Detectability of the First Cosmic Explosions

TL;DR

This paper uses advanced simulations to evaluate the detectability of the first cosmic explosions, specifically Population III pair-instability supernovae, with upcoming near-infrared telescopes like JWST.

Contribution

It presents a comprehensive, self-consistent simulation framework combining cosmological and radiative models to assess PISNe observability with future telescopes.

Findings

Up to 9-15 PISNe detectable per year with JWST.

A dedicated observational strategy can optimize detection.

Simulations suggest feasible detection of early universe explosions.

Abstract

We present a fully self-consistent simulation of a synthetic survey of the furthermost cosmic explosions. The appearance of the first generation of stars (Population III) in the Universe represents a critical point during cosmic evolution, signaling the end of the dark ages, a period of absence of light sources. Despite their importance, there is no confirmed detection of Population III stars so far. A fraction of these primordial stars are expected to die as pair-instability supernovae (PISNe), and should be bright enough to be observed up to a few hundred million years after the big bang. While the quest for Population III stars continues, detailed theoretical models and computer simulations serve as a testbed for their observability. With the upcoming near-infrared missions, estimates of the feasibility of detecting PISNe are not only timely but imperative. To address this problem, we combine state-of-the-art cosmological and radiative simulations into a complete and self-consistent framework, which includes detailed features of the observational process. We show that a dedicated observational strategy using $\lesssim 8$ per cent of total allocation time of the James Webb Space Telescope mission can provide us up to $\sim 9-15$ detectable PISNe per year.