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Title: THE SOURCE DENSITY AND OBSERVABILITY OF PAIR-INSTABILITY SUPERNOVAE FROM THE FIRST STARS

Abstract

Theoretical models predict that some of the first stars ended their lives as extremely energetic pair-instability supernovae (PISNe). With energies approaching 10{sup 53} erg, these supernovae are expected to be within the detection limits of the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), allowing observational constraints to be placed on the properties of the first stars. We estimate the source density of PISNe using a semi-analytic halo mass function based approach, accounting for the effects of feedback from star formation on the PISN rate using cosmological simulations. We estimate an upper limit of {approx}0.2 PISNe per JWST field of view at any given time. Feedback can reduce this rate significantly, e.g., lowering it to as little as one PISN per 4000 JWST fields of view for the most pessimistic explosion models. We also find that the main obstacle to observing PISNe from the first stars is their scarcity, not their faintness; exposures longer than a few times 10{sup 4} s will do little to increase the number of PISNe found. Given this, we suggest a mosaic style search strategy for detecting PISNe from the first stars. Even rather high-redshift PISNe are unlikely to be missed by moderate exposures, and a largemore » number of pointings will be required to ensure a detection.« less

Authors:
; ; ;  [1]
  1. Department of Astronomy and Texas Cosmology Center, University of Texas at Austin, TX 78712 (United States)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22039113
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Astrophysical Journal
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 755; Journal Issue: 1; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0004-637X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
79 ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; ASTRONOMY; ASTROPHYSICS; COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION; COSMOLOGY; DENSITY; DETECTION; FEEDBACK; GALAXIES; INSTABILITY; MASS; RED SHIFT; SENSITIVITY; SUPERNOVAE; TELESCOPES; UNIVERSE

Citation Formats

Hummel, Jacob A, Pawlik, Andreas H, Milosavljevic, Milos, and Bromm, Volker. THE SOURCE DENSITY AND OBSERVABILITY OF PAIR-INSTABILITY SUPERNOVAE FROM THE FIRST STARS. United States: N. p., 2012. Web. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/755/1/72.
Hummel, Jacob A, Pawlik, Andreas H, Milosavljevic, Milos, & Bromm, Volker. THE SOURCE DENSITY AND OBSERVABILITY OF PAIR-INSTABILITY SUPERNOVAE FROM THE FIRST STARS. United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/755/1/72
Hummel, Jacob A, Pawlik, Andreas H, Milosavljevic, Milos, and Bromm, Volker. 2012. "THE SOURCE DENSITY AND OBSERVABILITY OF PAIR-INSTABILITY SUPERNOVAE FROM THE FIRST STARS". United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/755/1/72.
@article{osti_22039113,
title = {THE SOURCE DENSITY AND OBSERVABILITY OF PAIR-INSTABILITY SUPERNOVAE FROM THE FIRST STARS},
author = {Hummel, Jacob A and Pawlik, Andreas H and Milosavljevic, Milos and Bromm, Volker},
abstractNote = {Theoretical models predict that some of the first stars ended their lives as extremely energetic pair-instability supernovae (PISNe). With energies approaching 10{sup 53} erg, these supernovae are expected to be within the detection limits of the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), allowing observational constraints to be placed on the properties of the first stars. We estimate the source density of PISNe using a semi-analytic halo mass function based approach, accounting for the effects of feedback from star formation on the PISN rate using cosmological simulations. We estimate an upper limit of {approx}0.2 PISNe per JWST field of view at any given time. Feedback can reduce this rate significantly, e.g., lowering it to as little as one PISN per 4000 JWST fields of view for the most pessimistic explosion models. We also find that the main obstacle to observing PISNe from the first stars is their scarcity, not their faintness; exposures longer than a few times 10{sup 4} s will do little to increase the number of PISNe found. Given this, we suggest a mosaic style search strategy for detecting PISNe from the first stars. Even rather high-redshift PISNe are unlikely to be missed by moderate exposures, and a large number of pointings will be required to ensure a detection.},
doi = {10.1088/0004-637X/755/1/72},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22039113}, journal = {Astrophysical Journal},
issn = {0004-637X},
number = 1,
volume = 755,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Aug 10 00:00:00 EDT 2012},
month = {Fri Aug 10 00:00:00 EDT 2012}
}