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This paper; http://arxiv.org/abs/1504.02742, Population III Stars in I Zw 18, claims potentially conclusive evidence of detection of pop III stars.
marcus said:That's interesting. These are, perhaps, the first stars formed.
They are distinguished by very low "metal" (absence of elements heavier than H and He)
marcus said:Good point 18 x 3.26 is only 59 million LY. This is relatively near, these stars are practically our contemporaries . But they are the same TYPE as the first stars----analogous to them as you say.
Pop III stars, also known as Population III stars, are the first generation of stars that formed in the universe. They are composed almost entirely of hydrogen and helium, with very little, if any, heavier elements. They are thought to have formed approximately 13.6 billion years ago, shortly after the Big Bang.
Pop III stars are detected through various methods, including spectroscopy, which measures the chemical composition of a star, and photometry, which measures the brightness of a star. Additionally, observations of the cosmic microwave background radiation can also provide evidence of the existence of Pop III stars.
Pop III stars are important because they are the first stars to have formed in the universe. Their formation and evolution played a crucial role in shaping the early universe and creating the conditions necessary for the formation of later generations of stars and galaxies. Additionally, studying Pop III stars can provide insights into the composition and evolution of the universe.
Pop III stars differ from other stars in several ways. They are composed almost entirely of hydrogen and helium, with very little, if any, heavier elements. They are also much larger and hotter than most stars, with temperatures reaching over 100,000 Kelvin. Additionally, Pop III stars have much shorter lifetimes, lasting only a few million years compared to billions of years for later generations of stars.
Pop III stars have a significant impact on the universe. They played a crucial role in the formation of the first galaxies and in the production of heavier elements, which are necessary for the formation of planets and life. They also contribute to the reionization of the universe, the process of ionizing neutral gas and making it transparent to light. Pop III stars continue to have an impact on the universe today, as their remnants, such as black holes and neutron stars, can be observed in the modern universe.