began when heavy stars provided the raw ingredients for life through stellar nucleosynthesis and describes how heavier chemical elements collected in nascent planets and Moons gave rise to prebiotic biomolecules. The biological age describes the origin of early life, its evolution through Darwinian natural selection and the emergence of complex multicellular life forms. Finally, the cognitive age describes how complex life evolved into intelligent life capable of self-awareness and of developing technology through the directed manipulation of energy and materials. I conclude discussing whether we are the rule or the exception.

The First Stars

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abraham Loeb ◽  
Steven R. Furlanetto
Keyword(s):  
Phase Transition ◽  
Early Universe ◽  
Galaxy Formation ◽  
Big Bang ◽  
First Stars ◽  
Complex Chemical ◽  
Radiative Processes ◽  
Complex Processes ◽  
The Big Bang ◽  
The Universe

This chapter considers the emergence of the complex chemical and radiative processes during the first stages of galaxy formation. It studies the appearance of the first stars, their feedback processes, and the resulting ionization structures that emerged during and shortly after the cosmic dawn. The formation of the first stars tens or hundreds of millions of years after the Big Bang had marked a crucial transition in the early Universe. Before this point, the Universe was elegantly described by a small number of parameters. But as soon as the first stars formed, more complex processes entered the scene. To illustrate this, the chapter provides a brief outline of the prevailing (though observationally untested) theory for this cosmological phase transition.

scholarly journals Shedding light on high-redshift galaxies with the 21cm signal

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (S352) ◽  
pp. 69-69
Author(s):  
Anne Hutter
Keyword(s):  
Galaxy Evolution ◽  
High Redshift ◽  
Neutral Hydrogen ◽  
First Stars ◽  
High Redshift Galaxies ◽  
Redshift Galaxy ◽  
First Galaxies ◽  
Galaxy Population ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Redshift Galaxies

AbstractReionization represents an important epoch in the history in the Universe, when the first stars and galaxies gradually ionize the neutral hydrogen in the intergalactic medium (IGM). Understanding the nature of the ionizing sources, the associated ionization of the IGM, and its impact on subsequent structure formation and galaxy evolution by means of radiative feedback effects, represent key outstanding questions in current astrophysics. High-redshift galaxy observations and simulations have significantly extended our knowledge on the nature of high-redshift galaxies. However, essential properties such as the escape fraction of ionizing photons from galaxies into the IGM and their dependency on galactic properties remain essentially unknown, but determine significantly the distribution and time evolution of the ionized regions during reionization. Analyzing this ionization topology by means of the neutral hydrogen sensitive 21cm signal with radio interferometers such as SKA offers a complementary and unique opportunity to determine the nature of these first galaxies. I will show results from a self-consistent semi-numerical model of galaxy evolution and reionization, and discuss the potential of inferring galactic properties with the 21cm signal as well as the impact of reionization on the high-redshift galaxy population and its evolution.

High energy neutrino sources

1994 ◽  
Vol 346 (1678) ◽  
pp. 93-98 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Active Galactic Nuclei ◽  
Galaxy Evolution ◽  
Cosmic Strings ◽  
Galactic Nuclei ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Big Bang ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Earth ◽  
The Big Bang ◽  
Bright Phase

High energy cosmic neutrinos can be produced by protons and nuclei accelerated in cosmic sources (‘acceleration neutrinos) as well as by relic Big Bang particles, cosmic strings, etc. (neutrinos of non-acceleration origin). The most promising ‘acceleration’ sources of neutrinos are supernovae in our Galaxy and active galactic nuclei (AGN). Detectable diffuse fluxes of ‘ acceleration ’ neutrinos can be produced by AGN and during the ‘bright phase’ of galaxy evolution. During the past few years it has been realized that the detectable flux of high energy neutrinos can be also produced by the relic Big Bang particles. The possible sources are annihilation of the neutralinos accumulated inside the Earth and the Sun, decay of neutralinos (due to the weak breaking of R-parity), and the decay of exotic long-lived particles from the Big Bang.

First stars, hypernovae, and superluminous supernovae

2016 ◽  
Vol 25 (10) ◽  
pp. 1630025
Author(s):  
Ken’ichi Nomoto
Keyword(s):  
Early Universe ◽  
Big Bang ◽  
Elemental Abundance ◽  
Heavy Elements ◽  
Relativistic Jets ◽  
First Stars ◽  
Evolution Of Galaxies ◽  
Abundance Patterns ◽  
The Big Bang

After the big bang, production of heavy elements in the early universe takes place starting from the formation of the first (Pop III) stars, their evolution, and explosion. The Pop III supernova (SN) explosions have strong dynamical, thermal, and chemical feedback on the formation of subsequent stars and evolution of galaxies. However, the nature of Pop III stars/supernovae (SNe) have not been well-understood. The signature of nucleosynthesis yields of the first SN can be seen in the elemental abundance patterns observed in extremely metal-poor (EMP) stars. We show that the abundance patterns of EMP stars, e.g. the excess of C, Co, Zn relative to Fe, are in better agreement with the yields of hyper-energetic explosions (Hypernovae, (HNe)) rather than normal supernovae. We note the large variation of the abundance patterns of EMP stars propose that such a variation is related to the diversity of the GRB-SNe and posssibly superluminous supernovae (SLSNe). For example, the carbon-enhanced metal-poor (CEMP) stars may be related to the faint SNe (or dark HNe), which could be the explosions induced by relativistic jets. Finally, we examine the various mechanisms of SLSNe.

scholarly journals Quasar Metal Abundances & Host Galaxy Evolution

2009 ◽  
Vol 5 (S265) ◽  
pp. 171-178
Author(s):  
Fred Hamann ◽  
Leah E. Simon
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Galaxy Evolution ◽  
High Redshift ◽  
Big Bang ◽  
Host Galaxy ◽  
Host Galaxies ◽  
Massive Galaxies ◽  
Central Regions ◽  
Metal Abundances ◽  
The Big Bang

AbstractHigh-redshift quasars provide a unique glimpse into the early evolution of massive galaxies. The physical processes that trigger major bursts of star formation in quasar host galaxies (mergers and interactions) probably also funnel gas into the central regions to grow the super-massive black holes (SMBHs) and ignite the luminous quasar phenomenon. The globally dense environments where this occurs were probably also among the first to collapse and manufacture stars in significant numbers after the big bang. Measurements of the elemental abundances near quasars place important constraints on the nature, timing and extent of this star formation. A variety of studies using independent emission and absorption line diagnostics have shown that quasar environments have gas-phase metallicities that are typically a few times solar at all observed redshifts. These results are consistent with galaxy evolution scenarios in which large amounts of star formation (e.g., in the central regions) precede the visibly bright quasar phase. An observed trend for higher metallicities in more luminmous quasars (powered by more massive SMBHs) is probably tied to the well-known mass–metallicity relation among ordinary galaxies. This correlation and the absence of a trend with redshift indicate that mass is a more important parameter in the evolution than the time elapsed since the big bang.

4. What are planets made of?

2021 ◽  
pp. 47-75
Author(s):  
Raymond T. Pierrehumbert
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Solar System ◽  
Milky Way ◽  
Planetary Systems ◽  
Big Bang ◽  
Heavy Elements ◽  
Milky Way Galaxy ◽  
First Stars ◽  
The Big Bang ◽  
The Universe

‘What are planets made of?’ assesses what planets are made of, beginning by looking at the life cycle of stars, and the kinds of stars which populate the Universe. Although the first stars of the Universe could not have formed planetary systems, the process did not take long to get under way. The Milky Way galaxy formed not long after the Big Bang and has been building its stock of heavy elements ever since. Thus, our Solar System incorporates ingredients from a mix of myriad expired stars, most of which have been processed multiple times through short-lived stars.

scholarly journals What can distant galaxies teach us about massive stars?

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (S329) ◽  
pp. 305-312 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth R. Stanway
Keyword(s):  
Massive Stars ◽  
High Redshift ◽  
Stellar Populations ◽  
Big Bang ◽  
Limited Data ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
Star Models ◽  
Distant Galaxies ◽  
High Redshift Universe ◽  
The Big Bang

AbstractObservations of star-forming galaxies in the distant Universe (z > 2) are starting to confirm the importance of massive stars in shaping galaxy emission and evolution. Inevitably, these distant stellar populations are unresolved, and the limited data available must be interpreted in the context of stellar population synthesis models. With the imminent launch of JWST and the prospect of spectral observations of galaxies within a gigayear of the Big Bang, the uncertainties in modelling of massive stars are becoming increasingly important to our interpretation of the high redshift Universe. In turn, these observations of distant stellar populations will provide ever stronger tests against which to gauge the success of, and flaws in, current massive star models.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document