arXiv subjects

Danielle Skinner

Publications and source records attributed to Danielle Skinner.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2023

Inferred galaxy properties during Cosmic Dawn from early JWST photometry results

Early photometric results from JWST have revealed a number of galaxy candidates above redshift 10. The initial estimates of inferred stellar masses and the associated cosmic star formation rates are above most theoretical model predictions up to a factor of 20 in the most extreme cases, while this has been moderated after the recalibration of NIRCam and subsequent spectroscopic detections. Using these recent JWST observations, we use galaxy scaling relations from cosmological simulations to model the star formation history to very high redshifts, back to a starting halo mass of 10^7 solar masses, to infer the intrinsic properties of the JWST galaxies. Here we explore the contribution of supermassive black holes, stellar binaries, and an excess of massive stars to the overall luminosity of high-redshift galaxies. Despite the addition of alternative components to the spectral energy distribution, we find stellar masses equal to or slightly higher than previous stellar mass estimates. Most galaxy spectra are dominated by the stellar component, and the exact choice for the stellar population model does not appear to make a major difference. We find that four of the 12 high-redshift galaxy candidates are best fit with a non-negligible active galactic nuclei component, but the evidence from the continuum alone is insufficient to confirm their existence. Upcoming spectroscopic observations of z > 10 galaxies will confirm the presence and nature of high-energy sources in the early universe and will constrain their exact redshifts.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2023

Neutron Star Mergers and their Impact on Second Generation Star Formation in the Early Universe

The exact evolution of elements in the universe, from primordial to heavier elements produced via the r-process, is still under scrutiny. The supernova deaths of the very first stars led to the enrichment of their local environments, and can leave behind neutron stars (NS) as remnants. These remnants can end up in binary systems with other NSs, and eventually merge, allowing for the r-process to occur. We study the scenario where a single NS merger (NSM) enriches a halo early in its evolution to understand the impact on the second generation of stars and their metal abundances. We perform a suite of high resolution cosmological zoom-in simulations using Enzo where we have implemented a new NSM model varying the explosion energy and the delay time. In general, a NSM leads to significant r-process enhancement in the second generation of stars in a galaxy with a stellar mass of $\sim 10^5 \mathrm{M}_{\odot}$ at redshift 10. A high explosion energy leads to a Pop II mass fraction of 72% being highly enhanced with r-process elements, while a lower explosion energy leads to 80% being enhanced, but only 14% being highly enhanced. When the NSM has a short delay time of 10 Myr, only 5% of the mass fraction of Pop II stars is highly enhanced, while 64% is highly enhanced for the longest delay time of 100 Myr. This work represents a stepping stone towards understanding how NSMs impact their environments and metal abundances of descendant generations of stars.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2020

Cradles of the first stars: self-shielding, halo masses, and multiplicity

The formation of Population III (Pop III) stars is a critical step in the evolution of the early universe. To understand how these stars affected their metal-enriched descendants, the details of how, why and where Pop III formation takes place needs to be determined. One of the processes that is assumed to greatly affect the formation of Pop III stars is the presence of a Lyman-Werner (LW) radiation background, that destroys H$_2$, a necessary coolant in the creation of Pop III stars. Self-shielding can alleviate the effect the LW background has on the H$_2$ within haloes. In this work, we perform a cosmological simulation to study the birthplaces of Pop III stars, using the adaptive mesh refinement code Enzo. We investigate the distribution of host halo masses and its relationship to the LW background intensity. Compared to previous work, haloes form Pop III stars at much lower masses, up to a factor of a few, due to the inclusion of H$_2$ self-shielding. We see no relationship between the LW intensity and host halo mass. Most haloes form multiple Pop III stars, with a median number of four, up to a maximum of 16, at the instance of Pop III formation. Our results suggest that Pop III star formation may be less affected by LW radiation feedback than previously thought and that Pop III multiple systems are common.

astro-ph.GA↗