Initial Mass Function Of Stars Research Articles

Variation of the stellar initial mass function in semi-analytical models. III. Testing the cosmic-ray regulated integrated galaxy-wide initial mass function

In our previous work, we derived the CR-IGIMF, which is a new scenario for a variable stellar initial mass function (IMF) that combines numerical results on the role played by cosmic rays (CR) in setting the thermal state of star-forming gas with the analytical approach of the integrated galaxy-wide IMF (IGIMF). In this work, we study the implications of this scenario for the properties of local early-type galaxies (ETG) as inferred from dynamical, photometric, and spectroscopic studies. We implemented a library of CR-IGIMF shapes in the framework of the galaxy evolution and assembly ( gaea ) model. gaea provides predictions for the physical and photometric properties of model galaxies and for their chemical composition. Our realization includes a self-consistent derivation of the synthetic spectral energy distribution for each model galaxy, which allows a direct derivation of the mass fraction in the mean IMF of low-mass stars (i.e., the dwarf-to-giant ratio, $ dg $) and a comparison with IMF-sensitive spectral features. The predictions of the gaea model implementing the CR-IGIMF confirm our previous findings: It correctly reproduces both the observed excess of zsim 0 dynamical mass (mass-to-light ratio) with respect to spectroscopic (photometric) estimates assuming a universal MW-like IMF, and the observed increase in alpha /Fe ratios with stellar mass in spheroidal galaxies. Moreover, this realization reproduces the increasing trends of $ dg $ and IMF-sensitive line strengths with velocity dispersion, although the predicted relations are significantly shallower than the observed ones. Our results show that the CR-IGIMF is a promising scenario that reproduces at the same time dynamical, photometric, and spectroscopic indications of a varying IMF in local ETGs. The shallow relations found for spectral indices suggest that either a stronger variability as a function of galaxy properties or additional dependences (e.g., as a function of star forming gas metallicity) might be required to match the strength of the observed trends.

Evolution of eccentric stellar discs around supermassive black holes: the complex disc disruption dynamics and the milliparsec stars

ABSTRACT We study the 10 Myr evolution of parsec-scale stellar discs with initial masses of Mdisc = 1.0–$7.5 \times 10^4\, \mathrm{M}_\odot$ and eccentricities einit = 0.1–0.9 around supermassive black holes (SMBHs). Our disc models are embedded in a spherical background potential and have top-heavy single and binary star initial mass functions (IMF) with slopes of 0.25–1.7. The systems are evolved with the N-body code BIFROST, including post-Newtonian (PN) equations of motion and simplified stellar evolution. All discs are unstable and evolve on Myr time-scales towards similar eccentricity distributions peaking at e⋆ ∼ 0.3–0.4. Models with high einit also develop a very eccentric (e⋆ ≳ 0.9) stellar population. For higher disc masses Mdisc ≳ 3 × 104 M⊙, the disc disruption dynamics is more complex than the standard secular eccentric disc instability with opposite precession directions at different disc radii – a precession direction instability. We present an analytical model describing this behaviour. A milliparsec population of N ∼ 10–100 stars forms around the SMBH in all models. For low einit, stars migrate inward while for einit ≳ 0.6 stars are captured by the Hills mechanism. Without PN, after 6 Myr, the captured stars have a sub-thermal eccentricity distribution. We show that including PN effects prevents this thermalization by suppressing resonant relaxation effects and cannot be ignored. The number of tidally disrupted stars is similar or larger than the number of milliparsec stars. None of the simulated models can simultaneously reproduce the kinematic and stellar population properties of the Milky Way centre clockwise disc and the S-cluster.

On the Mass Function of GWTC-2 Binary Black Hole Systems and Their Progenitors

The distribution of LIGO black hole binaries (BBH) shows an intermediate-mass range consistent with the Salpeter initial mass function (IMF) in black hole formation by core-collapse supernovae, subject to preserving binary association. They are effectively parameterized by the mean mass μ with a Pearson correlation coefficient of r = 0.93 ± 0.06 of secondary to primary masses with a mean mass ratio of , q = M 2/M 1, consistent with the paucity of intermediate-mass X-ray binaries. The mass function of LIGO BBHs is well approximated by a broken power law with a tail μ ≳ 31.4 M ⊙ in the mean binary mass . Its power-law index of α B,true = 4.77 ± 0.73 inferred from the tail of the observed mass function is found to approach the upper bound 2α S = 4.7 of the uncorrelated binary IMF, defined by the Salpeter index α S = 2.35 of the IMF of stars. The observed low scatter in BBH mass ratio q evidences equalizing mass transfer in binary evolution prior to BBH formation. At the progenitor redshift , furthermore, the power-law index satisfies in a flat ΛCDM background cosmology. The bound hereby precludes early formation at arbitrarily high redshifts , which may be made more precise and robust with extended BBH surveys from upcoming LIGO O4-5 observations.

Stellar collisions in globular clusters: Constraints on the initial mass function of the first generation of stars

Globular clusters display an anticorrelation between the fraction of the first generation of stars (N(G1)/N(tot)) and the slope of the present-day mass function of the clusters (αpd), which is particularly significant for massive clusters. In the framework of the binary-mediated collision scenario for the formation of the second-generation stars in globular clusters, we test the effect of a varying stellar initial mass function (IMF) of the G1 stars on the (N(G1)/N(tot)) − αpd anticorrelation. We use a simple collision model that has only two input parameters, the shape of the IMF of G1 stars and the fraction of G1 stars that coalesce to form second-generation stars. We show that a variable efficiency of the collision process is necessary in order to explain the (N(G1)/N(tot)) − αpd anticorrelation; however, the scatter in the anticorrelation can only be explained by variations in the IMF, and in particular by variations in the slope in the mass interval ≈(0.1–0.5) M⊙. Our results indicate that in order to explain the scatter in the (N(G1)/N(tot)) − αpd relation, it is necessary to invoke variations in the slope in this mass range between ≈ − 0.9 and ≈ − 1.9. Interpreted in terms of a Kroupa-like broken power law, this translates into variations in the mean mass of between ≈0.2 and 0.55 M⊙. This level of variation is consistent with what is observed for young stellar clusters in the Milky Way and may reflect variations in the physical conditions of the globular cluster progenitor clouds at the time the G1 population formed or may indicate the occurrence of collisions between protostellar embryos before stars settle on the main sequence.

Universal Properties of Dense Clumps in Magnetized Molecular Clouds Formed through Shock Compression of Two-phase Atomic Gases

We investigate the formation of molecular clouds from atomic gas by using three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamical simulations, including nonequilibrium chemical reactions, heating/cooling processes, and self-gravity by changing the collision speed V 0 and the angle θ between the magnetic field and colliding flow. We found that the efficiency of the dense-gas formation depends on θ. For small θ, anisotropic super-Alfvénic turbulence delays the formation of gravitationally unstable clumps. An increase in θ develops shock-amplified magnetic fields along which the gas accumulates, creating prominent filamentary structures. We further investigate the statistical properties of dense clumps identified with different density thresholds. The statistical properties of the dense clumps with lower densities depend on V 0 and θ because their properties are inherited from the global turbulence structure of molecular clouds. By contrast, denser clumps appear to have asymptotic universal statistical properties, which do not significantly depend on the properties of the colliding flow. The internal velocity dispersions approach subsonic and plasma β becomes order of unity. We develop an analytic formula of the virial parameter that reproduces the simulation results reasonably well. This property may be one of the reasons for the universality of the initial mass function of stars.

Effects of the environment and feedback physics on the initial mass function of stars in the STARFORGE simulations

ABSTRACT One of the key mysteries of star formation is the origin of the stellar initial mass function (IMF). The IMF is observed to be nearly universal in the Milky Way and its satellites, and significant variations are only inferred in extreme environments, such as the cores of massive elliptical galaxies and the Central Molecular Zone. In this work, we present simulations from the STARFORGE project that are the first cloud-scale radiation-magnetohydrodynamic simulations that follow individual stars and include all relevant physical processes. The simulations include detailed gas thermodynamics, as well as stellar feedback in the form of protostellar jets, stellar radiation, winds, and supernovae. In this work, we focus on how stellar radiation, winds, and supernovae impact star-forming clouds. Radiative feedback plays a major role in quenching star formation and disrupting the cloud; however, the IMF peak is predominantly set by protostellar jet physics. We find that the effect of stellar winds is minor, and supernovae ‘occur too late’ to affect the IMF or quench star formation. We also investigate the effects of initial conditions on the IMF. We find that the IMF is insensitive to the initial turbulence, cloud mass, and cloud surface density, even though these parameters significantly shape the star formation history of the cloud, including the final star formation efficiency. Meanwhile, the characteristic stellar mass depends weakly on metallicity and the interstellar radiation field, which essentially set the average gas temperature. Finally, while turbulent driving and the level of magnetization strongly influence the star formation history, they only influence the high-mass slope of the IMF.

Properties of High-redshift Gamma-Ray Bursts

The immense power of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) makes them ideal probes of the early universe. By using absorption lines in the afterglows of high-redshift GRBs, astronomers can study the evolution of metals in the early universe. With an understanding of the nature of GRB progenitors, the rate and properties of GRBs observed at high redshift can probe the star formation history and the initial mass function of stars at high redshift. This paper presents a detailed study of the dependence on metallicity and mass of the properties of long-duration GRBs under the black hole accretion disk paradigm to predict the evolution of these properties with redshift. These models are calibrated on the current GRB observations and then used to make predictions for new observations and new missions (e.g., the proposed Gamow mission) studying high-redshift GRBs.

A low-energy explosion yields the underluminous Type IIP SN 2020cxd

Context. We present our observations and analysis of SN 2020cxd, a low-luminosity (LL), long-lived Type IIP supernova (SN). This object is a clear outlier in the magnitude-limited SN sample recently presented by the Zwicky Transient Facility’s (ZTF) Bright Transient Survey. Aims. We demonstrate that SN 2020cxd is an additional member of the group of LL SNe and we discuss the rarity of LL SNe in the context of the ZTF survey. We consider how further studies of these faintest members of the core-collapse (CC) SN family might help improve the general understanding of the underlying initial mass function for stars that explode. Methods. We used optical light curves (LCs) from the ZTF in the gri bands and several epochs of ultraviolet data from the Neil Gehrels Swift observatory as well as a sequence of optical spectra. We constructed the colour curves and a bolometric LC. Then we compared the evolution of the ejecta velocity and black-body temperature for LL SNe as well as for typical Type II SNe. Furthermore, we adopted a Monte Carlo code that fits semi-analytic models to the LC of SN 2020cxd, which allows for the estimation of the physical parameters. Using our late-time nebular spectra, we also make a comparison against SN II spectral synthesis models from the literature to constrain the progenitor properties of SN 2020cxd. Results. The LCs of SN 2020cxd show a great similarity with those of LL SNe IIP in terms of luminosity, timescale, and colours. Also, the spectral evolution of SN 2020cxd is that of a Type IIP SN. The spectra show prominent and narrow P-Cygni lines, indicating low expansion velocities. This is one of the faintest LL SNe observed, with an absolute plateau magnitude of Mr = −14.5 mag and also one with the longest plateau lengths, with a duration of 118 days. Finally, the velocities measured from the nebular emission lines are among the lowest ever seen in a SN, with an intrinsic full width at half maximum value of 478 km s−1. The underluminous late-time exponential LC tail indicates that the mass of 56Ni ejected during the explosion is much smaller than the average of normal SNe IIP, we estimate M56Ni = 0.003 M⊙. The Monte Carlo fitting of the bolometric LC suggests that the progenitor of SN 2020cxd had a radius of R0 = 1.3 × 1013 cm, kinetic energy of Ekin = 4.3 × 1050 erg, and ejecta mass of Mej = 9.5 M⊙. From the bolometric LC, we estimated the total radiated energy Erad = 1.52 × 1048 erg. Using our late-time nebular spectra, we compared these results against SN II spectral synthesis models to constrain the progenitor zero-age main sequence mass and found that it is likely to be ≲15 M⊙. Conclusions. SN 2020cxd is a LL Type IIP SN. The inferred progenitor parameters and the features observed in the nebular spectrum favour a low-energy, Ni-poor, iron CC SN from a low-mass (∼12 M⊙) red supergiant.

The IMF and multiplicity of stars from gravity, turbulence, magnetic fields, radiation, and outflow feedback

ABSTRACT We perform a series of three-dimensional, magnetohydrodynamical simulations of star cluster formation including gravity, turbulence, magnetic fields, stellar radiative heating, and outflow feedback. We observe that the inclusion of protostellar outflows (1) reduces the star formation rate by a factor of ∼2, (2) increases fragmentation, and (3) shifts the initial mass function (IMF) to lower masses by a factor of 2.0 ± 0.2, without significantly affecting the overall shape of the IMF. The form of the sink particle (protostellar objects) mass distribution obtained from our simulations matches the observational IMFs reasonably well. We also show that turbulence-based theoretical models of the IMF agree well with our simulation IMF in the high-mass and low-mass regime, but do not predict any brown dwarfs, whereas our simulations produce a considerable number of sub-stellar objects, which are produced by dynamical interactions (ejections). We find that these dynamical interactions also play a key role for the binary separation distribution and stellar kinematics in general. Our numerical model of star cluster formation also reproduces the observed mass dependence of multiplicity. Our multiplicity fraction estimates generally concur with the observational estimates for different spectral types. We further calculate the specific angular momentum of all the sink particles and find that the average value of $1.5 \times 10^{19}\, \mathrm{cm^2\, s^{-1}}$ is consistent with observational data. The specific angular momentum of our sink particles lies in the range typical of protostellar envelopes and binaries. We conclude that the IMF is controlled by a combination of gravity, turbulence, magnetic fields, radiation, and outflow feedback.

A Parametric Galactic Model toward the Galactic Bulge Based on Gaia and Microlensing Data

Abstract We developed a parametric Galactic model toward the Galactic bulge by fitting to spatial distributions of the Gaia DR2 disk velocity, VVV proper motion, BRAVA radial velocity, OGLE-III red clump star count, and OGLE-IV star count and microlens rate, optimized for use in microlensing studies. We include the asymmetric drift of Galactic disk stars and the dependence of velocity dispersion on Galactic location in the kinematic model, which has been ignored in most previous models used for microlensing studies. We show that our model predicts a microlensing parameter distribution significantly different from those typically used in previous studies. We estimate various fundamental model parameters for our Galaxy through our modeling, including the initial mass function (IMF) in the inner Galaxy. Combined constraints from star counts and the microlensing event timescale distribution from the OGLE-IV survey, in addition to a prior on the bulge stellar mass, enable us to successfully measure IMF slopes using a broken power-law form over a broad mass range, α bd = 0.22 − 0.55 + 0.20 for M < 0.08 M ⊙, α ms = 1.16 − 0.15 + 0.08 for 0.08 M ⊙ ≤ M < M br, and α hm = 2.32 − 0.10 + 0.14 for M ≥ M br, as well as a break mass at M br = 0.90 − 0.14 + 0.05 M ⊙ . This is significantly different from the Kroupa IMF for local stars, but similar to the Zoccali IMF measured from a bulge luminosity function. We also estimate the dark matter mass fraction in the bulge region of 28% ± 7% which could be larger than a previous estimate. Because our model is purely parametric, it can be universally applied using the parameters provided in this paper. (A tool for microlensing simulation using our Galactic model has been published, Koshimoto & Ranc 2021, and can be downloaded at https://github.com/nkoshimoto/genulens.)

Ultra-faint dwarf galaxies: unveiling the minimum mass of the first stars

ABSTRACT The non-detection of zero-metallicity stars in ultra-faint dwarf galaxies (UFDs) can be used to constrain the initial mass function (IMF) of the first (PopIII) stars by means of a statistical comparison between available data and predictions from chemical evolution models. To this end we develop a model that follows the formation of isolated UFDs, calibrated to best reproduce the available data for the best studied system: Boötes I. Our statistical approach shows that UFDs are the best suitable systems to study the implications of the persisting non-detection of zero-metallicity stars on the PopIII IMF, i.e. its shape, the minimum mass (mmin), and the characteristic mass (mch). We show that accounting for the incomplete sampling of the IMF is essential to compute the expected number of long-lived PopIII stars in inefficiently star-forming UFDs. By simulating the colour–magnitude diagram of Boötes I, and thus take into account the mass-range of the observed stars, we can obtain even tighter constrains on mmin. By exploiting the 96 stars with measured metallicities ($\rm i \lt 19$) in the UFDs represented by our model, we demonstrate that $m_{\mathrm{ ch}} \gt 1\: \rm {M_{\odot }}$ or $m_{\mathrm{ min}} \gt 0.8 \:\rm {M_{\odot }}$ at $99\%$ confidence level. This means that a present-day IMF for PopIII stars is excluded by our model, and a top-heavy PopIII IMF is strongly favoured. We can limit $m_{\mathrm{ min}} \gt 0.8\: \rm {M_{\odot }}$ independent of the PopIII IMF shape by targeting the four UFDs Boötes I, Hercules, Leo IV, and Eridanus II with future generation instruments, such as ELT/MOSAIC ($\rm i \lt 25$), which can provide samples of >10 000 stars.

New Probability Distributions in Astrophysics: V. The Truncated Weibull Distribution

We demonstrate that certain astrophysical distributions can be modelled with the truncated Weibull distribution, which can lead to some insights: in particular, we report the average value, the rth moment, the variance, the median, the mode, the generation of random numbers, and the evaluation of the two parameters with maximum likelihood estimators. The first application of the Weibull distribution is the initial mass function for stars. The magnitude version of the Weibull distribution is applied to the luminosity function for the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) galaxies and to the photometric maximum of the 2MASS Redshift Survey (2MRS) galaxies. The truncated Weibull luminosity function allows us to model the average value of the absolute magnitude as a function of the redshift for the 2MRS galaxies.

Physical properties of the ambient medium and of dense cores in the Perseus star-forming region derived from Herschel Gould Belt Survey observations

The complex of star-forming regions in Perseus is one of the most studied due to its proximity (about 300 pc). In addition, its regions show variation in star-formation activity and age, with formation of low-mass and intermediate-mass stars. In this paper, we present analyses of images taken with the Herschel ESA satellite from 70 μm to 500 μm. From these images, we first constructed column density and dust temperature maps. We then identified compact cores in the maps at each wavelength, and characterised the cores using modified blackbody fits to their spectral energy distributions (SEDs): we identified 684 starless cores, of which 199 are bound and potential prestellar cores, and 132 protostars. We also matched the Herschel-identified young stars with Gaia sources to model distance variations across the Perseus cloud. We measure a linear gradient function with right ascension and declination for the entire cloud. This function is the first quantitative attempt to derive the gradient in distance across Perseus, from east to west, in an analytical form. We derived mass and temperature of cores from the SED fits. The core mass function can be modelled with a log-normal distribution that peaks at 0.82 M⊙ suggesting a star formation efficiency of 0.30 for a peak in the system initial mass function of stars at 0.25 M⊙. The high-mass tail can be modelled with a power law of slope ~−2.32, which is close to the Salpeter’s value. We also identify the filamentary structure of Perseus and discuss the relation between filaments and star formation, confirming that stars form preferentially in filaments. We find that the majority of filaments with ongoing star formation are transcritical against their own internal gravity because their linear masses are below the critical limit of 16 M⊙ pc−1 above which we expect filaments to collapse. We find a possible explanation for this result, showing that a filament with a linear mass as low as 8 M⊙ pc−1 can already be unstable. We confirm a linear relationship between star formation efficiency and the slope of dust probability density function, and we find a similar relationship with the core formation efficiency. We derive a lifetime for the prestellar core phase of 1.69 ± 0.52 Myr for the whole Perseus complex but different regions have a wide range in prestellar core fractions, suggesting that star formation began only recently in some clumps. We also derive a free-fall time for prestellar cores of 0.16 Myr.

New Probability Distributions in Astrophysics: II. The Generalized and Double Truncated Lindley

The statistical parameters of five generalizations of the Lindley distribution, such as the average, variance and moments, are reviewed. A new double truncated Lindley distribution with three parameters is derived. The new distributions are applied to model the initial mass function for stars.

The Truncated Lindley Distribution with Applications in Astrophysics

This paper reviews the Lindley distribution and then introduces the scale and the double truncation. The unknown parameters of the truncated Lindley distribution are evaluated with the maximum likelihood estimators. An application of the Lindley distribution with scale is done to the initial mass function for stars. The magnitude version of the Lindley distribution with scale is applied to the luminosity function for the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) galaxies and to the photometric maximum of the 2MASS Redshift Survey (2MRS) galaxies. The truncated Lindley luminosity function allows to model the Malquist bias of the 2MRS galaxies.

Self-sustaining Star Formation Fronts in Filaments during the Cosmic Dawn

Abstract We propose a new model for the ignition of star formation in low-mass halos by a self-sustaining shock front in cosmic filaments at high redshifts. The gaseous fuel for star formation resides in low-mass halos that cannot cool on their own due to their primordial composition and low virial temperatures. We show that star formation can be triggered in these filaments by a passing shock wave. The shells swept up by the shock cool and fragment into cold clumps that form massive stars via thermal instability on a timescale shorter than the front’s dynamical timescale. The shock, in turn, is self-sustained by energy injection from supernova explosions. The star formation front is analogous to a detonation wave, which drives exothermic reactions powering the shock. We find that sustained star formation would typically propel the front to a speed of ∼300–700 km s−1 during the epoch of reionization. Future observations by the James Webb Space Telescope could reveal the illuminated regions of cosmic filaments, and constrain the initial mass function of stars in them.

Blocking Metal Accretion onto Population III Stars by Stellar Wind

Abstract Low-mass population III (PopIII) stars of could survive up until the present. The nondetection of low-mass PopIII stars in our Galaxy has already put a stringent constraint on the initial mass function (IMF) of PopIII stars, suggesting that PopIII stars have a top-heavy IMF. On the other hand, some claim that the lack of such stars stems from metal enrichment of their surfaces by the accretion of heavy elements from the interstellar medium (ISM). We investigate the effects of the stellar wind on metal accretion onto low-mass PopIII stars because accretion of the local ISM onto the Sun is prevented by the solar wind, even for neutrals. The stellar wind and radiation of low-mass PopIII stars are modeled based on knowledge of nearby low-mass stellar systems, including our Sun. We find that low-mass PopIII stars traveling across the Galaxy form a stellar magnetosphere in most of their life. Once the magnetosphere is formed, most of the neutral interstellar particles are photoionized before reaching the stellar surface and are blown away by the wind. Especially, the accretion abundance of iron will be reduced by a factor of compared with Bondi–Hoyle–Lyttleton accretion. The metal accretion can enhance iron abundance [Fe/H] only up to ∼−14. This demonstrates that low-mass PopIII stars remain pristine and will be found as metal-free stars and that further searches for them are valuable in constraining the IMF of PopIII stars.

Converging on the Initial Mass Function of Stars

Understanding the origin of stellar masses—the initial mass function (IMF)— remains one of the most challenging problems in astrophysics. The IMF is a key ingredient for simulations of galaxy formation and evolution, and is used to calibrate star formation relations in extra-galactic observations. Modeling the IMF directly in hydrodynamical simulations has been attempted in several previous studies, but the most important processes that control the IMF remain poorly understood. This is because predicting the IMF from direct hydrodynamical simulations involves complex physics such as turbulence, magnetic fields, radiation feedback and mechanical feedback, all of which are difficult to model and the methods used have limitations in terms of accuracy and computational efficiency. Moreover, a physical interpretation of the simulated IMFs requires a numerically converged solution at high resolution, which has so far not been convincingly demonstrated. Here we present a resolution study of star cluster formation aimed at producing a converged IMF. We compare a set of magnetohydrodynamical (MHD) adaptive-mesh-refinement simulations with three different implementations of the thermodynamics of the gas: 1) with an isothermal equation of state (EOS), 2) with a polytropic EOS, and 3) with a simple stellar heating feedback model. We show that in the simulations with an isothermal or polytropic EOS, the number of stars and their mass distributions depend on the numerical resolution. By contrast, the simulations that employ the simple radiative feedback module demonstrate convergence in the number of stars formed and in their IMFs.

ELEMENT ABUNDANCES IN A GAS-RICH GALAXY AT z = 5: CLUES TO THE EARLY CHEMICAL ENRICHMENT OF GALAXIES∗

ABSTRACT Element abundances in high-redshift quasar absorbers offer excellent probes of the chemical enrichment of distant galaxies, and can constrain models for population III and early population II stars. Recent observations indicate that the sub-damped Lyα (sub-DLA) absorbers are more metal-rich than DLA absorbers at redshifts 0 < z < 3. It has also been suggested that DLA metallicity drops suddenly at z > 4.7. However, only three DLAs at z > 4.5 and no sub-DLAs at z > 3.5 have “dust-free” metallicity measurements of undepleted elements. We report the first quasar sub-DLA metallicity measurement at z > 3.5, from detections of undepleted elements in high-resolution data for a sub-DLA at z = 5.0. We obtain fairly robust abundances of C, O, Si, and Fe, using lines outside the Lyα forest. This absorber is metal-poor, with [O/H] = −2.00 ± 0.12, which is ≳4σ below the level expected from extrapolation of the trend for z < 3.5 sub-DLAs. The C/O ratio is times lower than in the Sun. More strikingly, Si/O is times lower than in the Sun, whereas Si/Fe is nearly (1.2 times) solar. This absorber does not display a clear alpha/Fe enhancement. Dust depletion may have removed more Si from the gas phase than is common in the Milky Way interstellar medium, which may be expected if high-redshift supernovae form more silicate-rich dust. C/O and Si/O vary substantially between different velocity components, indicating spatial variations in dust depletion and/or early stellar nucleosynthesis (e.g., population III star initial mass function). The higher velocity gas may trace an outflow enriched by early stars.

CORE-COLLAPSE SUPERNOVAE FROM 9 TO 120 SOLAR MASSES BASED ON NEUTRINO-POWERED EXPLOSIONS

ABSTRACT Nucleosynthesis, light curves, explosion energies, and remnant masses are calculated for a grid of supernovae (SNe) resulting from massive stars with solar metallicity and masses from 9.0 to 120 M ⊙ . The full evolution is followed using an adaptive reaction network of up to 2000 nuclei. A novel aspect of the survey is the use of a one-dimensional neutrino transport model for the explosion. This explosion model has been calibrated to give the observed energy for SN 1987A, using five standard progenitors, and for the Crab SN using a 9.6 M ⊙ progenitor. As a result of using a calibrated central engine, the final kinetic energy of the SN is variable and sensitive to the structure of each pre-SN star. Many progenitors with extended core structures do not explode, but become black holes (BHs), and the masses of exploding stars do not form a simply connected set. The resulting nucleosynthesis agrees reasonably well with the Sun provided that a reasonable contribution from SNe Ia is also allowed, but with a deficiency of light s-process isotopes. The resulting neutron star initial mass function has a mean gravitational mass near 1.4 M ⊙ . The average BH mass is about 9 M ⊙ if only the helium core implodes, and 14 M ⊙ if the entire pre-SN star collapses. Only ∼10% of SNe come from stars over 20 M ⊙ , and some of these are Type Ib or Ic. Some useful systematics of Type IIp light curves are explored.