Simulating Population III star formation

Prole, Lewis 2023. Simulating Population III star formation. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University. Item availability restricted.

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Abstract

This thesis covers a number of numerical experiments exploring the first generation of Population III star formation. After briefly reviewing the field to date, we present a resolution test for primordial gas. We find that the gas fragments to a higher degree as the resolution of the simulations is increased, leading to lower mass stars than predicted by previous, lower resolution studies. A number of stars are ejected with masses capable of surviving until the present day, providing targets for observations. We continue to present a study exploring the effects of primordial magnetic fields on Population III star formation, finding that the small-scale, tangled fields are incapable of providing support against fragmentation or significantly altering the collapse. Lastly, we present the results of cosmological zoom-in simulations around halos exposed to Lyman-Werner (LW) radiation. While the LW fields result in higher halo masses, it has little effect on the Pop III IMF. The primordial IMF therefore likely remains constant during the transition from pure Pop III.1 stars to the Pop III.2 stars that form in the presence of their radiation.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Date Type:	Completion
Status:	Unpublished
Schools:	Physics and Astronomy
Subjects:	Q Science > QB Astronomy
Uncontrolled Keywords:	stars: Population III dark ages, reionization, first stars hydrodynamics stars: luminosity function, mass function software: simulations hydrodynamics MHD
Funders:	STFC
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	14 June 2023
Last Modified:	06 Jan 2024 04:25
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/160377

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