The turbulent origin of the elements in the first generation of stars

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Through computer simulations it is now feasible to determine the physics of the origin of the elements in the first generations of stars that formed in our Universe. All matter that we see has been formed in stars and stellar explosions, except hydrogen and most helium which came out of the Big Bang. This stellar nuclear production started with the very first metal-free stars that had nothing but the Big Bang mix of protons and helium atoms to feed their nuclear engines. We now know both from observations and from theoretical considerations that stars in this early epoch of our Universe evolved differently than for example our sun which has significant amounts of heavier elements (which is obvious from all the matter on earth that is not hydrogen or helium). The first stars start the gradual build-up of complete distribution of elements that we observe today in the solar system, and to understand this beginning quantitatively is therefore of utmost importance if we aim to fully grasp where and how the elements originate. In order to fully understand the physics of nuclear production in these first stars we need to perform large-scale computer simulations that take into account all the relevant fundamental physical principles. In this project we will do exactly this. We develop theory and simulation based predictions of how these stars evolved, and what elements they produced in which quantities.