Combined Nucleosynthetic Yields of Multiple First Stars

TL;DR

This paper suggests that the earliest stars likely formed from the combined chemical yields of multiple supernovae, based on matching observed ancient star abundances to theoretical models.

Contribution

It introduces a method to infer the formation of first stars from multiple progenitors by matching observed stellar abundances to supernova yield models.

Findings

Evidence supports formation of first stars from multiple supernovae

Chemical abundance matching indicates multiple progenitors

First stars' chemical signatures reflect combined supernova yields

Abstract

Modern numerical simulations of the formation of the first stars predict that the first stars formed in multiples. In those cases, the chemical yields of multiple supernova explosions may have contributed to the formation of a next generation star. We match the chemical abundances of the oldest observed stars in the universe to a database of theoretical supernova models, to show that it is likely that the first stars formed from the ashes of two or more progenitors.