2003/02/13 by Martin Harwit, Marco Spaans
Physics and Astronomy · #Abundance of the chemical elements #Astronomy and Astrophysical Research #Cosmology #Electrical and Electromagnetic Research #Epoch (astronomy) #Galaxy #Helium #Population #Stars #Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies #Universe #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1086/374415
published as Astrophys.J. 589 (2003) 53-57 · Accepted by the Astrophysical Journal
arxiv created 2003/02/13 · openalex publication_date 2003/05/20 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/06
A prediction of standard inflationary cosmology is that the elemental composition of the medium out of which the earliest stars and galaxies condensed consisted primarily of hydrogen and helium 4 He, with small admixtures of deuterium, lithium 7 Li, and 3 He. The most redshifted quasars, galaxies, and Lyα absorbers currently observed, however, all exhibit at least some admixture of heavier elements, as do the most ancient stars in the Galaxy. Here we examine ways in which the abundance of these same elements, if present before the epoch of Population III formation, might be observationally established or ruled out.