النجوم الأولى: الألعاب النارية التي رآها ويب سريع

الملخص الأصلي

كما كتبه المؤلفون، بالإنجليزية arXiv:2601.02469v2

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has spectroscopically confirmed galaxies up to $$z\sim14$$, 300 Myr after the Big Bang, and several candidates have been discovered at $$z\sim15-25$$, with one candidate as high as $$z\sim30$$, only 100 Myr after the Big Bang. Such objects are unexpected, since theoretical studies have not predicted the existence of detectable galaxies at $$z\sim30$$. While any $$z\sim30$$ candidates may be contaminants at lower redshifts, we explore whether such extreme redshift sources could be consistent with hyper-energetic transient events linked to the formation of the first, metal-free, stars. Specifically, we consider pair-instability supernovae (PISNe), a predicted class of extreme thermonuclear explosions that leave no remnant behind. Using cosmological simulations, we investigate an overdense cosmic region, where star formation and subsequent PISNe occur at $$z\sim30-40$$, even within standard cosmology. Assessing the likelihood of such a region, the corresponding number of PISNe at $$z\gtrsim20$$, and their observed flux, we find that JWST has a non-negligible chance to detect a PISN event at extremely high redshifts. If a transient event were confirmed at $$z\sim30$$, this would provide a direct glimpse into the epoch of first star formation, dramatically extending the empirical reach of astronomy.