中国天文学会学术期刊


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第一代恒星的观测和研究进展

陆 烨 1,2   赵 刚  梁艳春 1
1 中国科学院国家天文台 北京 100012)
(2 中国科学院--北京大学联合北京天体物理中心 北京 100871)

 

摘    要

    第一代恒星(星族III恒星)标志着宇宙从暗物质时代到现在已知的宇宙的转折点。目前对第一代恒星(星族III恒星)的观测结果表明,在银河系中还没有发现零金属丰度的恒星,金属丰度[Fe/H]≤-2.5的恒星极少。 由于近几年的BPS巡天,银河系中已知的极端贫金属丰度的恒星数目大大增多。目前,可探测到的极端贫金属星的金属丰度[Fe/H]最低约为-4.1。金属丰度在-4到-3之间的恒星大约有100多颗,这些恒星的运动学特性非常类似于其它晕星。然而还没有发现第一代恒星,或金属丰度[Fe/H]≤-5的恒星。关于第一代恒星的形成过程、初始质量函数以及存在于银河系的什么地方,都还没有任何直接的证据。但第一代恒星确实存在。第一代恒星这个谜一般的实体,向观测和理论天文学家提出了巨大挑战。为探测和预言银河系中的第一代恒星,天文学家提出了许多观测方案和理论模型。对有关第一代恒星在观测和理论研究上的进展进行了综述。

      

 

First Generation Stars

Lu Ye 1,2    Zhao Gang 1    Liang Yanchun 1
(1 National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100012)
(2 Chinese Academy of Sciences-Peking University Joint Beijing Astrophysical Center, Beijing, 100871)

 

Abstract

    The first generation stars mark the transition between the dark ages of the Universe and the appearance of the sky as we know it. Search for the first generation stars, (i.e., the population III stars, strictly with the chemical composition left by the Big Bang) has led to  results that (1) No such stars were found, (2) Stars with metallicities significantly below [Fe/H]≤ -2.5were exceedingly rare. Owing to a recent survey undertaken by Beers, Preston and Shectman (hereafter BPS) , the number of known extremely metal-poor stars in the Galaxy has substantially increased. At present, the lowest metallicity star ever has found [Fe/H]=-4.1. And the number of stars discovered with -4.0≤ [Fe/H]≤-3.0 is above 100. The kinematics of these stars is similar to that of other halo stars. The formation processes, the initial mass function of the first generation stars and their existence in the present universe are not known with any certainty. On the other hand, one thing is sure-they did exist! The first generation stars are enigmatic entity which  challenges to astronomical observation and theory largely. One may wonder why no population III has been found if more than 100 stars known with metallicities from  [Fe/H]= -4 to -3. Different kinds of explanations and observation programs have been proposed. In this paper, it is interesting to introduce some new progress about the first generation stars in the fields of the observation and theory.

    



       
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