Cosmological Impact of Population III Binaries

TL;DR

This study investigates the feedback effects of Population III binary stars on early universe conditions, revealing differences in ionization, supernova feedback, and chemical enrichment compared to single stars, with implications for cosmic evolution.

Contribution

It introduces improved models of Pop III binaries, analyzing their distinct feedback mechanisms and impact on the intergalactic medium, including the role of high-mass x-ray binaries.

Findings

HeIII regions are smaller around binaries than single stars.

Hypernova explosions in binaries can enrich the IGM to 10^{-4}-10^{-3} Zsun.

Single stars are more likely to form black holes with weak explosions.

Abstract

We present the results of the stellar feedback from Pop III binaries by employing improved, more realistic Pop III evolutionary stellar models. To facilitate a meaningful comparison, we consider a fixed mass of 60 solar masses (Msun) incorporated in Pop III stars, either contained in a single star, or split up in binary stars of 30 Msun each or an asymmetric case of one 45 Msun and one 15 Msun star. Whereas the sizes of the resulting HII regions are comparable across all cases, the HeIII regions around binary stars are significantly smaller than that of the single star. Consequently, the He$^{+}$ 1640 angstrom recombination line is expected to become much weaker. Supernova feedback exhibits great variety due to the uncertainty in possible explosion pathways. If at least one of the component stars dies as a hypernova about ten times more energetic than conventional core-collapse supernovae, the gas inside the host minihalo is effectively blown out, chemically enriching the intergalactic medium (IGM) to an average metallicity of $10^{-4}-10^{-3}$ solar metallicity (Zsun), out to $\sim 2$ kpc. The single star, however, is more likely to collapse into a black hole, accompanied by at most very weak explosions. The effectiveness of early chemical enrichment would thus be significantly reduced, in difference from the lower mass binary stars, where at least one component is likely to contribute to heavy element production and dispersal. Important new feedback physics is also introduced if close binaries can form high-mass x-ray binaries, leading to the pre-heating and -ionization of the IGM beyond the extent of the stellar HII regions.