Abstract：The first stars mark the transition from a universe solely composed out of hydrogen and helium to one in which elements heavier than helium govern many aspects of the evolution of stars and galaxies. The first stars are very unique due to their pristine primordial initial composition, changing both how these stars form and how they evolve. They have different structures than their metal-rich counterparts and they may die in supernovae in different ways and as different kinds of supernovae than modern stars. All these differences result in a very unique nucleosynthesis output from this first generation of stars, that, however, is sensitive to the various details of each of the stars.  The peculiar formation environment of primordial stars gives rise to speculations, supported by theory and numerical simulations, that these stars, on average, were significantly more massive than present-day stars. In this talk, I will first give an overview of the evolution and supernovae of massive stars in general and of Population III stars in particular. I will then discuss their nucleosynthesis signatures as possible diagnostics that can be used to probe their properties using observations of abundance patterns in old halo stars today.

About The Speaker:

Pro. Alexander Heger

Monash University (Physics and Astronomy)   Professor