Searching for the Oldest Stars: Ancient Relics from the Early Universe

by Anna Frebel

Overview

A leading astronomer takes readers behind the scenes of the thrilling science of stellar archaeology

Astronomers study the oldest observable stars in the universe in much the same way archaeologists study ancient artifacts on Earth. Anna Frebel takes readers into the far-flung depths of space and time to provide a gripping firsthand account of the cutting-edge science of stellar archaeology. Weaving the latest findings in astronomy with her own compelling insights as one of the world's leading researchers in the field, she explains how sections of the night sky are "excavated" in the hunt for these extremely rare, 13-billion-year-old relic stars and how this astonishing quest is revealing tantalizing new details about the origins and evolution of the cosmos. Along the way, Frebel recounts her own stories of discovery, offering an insider's perspective on this exciting frontier of science.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780691197197
Publisher:	Princeton University Press
Publication date:	08/27/2019
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	218,716
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Anna Frebel is associate professor in the Department of Physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Twitter @annafrebel

Table of Contents

Preface xi

An Introductory Remark xv

1 What Is Stellar Archaeology? 1

1.1 The First Minutes after the Big Bang 2

1.2 Stellar Archaeology 7

2 Two Centuries of Pursuing Stars 10

2.1 First Glimpses of Stellar Rainbows 11

2.2 Decoding Starlight 16

2.3 A New Perspective of the Cosmos 22

2.4 Looking into the Hearts of Stars 29

2.5 Modern Alchemy 35

2.6 The Foundation of Cosmology 38

2.7 The Origin of the Elements 44

3 S tars, Stars, More Stars 51

3.1 The Cycle of Matter in the Universe 51

3.2 Astronomers and Their Metals 55

3.3 Element Nucleosynthesis in the Cosmic Kitchen 59

3.4 Stellar Diversity 73

4 Stellar Evolution—From Birth to Death 78

4.1 Sorting Stars 78

4.2 A Protostar Forms 85

4.3 The Evolution of a Low-Mass Star 88

4.4 The Evolution of a Massive Star 93

4.5 Supernovae and Supernova Remnants 95

4.6 Preliminary Thoughts about Working with Metal-Poor Stars 102

5 Neutron-Capture Processes and the Heaviest Elements 107

5.1 How Neon Lamps Relate to Giant Stars—Element Synthesis in the S-Process 109

5.2 Thorium, Uranium, and R-Process Element Synthesis 114

5.3 Cosmo-Chronometry: The Oldest Stars 120

5.4 Nuclear Astrophysics 128

6 Welcome to Our Milky Way 130

6.1 A Milky Way above Us 130

6.2 The Milky Way’s Structure 133

6.3 Dwarf Galaxies 139

6.4 Star Clusters 145

6.5 Naming Stars 151

7 Tales Told by Light 155

7.1 A Little Lexicon of Light 156

7.2 Spectroscopy—Deciphering Starlight 160

7.3 Element Abundance Analyses of Stars 166

7.4 The Largest Telescopes in the World 173

7.5 Three Steps toward Success 180

7.6 Observations with MIKE 186

8 Let’s Go Ob serve Some Stars! 192

8.1 Going Stargazing 192

8.2 Good-Weather Beer 197

8.3 A Sunset 198

8.4 The Observa-thon 201

8.5 One Hundred and Five Stars per Night 203

8.6 Computers, Computers . . . 205

8.7 Tested by Fire 207

9 The Chemical Evolution of the Early Universe 210

9.1 The First Stars in the Universe 210

9.2 The Family of Metal-Poor Stars 217

9.3 The Most Iron-Poor Stars 222

9.4 The Cosmic Chemical Evolution 227

10 Finding the Oldest Stars 241

10.1 Pursuing Metal-Poor Stars 241

10.2 Bright Metal-Poor Stars 248

10.3 Mt. Stromlo Succumbs to Bushfires 252

10.4 The Discovery of a Record-Breaking Most Iron-Poor Star 257

10.5 The Astronomical Community 264

11 A t the End of a Cosmic Journey 267

11.1 Cosmological Simulations 267

11.2 Where Do Metal-Poor Stars Come From? 273

11.3 Expectations of Future Surveys 279

11.4 The Next Generation of Giant Telescopes 282

11.5 Little Diamonds in the Sky 285

Further Reading 287

Index 289

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"Frebel accessibly describes the cutting-edge archaeological search in our cosmic backyard—the halo of the Milky Way galaxy—for relics from the first generation of stars born shortly after the big bang. This wonderfully written book captures the scientific excitement of research in this field by one of its pioneers."—Avi Loeb, Harvard University

"Anna Frebel is the Indiana Jones of astronomy. In the search for the oldest stars, her cosmic fossils, she and her colleagues are revealing the very evolution of our universe. This book offers a thorough and detailed summary of those stellar explorations — how stars are born and die, how they generate the chemical elements — but also a fascinating portrait of how science gets done."—Marcia Bartusiak, author of The Day We Found the Universe and Black Hole

"This authoritative and accessible book is a delightful read. Covering wide swathes of the subject, Frebel provides readers with insights into what it is like to be a research astronomer today. I am thrilled to see the recognition given to the work done by women astronomers."—Jocelyn Bell Burnell, University of Oxford

"I loved reading these great stories by a master of the subject. Frebel tells them as simply as possible but no simpler—to paraphrase Einstein—and peppers her narrative with her own adventures and those of other pioneer women astronomers. There's plenty here to interest professional astronomers as well as nonspecialists."—John Mather, winner of the 2006 Nobel Prize in Physics

"This is a beautiful book. Frebel describes, firsthand, the hunt for the first stars in the universe and the genuine thrill felt when working at the frontier of human knowledge. She weaves an engaging story of discovery."—Volker Bromm, University of Texas at Austin

"Frebel provides an entertaining introduction to stellar astrophysics and the hunt for the oldest stars. Blending hard science with an account of her own experiences as one of the leading scientists in stellar archaeology, she manages to discuss complex phenomena in an intuitive way that nonspecialists can understand. Readers will enjoy this book without having an extended background in astrophysics."—Ralf S. Klessen, Heidelberg University

Editorial Reviews

11/02/2015
German-born astronomer Frebel, an assistant professor of physics at MIT, makes this crash course in astronomy accessible to stargazers of all knowledge levels. She starts with the basics, including a summary of the historical connections between astronomy and physics, and incrementally adds topics of greater technicality—such as the universe's "chemical evolution," the life cycle of stars, the production of heavy elements, and spectral analysis—up to her own research on metal-poor stars. Woven through the science are personal anecdotes from Frebel, which give the impression of a face-to-face lesson with a favorite professor. The information is not organized for ease of reference, but in a manner that flows steadily as new material accretes, making comprehension easier for those with less background knowledge. The sheer density of information can make for slower and more difficult reading, but anyone with a strong interest in astronomy will appreciate the way Frebel employs diagrams and terminology. This book is not an introductory survey of astronomy, but rather an in-depth discussion written by an expert in the field. Frebel offers a handy learning tool for fledgling astronomers and a fascinating, enjoyable look into her own research. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

"[Frebel] offers an excellent description of how a scientist approaches and works through a research project and how her cutting-edge project fits into the larger view of modern astronomy. Personal details enliven the narrative, and the topic is accessible even to those who choose not to dive deeply into all chapters."

Choice

"Frebel's narrative provides a rich picture of the understandings astronomers have gleaned from studying the elements in stars. We are gradually developing a picture of how the elements evolved from the earliest moments of the Big Bang and how these elements were distributed through our Milky Way galaxy, eventually forming the solar system we inhabit today."—-Laurence A. Marschall, Natural History

"Frebel presents a gripping account of astronomy and the thrill of scientific discovery, making a complex subject accessible to general readers."—-Dave Pugl, Library Journal

"Edifying, engaging, and ever more reason to be humbled by the starry night, [Searching for the Oldest Stars] is a delight."—-Matt Sutherland, Foreword Reviews

"One of the glories of astrophysics is the way it combines real-world uselessness with mind-blowing effects on human consciousness. Here, Searching For The Oldest Stars shines. Frebel deals with the evolution of scientific thinking on the nature of the universe, the formation of ideas on how to identify such stars, and the wearisome but hopeful search for individual examples, with real descriptive power. . . . But good popular exposition of specialized knowledge is not that rare—the core of Frebel's book, and the source of its appeal, is the joy it conveys."—-Brian Bethune, Maclean's

From the Publisher

10/01/2015
Frebel (Silverman Family Career Development Assistant Professor, MIT) shares her passion for the stars in this absorbing work. The stellar archaeologist searches for the oldest-known stars—she has found some of the oldest in the universe—in order to explore the early cosmos in the same manner that an archaeologist examines artifacts to investigate ancient civilizations. Through the use of sky surveys and stellar spectroscopy (the study of the spectra of starlight), stellar archaeologists are able to determine the chemical composition of each star. Stars that are metal-poor—those lacking elements heavier than hydrogen or helium—are the oldest because the heavier elements did not exist in the early stages of the universe but were formed by nucleosynthesis over eons inside stars or as a result of supernova explosions. She describes being an astronomer, including the many challenges such as bad weather, technical problems, and even a bush fire at an Australian observatory. VERDICT Frebel presents a gripping account of astronomy and the thrill of scientific discovery, making a complex subject accessible to general readers. Recommended for anyone interested in astronomy or in the origins of the cosmos.—Dave Pugl, Ela Area P.L., Lake Zurich, IL

Library Journal