Possible observation of Pop III stars....? -NY Times article

In summary, a recent New York Times article discusses the discovery of a lost generation of massive stars that played a crucial role in the creation of the elements needed for planets and life. This discovery was made by a team of astronomers who confirmed the presence of Pop III-like stellar populations in the most luminous Lyman-α emitters at the epoch of re-ionisation. The article is based on a paper published on the arXiv and has sparked discussion on the Physics Forums in the Cosmology forum.
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diogenesNY
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I thought this might be of interest: NY Times article on evidence of pop III stars.

diogenesNY

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New York Times - June 17, 2015

Astronomers Report Finding Earliest Stars That Enriched Cosmos
By DENNIS OVERBYEJUNE 17, 2015

Astronomers said on Wednesday that they had discovered a lost generation of monster stars that ushered light into the universe after the Big Bang and that jump-started the creation of the elements needed for planets and life before disappearing forever.

Modern-day stars like our sun have a healthy mix of heavy elements [...]

[article continues] http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/18/s...-region&region=bottom-well&WT.nav=bottom-well
 
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Astronomy news on Phys.org
  • #3
Earlier thread about the same news item in Cosmology forum
https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/nyt-david-sobral-et-al-cr7-popiii-galaxy-article.819483/
Posted about 4 hours before post#1 here. The thread title is:
NYT: David Sobral et al "CR7" PopIII galaxy article

I believe I've identified the journal article that David Overbye's NYT article is based on.
Yes, I see Websterling came up with the same arXiv link that I did.

Websterling also has a physicsworld link. So I'll quote post#2 over there in the earlier thread.
 
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FAQ: Possible observation of Pop III stars....? -NY Times article

1. What are Pop III stars?

Pop III stars, also known as Population III stars, are the first generation of stars that formed in the universe after the Big Bang. They are believed to have been composed solely of hydrogen and helium, with no heavier elements.

2. Why are Pop III stars important to study?

Pop III stars provide valuable information about the early universe and the processes of star formation. They also played a crucial role in the formation of the first galaxies and the evolution of the universe.

3. How can Pop III stars be observed?

Pop III stars can be observed using telescopes that are capable of detecting the light from the first stars, such as the James Webb Space Telescope. They can also be studied indirectly through their effects on their surrounding environments.

4. What is the significance of the possible observation of Pop III stars?

If confirmed, the observation of Pop III stars would be the first direct evidence of the existence of these stars. It would also provide important insights into the early stages of the universe and the processes that led to the formation of galaxies.

5. What challenges are involved in observing Pop III stars?

Pop III stars are extremely faint and distant, making them difficult to detect. They also have short lifetimes, which means they may no longer exist in the present day universe. Additionally, their formation and evolution processes are not fully understood, making it challenging to predict where and when they can be observed.

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