When Did the First Stars in the Universe Form?

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SUMMARY

ESA's Planck satellite has conclusively shown that the formation of the first stars in the Universe occurred later than previously indicated by Cosmic Microwave Background observations. This analysis confirms that these stars were essential for reionizing atoms in the cosmos, completing half of this process when the Universe was approximately 700 million years old. This finding contrasts with earlier measurements of distant galaxies, such as GN-z11, which was observed at a redshift of 11.1, suggesting that stars must have formed earlier than 400 million years post-Big Bang, thereby redefining the timeline of the reionization era.

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  • Understanding of Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) radiation
  • Familiarity with astronomical redshift concepts
  • Knowledge of the reionization era in cosmic history
  • Basic principles of stellar formation and evolution
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  • Research the implications of Cosmic Microwave Background observations on stellar formation timelines
  • Study the significance of redshift measurements in cosmology, particularly regarding distant galaxies
  • Explore the processes involved in the reionization era and its impact on cosmic structure
  • Investigate the role of ESA's Planck satellite in advancing our understanding of the early Universe
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Astronomers, astrophysicists, and students of cosmology interested in the formation of the first stars and the evolution of the Universe.

wolram
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http://arxiv.org/pdf/1609.00716.pdf

Date:
September 2, 2016
Source:
European Space Agency (ESA)
Summary:
ESA's Planck satellite has revealed that the first stars in the Universe started forming later than previous observations of the Cosmic Microwave Background indicated. This new analysis also shows that these stars were the only sources needed to account for reionising atoms in the cosmos, having completed half of this process when the Universe had reached an age of 700 million years.
 
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The link you provide is a lecture on inflation
 
wolram said:
http://arxiv.org/pdf/1609.00716.pdf

Date:
September 2, 2016
Source:
European Space Agency (ESA)
Summary:
ESA's Planck satellite has revealed that the first stars in the Universe started forming later than previous observations of the Cosmic Microwave Background indicated. This new analysis also shows that these stars were the only sources needed to account for reionising atoms in the cosmos, having completed half of this process when the Universe had reached an age of 700 million years.
That conflicts with their earlier finding:
Hubble breaks cosmic distance record

...

Before astronomers determined the distance to GN-z11, the most distant measured galaxy, EGSY8p7, had a redshift of 8.68. Now, the team has confirmed GN-z11’s distance to be at a redshift of 11.1, which corresponds to 400 million years after the Big Bang.

The previous record-holder was seen in the middle of the epoch when starlight from primordial galaxies was beginning to heat and lift a fog of cold, hydrogen gas,” explains co-author Rychard Bouwens from the University of Leiden, the Netherlands. “This transitional period is known as the reionisation era. GN-z11 is observed 150 million years earlier, near the very beginning of this transition in the evolution of the Universe.

Source:
NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope News

Since stars are a fundamental component of galaxies, that would mean stars would have had to form earlier than 400 million years after the Big Bang. It would also mean that the reionization era ended approximately 550 million years after the Big Bang.
 

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