ABSTRACT

Current cosmological models predict that the first objects to form in the universe are also the smallest. In this talk, I will discuss our understanding of the formation of the very first generation of stars. These objects, which form out of a nearly pure hydrogen and helium gas, and ended the preceeding "dark ages". Remarkably, their formation appears easier to understand than present day star formation both because the initial conditions are well-prescribed and the relevant physical processes are simple. Nevertheless, the range of scales is very large (from cosmological scales down to the radius of the sun) and requires new techniques in computational physics. I will show the results from high-resolution numerical simulations depicting our understanding of how they form. Because these stars are likely to be massive, they produce both high-energy photons and energetic supernovae. I will describe how we think these processes lead to the next generation of stars, and what their properties may be like. Finally, I will talk about current observational constraints and predictions for future observations.