pith. machine review for the scientific record. sign in

arxiv: 2604.18150 · v1 · submitted 2026-04-20 · 🌌 astro-ph.GA · astro-ph.CO

Recognition: unknown

On the relative CNO underabundance in quasar absorption systems at z sim 3 arising from Population III enrichment and attenuation by intermediate-mass black holes and primordial baryon accretion

Murilo Macedo , Carlos Alexandre Wuensche , Oswaldo Duarte Miranda
Authors on Pith no claims yet

Pith reviewed 2026-05-10 04:58 UTC · model grok-4.3

classification 🌌 astro-ph.GA astro-ph.CO
keywords Population III starsintermediate-mass black holescosmic chemical enrichmentquasar absorption systemsCNO abundancesmetallicity attenuationcosmic star formation ratebaryon accretion
0
0 comments X

The pith

Intermediate-mass black holes act as permanent matter sinks that attenuate metallicity, reconciling Population III yields with the observed CNO underabundance in quasar absorption systems at z around 3-6.

A machine-rendered reading of the paper's core claim, the machinery that carries it, and where it could break.

The paper adapts a semi-analytical model of cosmic chemical enrichment to fix an overproduction of carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen in predictions for high-redshift quasar absorption systems. It updates the cosmic star formation rate and adds intermediate-mass black holes as sinks that permanently sequester enriched material. This sequestration works together with Population III star yields and primordial baryon accretion to bring metal levels down to observed values. A sympathetic reader cares because the result ties black hole processes directly to the regulation of chemical abundances in the early universe.

Core claim

The central claim is that the interplay between Population III yields, the cosmic baryon accretion rate from primordial nucleosynthesis, and mass sequestration by intermediate-mass black holes mitigates the CNO excess in absorption systems of quasar spectra at z ≳ 3-6, with IMBHs providing the physical regulation necessary to reconcile theoretical yields with observed data.

What carries the argument

Intermediate-mass black holes modeled as permanent matter sinks that sequester mass and thereby attenuate metallicity without a dynamic cosmic mass accretion rate.

If this is right

  • The updated model reproduces the relative underabundance of C, N, and O in quasar absorption systems at z ≳ 3-6.
  • Mass sequestration by IMBHs supplies the regulatory mechanism that brings theoretical metal yields in line with observations.
  • Black hole-driven processes are essential regulators in the chemical evolution of the early universe.
  • IMBH accretion rates emerge as the main parameter needing refinement in future versions of the model.

Where Pith is reading between the lines

These are editorial extensions of the paper, not claims the author makes directly.

  • Models of early galaxy formation may need to add similar sequestration terms to avoid overpredicting metals at high redshift.
  • If sequestration dominates, total baryon accounting at z > 3 could shift because some enriched material is locked away from observable gas.
  • The same mechanism might apply to other light elements or to absorption systems at slightly lower redshifts where data are denser.

Load-bearing premise

That intermediate-mass black holes can be modeled as permanent matter sinks without a dynamic cosmic mass accretion rate, and that the adapted cosmic star formation rate plus Population III yields plus cosmic baryon accretion are sufficient to produce the observed CNO underabundance once sequestration is added.

What would settle it

Finding CNO abundances in quasar absorption systems at z ~ 3 that match the higher levels predicted by Population III yields without any sequestration by intermediate-mass black holes would show the model fails to explain the data.

read the original abstract

This article uses an adapted version of the semi-analytical model of cosmic chemical enrichment developed by \citet{Corazza_2022} to reproduce the observed abundances of C, N, and O in absorption systems of quasar spectra (ASQS) at $z \gtrsim 3-6$, addressing an overproduction issue of the abovementioned elements. We address this discrepancy by updating the cosmic star formation rate (CSFR) and introducing intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs) as permanent matter sinks without accounting for a dynamic cosmic mass accretion rate. Our results indicate that IMBHs act as essential metallicity attenuators through mass sequestration, providing the physical regulation necessary to reconcile theoretical yields with observed data. We show that the interplay between Pop III yields, the cosmic baryon accretion rate (CBAR) from primordial nucleosynthesis, and mass sequestration by IMBHs mitigates the CNO excess. This work reinforces the role of black hole-driven processes in the chemical evolution of the Universe and identifies IMBH accretion rates as a primary area for future refinement.

Editorial analysis

A structured set of objections, weighed in public.

Desk editor's note, referee report, simulated authors' rebuttal, and a circularity audit. Tearing a paper down is the easy half of reading it; the pith above is the substance, this is the friction.

Referee Report

2 major / 2 minor

Summary. The paper adapts the semi-analytical cosmic chemical enrichment model of Corazza et al. (2022) to explain the observed underabundance of C, N, and O in quasar absorption systems at z ≳ 3–6. It updates the cosmic star formation rate (CSFR) normalization and introduces intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs) as permanent matter sinks that sequester mass without a dynamic accretion rate, claiming that the interplay of Population III yields, cosmic baryon accretion rate (CBAR), and this sequestration resolves the CNO overproduction discrepancy.

Significance. If the sequestration mechanism holds under more complete dynamics, the work would strengthen the case for black-hole-driven regulation of early-universe metallicity and provide a concrete physical process linking IMBHs to observed high-z abundance patterns. The explicit identification of IMBH accretion rates for future work is a positive acknowledgment of model limitations.

major comments (2)
  1. [Abstract / Model setup] Abstract and model description: The central claim that IMBHs provide the necessary metallicity attenuation rests on modeling them as permanent sinks with a constant removal rate, explicitly 'without accounting for a dynamic cosmic mass accretion rate.' This simplification is load-bearing because the quantitative reduction in CNO is not demonstrated to survive once time-evolving accretion and possible ejection are restored; the paper defers this to future refinement, leaving the reconciliation dependent on an untested assumption.
  2. [Results] Results section: No quantitative fit statistics, error bars, or comparison tables are presented to show how well the adapted CSFR + Pop III yields + CBAR + sequestration reproduces the observed ASQS abundances. The claim of successful reconciliation therefore lacks the statistical grounding needed to assess whether the match is robust or the result of parameter tuning.
minor comments (2)
  1. [Abstract] The abstract uses 'abovementioned' and 'abovementioned elements'; replace with 'C, N, and O' for precision.
  2. [Methods] Clarify the exact functional form of the IMBH sequestration term (e.g., is it a fixed fraction of baryonic mass or tied to a specific IMBH mass function?) in the methods section.

Simulated Author's Rebuttal

2 responses · 1 unresolved

We thank the referee for their constructive and detailed comments, which highlight important aspects of our model's assumptions and presentation. We respond point by point to the major comments below, indicating where revisions will be made to the manuscript.

read point-by-point responses

  1. Referee: [Abstract / Model setup] Abstract and model description: The central claim that IMBHs provide the necessary metallicity attenuation rests on modeling them as permanent sinks with a constant removal rate, explicitly 'without accounting for a dynamic cosmic mass accretion rate.' This simplification is load-bearing because the quantitative reduction in CNO is not demonstrated to survive once time-evolving accretion and possible ejection are restored; the paper defers this to future refinement, leaving the reconciliation dependent on an untested assumption.

    Authors: We agree that treating IMBHs as permanent sinks with a constant removal rate is a deliberate simplification that isolates the sequestration effect. This choice was made to demonstrate the potential regulatory role of mass removal in a semi-analytical framework without introducing additional free parameters for accretion dynamics at this stage. We will revise the abstract, model description, and discussion sections to more explicitly state the assumption, discuss its implications, and note that net mass sequestration (rather than the precise time dependence) is the key physical mechanism. While the full time-evolving case with possible ejection remains for future work, the current results show that even modest constant sequestration rates suffice to bring CNO abundances into agreement with observations. revision: partial

  2. Referee: [Results] Results section: No quantitative fit statistics, error bars, or comparison tables are presented to show how well the adapted CSFR + Pop III yields + CBAR + sequestration reproduces the observed ASQS abundances. The claim of successful reconciliation therefore lacks the statistical grounding needed to assess whether the match is robust or the result of parameter tuning.

    Authors: We accept that the absence of quantitative fit metrics weakens the presentation of the results. In the revised manuscript we will add error bars to the model predictions in the figures, include a comparison table of observed versus modeled median abundances (with 1-sigma ranges), and report a reduced chi-squared value for the CNO elements across the redshift range. These additions will allow readers to evaluate the goodness of fit and the degree to which the agreement depends on the specific parameter choices. revision: yes

standing simulated objections not resolved
  • The quantitative demonstration that the CNO attenuation persists under fully time-dependent IMBH accretion and possible ejection requires dynamical modeling that lies outside the scope of the present semi-analytical study.

Circularity Check

1 steps flagged

Fitted IMBH sequestration presented as derived physical regulation for CNO underabundance

specific steps
  1. fitted input called prediction [Abstract]
    "We address this discrepancy by updating the cosmic star formation rate (CSFR) and introducing intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs) as permanent matter sinks without accounting for a dynamic cosmic mass accretion rate. Our results indicate that IMBHs act as essential metallicity attenuators through mass sequestration, providing the physical regulation necessary to reconcile theoretical yields with observed data."

    The paper introduces IMBHs as permanent sinks (a constant sequestration rate) specifically to address the discrepancy with observed abundances, without modeling dynamic accretion (explicitly deferred to future work). The conclusion that this provides the 'essential' regulation is therefore achieved by construction through this model adjustment to fit the data, rather than predicted independently from the yields or other first principles.

full rationale

The paper adapts an existing semi-analytical chemical enrichment model by modifying the CSFR and adding a tunable IMBH sink term to bring theoretical CNO yields into line with quasar absorption observations at high redshift. While the underlying framework is cited externally, the key innovation and claimed result—that IMBH sequestration supplies the missing attenuation—is directly the product of fitting this new parameter to the target data. This constitutes a fitted input presented as a prediction, though the overall model retains some independent structure from the base framework and Pop III yields.

Axiom & Free-Parameter Ledger

2 free parameters · 2 axioms · 1 invented entities

The claim rests on Pop III yields taken from prior literature, an updated but unspecified CSFR, and the assumption that IMBHs remove metals permanently without feedback or accretion dynamics. No independent evidence for the sequestration efficiency is supplied.

free parameters (2)
  • IMBH accretion rate
    Identified in the abstract as the primary parameter for future refinement; used to control the strength of the metallicity sink.
  • Updated cosmic star formation rate normalization
    Adjusted from the Corazza 2022 baseline to help match observed abundances.
axioms (2)
  • domain assumption Population III stellar yields produce excess CNO that must be attenuated by external sinks
    Invoked to justify the need for IMBH sequestration; taken as given from the discrepancy with observations.
  • ad hoc to paper Intermediate-mass black holes act as permanent matter sinks without dynamic accretion or feedback
    Explicitly stated in the abstract as the modeling choice that enables the attenuation.
invented entities (1)
  • IMBHs as permanent metallicity sinks no independent evidence
    purpose: To sequester mass and metals and thereby lower CNO abundances to observed levels
    Postulated mechanism introduced to resolve the overproduction; no independent falsifiable prediction (e.g., specific IMBH mass function or accretion signature) is provided.

pith-pipeline@v0.9.0 · 5521 in / 1755 out tokens · 38504 ms · 2026-05-10T04:58:58.430557+00:00 · methodology

discussion (0)

Sign in with ORCID, Apple, or X to comment. Anyone can read and Pith papers without signing in.

Reference graph

Works this paper leans on

92 extracted references · 69 canonical work pages · 2 internal anchors

  1. [1]

    Corazza, L.C., Miranda, O.D., Wuensche, C.A.: Potential contributions of Pop III and intermediate-mass Pop II stars to cosmic chemical enrichment. Astron. Astrophys.668, 191 (2022) https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202244334

    work page doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202244334 2022

  2. [2]

    Review of Particle Physics,

    Particle Data Group, Workman, R.L., et al.: Review of particle physics. Progress of Theoretical and Experimental Physics2022(8) (2022) https://doi.org/10.1093/ptep/ptac097 https://academic.oup.com/ptep/article- pdf/2022/8/083C01/49175539/ptac097.pdf. 083C01 11

    work page doi:10.1093/ptep/ptac097 2022

  3. [3]

    al 47(10), 674–685 (2022) https://doi.org/10.1134/s1063773721100054

    Kurichin, O.A., Kislitsyn, P.A., Ivanchik, A.V.: Determination of HII region metallicity in the context of estimating the primordial helium abundance. al 47(10), 674–685 (2022) https://doi.org/10.1134/s1063773721100054

    work page doi:10.1134/s1063773721100054 2022

  4. [4]

    Kurichin, O.A.,et al.: A new determination of the primordial helium abundance using the analyses of HII region spectra from SDSS. Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 502(2), 3045–3056 (2021) https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stab215

    work page doi:10.1093/mnras/stab215 2021

  5. [5]

    Academic Press, San Diego (2021)

    Dodelson, S., Schmidt, F.: Modern Cosmology, 2nd edn. Academic Press, San Diego (2021)

    2021

  6. [6]

    Planck Collaboration, Aghanim, N., Akrami, Y., Ashdown, M., Aumont, J., Baccigalupi, C., Ballardini, M.,et al.: Planck 2018 results. VI. Cosmolog- ical parameters. Astron. Astrophys.641, 6 (2020) https://doi.org/10.1051/ 0004-6361/201833910 arXiv:1807.06209 [astro-ph.CO]

    work page Pith review arXiv 2018

  7. [7]

    Oxford University Press, Oxford (2008)

    Weinberg, S.: Cosmology. Oxford University Press, Oxford (2008)

    2008

  8. [8]

    Wolfe, A.M., Gawiser, E., Prochaska, J.X.: Damped Lyαsystems. Ann. Rev. Astron. Astrophys.43(1), 861–918 (2005) https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.astro. 42.053102.133950

    work page doi:10.1146/annurev.astro 2005

  9. [9]

    A study based on theE−XQR−30 spec- troscopic sample (2024)

    Sodini, A., D’Odorico, V., Salvadori, S., et al.: Evidence of Pop III stars chemical signature in neutral gas atz∼6. A study based on theE−XQR−30 spec- troscopic sample (2024). https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202349062 . https: //arxiv.org/abs/2404.10722

    work page doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202349062 2024

  10. [10]

    https://arxiv.org/abs/2305.07706

    Salvadori, S., D’Odorico, V., Saccardi, A., et al.: First stars signatures in high-z absorbers (2023). https://arxiv.org/abs/2305.07706

    work page arXiv 2023

  11. [11]

    Welsh, L., Cooke, R., Fumagalli, M., Pettini, M.: Oxygen-enhanced extremely metal-poor damped ly-αsystems: A signpost of the first stars? Astrophys. J. 929(2), 158 (2022) https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ac4503

    work page doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ac4503 2022

  12. [12]

    Cooke, R., Pettini, M., Steidel, C.C., Rudie, G.C., Nissen, P.E.: The most metal- poor damped lyαsystems: insights into chemical evolution in the very metal-poor regime. Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc.417(2), 1534–1558 (2011) https://doi.org/10. 1111/j.1365-2966.2011.19365.x arXiv:1106.2805 [astro-ph.CO]

    work page arXiv 2011

  13. [13]

    Cooke, R., Pettini, M., Steidel, C.C., Rudie, G.C., Jorgenson, R.A.: A carbon- enhanced metal-poor damped lyαsystem: probing gas from population III nucleosynthesis? Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc.412(2), 1047–1058 (2011) https: //doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2010.17966.x arXiv:1011.0733 [astro-ph.CO]

    work page doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2010.17966.x 2011

  14. [14]

    Astrophys

    Kobayashi, C., Tominaga, N., Nomoto, K.: Chemical enrichment in the carbon- enhanced damped Lyαsystems by population III supernovae. Astrophys. J. Lett. 730(2), 14 (2011) https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/730/2/L14 12

    work page doi:10.1088/2041-8205/730/2/l14 2011

  15. [15]

    Pettini, M., Zych, B.J., Steidel, C.C., Chaffee, F.H.: C, N, O abundances in the most metal-poor damped Lyman alpha systems. Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 385(4), 2011–2024 (2008) https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2008.12951.x

    work page doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2008.12951.x 2011

  16. [17]

    Greene, J.E., Strader, J., Ho, L.C.: Intermediate-mass black holes. Ann. Rev. Astron. Astrophys.58, 257–312 (2020) https://doi.org/10.1146/ annurev-astro-032620-021835 arXiv:1911.09678 [astro-ph.GA]

    work page arXiv 2020

  17. [18]

    Pereira, E.S., Miranda, O.D.: Supermassive black holes: connecting the growth to the cosmic star formation rate. Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc.418(1), 30–34 (2011) https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-3933.2011.01137.x arXiv:1108.3745 [astro- ph.CO]

    work page doi:10.1111/j.1745-3933.2011.01137.x 2011

  18. [19]

    Astrophys

    Isobe, Y.,et al.: JWST Identification of Extremely Low C/N Galaxies with [N/O] ≳0.5 at z 6-10 Evidencing the Early CNO-cycle Enrichment and a Connection with Globular Cluster Formation. Astrophys. J.959(2), 100 (2023) https://doi. org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad09be arXiv:2307.00710 [astro-ph.GA]

    work page doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ad09be 2023

  19. [20]

    Astrophys

    Zhu, Y., Egami, E., Fan, X.: Quasar radiative feedback may suppress galaxy growth on intergalactic scales at z = 6.3. Astrophys. J. Lett.995(1), 5 (2025) https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ae1f8e arXiv:2509.00153 [astro-ph.GA]

    work page doi:10.3847/2041-8213/ae1f8e 2025

  20. [21]

    Mo, H., Bosch, F., White, S.: The Intergalactic Medium, pp. 689–740. Cam- bridge University Press, Cambridge (2010). Chap. 16. https://doi.org/10.1017/ CBO9780511807244

    2010

  21. [22]

    Khare, P., Kulkarni, V.P., P´ eroux, C.,et al.: The nature of damped Lymanα and sub-damped Lymanαabsorbers. Astron. Astrophys.464(2), 487–493 (2007) https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20066186 arXiv:astro-ph/0608127 [astro-ph]

    work page doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20066186 2007

  22. [23]

    Astrophys

    Daigne, F., Olive, K.A., Silk, J., Stoehr, F., Vangioni, E.: Hierarchical growth and cosmic star formation: Enrichment, outflows, and supernova rates. Astrophys. J. 647(2), 773 (2006) https://doi.org/10.1086/503092

    work page doi:10.1086/503092 2006

  23. [24]

    H., & Schechter, P

    Press, W.H., Schechter, P.: Formation of galaxies and clusters of galaxies by self-similar gravitational condensation. Astrophys. J.187, 425–438 (1974) https: //doi.org/10.1086/152650

    work page doi:10.1086/152650 1974

  24. [25]

    Pereira, E.S., Miranda, O.D.: Stochastic background of gravitational waves generated by pre-galactic black holes. Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 401(3), 1924–1932 (2010) https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.15774.x 13 https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article-pdf/401/3/1924/3830550/mnras0401- 1924.pdf

    work page doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.15774.x 1924

  25. [26]

    Miranda, O.D.: The cosmological lithium problem. Astron. Astrophys.701, 164 (2025) https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202554482

    work page doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202554482 2025

  26. [27]

    Astrophys

    Gribel, C., Miranda, O.D., Vilas-Boas, J.W.: Connecting the cosmic star forma- tion rate with the local star formation. Astrophys. J.849(2), 108 (2017)

    2017

  27. [28]

    Fast and power efficient GPU-based explicit elastic wave propagation analysis by low- ordered orthogonal voxel finite element with INT8 tensor cores

    Pereira, E.S., Miranda, O.D.: The role of the dark matter haloes on the cosmic star formation rate. New Astron.41, 48–52 (2015) https://doi.org/10.1016/j. newast.2015.06.001

    work page doi:10.1016/j 2015

  28. [29]

    Schneider, R., Hunt, L., Valiante, R.: The dust content of the most metal-poor star-forming galaxies. Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc.457(2), 1842–1850 (2016)

    2016

  29. [30]

    Madau, P., Dickinson, M.: Cosmic star-formation history. Ann. Rev. Astron. Astrophys.52(1), 415–486 (2014) https://doi.org/10.1146/ annurev-astro-081811-125615

    2014

  30. [31]

    Robertson, B.E.: Galaxy formation and reionization: Key unknowns and expected breakthroughs by the James Webb Space Telescope. Ann. Rev. Astron. Astrophys.60(1), 121–158 (2022) https://doi.org/10.1146/ annurev-astro-120221-044656

    2022

  31. [32]

    , keywords =

    Robertson, B.,et al.: Earliest galaxies in the jades origins field: Luminos- ity function and cosmic star formation rate density 300 myr after the big bang. Astrophys. J.970(1), 31 (2024) https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad463d arXiv:2312.10033 [astro-ph.GA]

    work page doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ad463d 2024

  32. [33]

    D., Leja, J., Conroy, C., & Speagle, J

    Johnson, B.D., Leja, J., Conroy, C., Speagle, J.S.: Stellar population inference with prospector. Astrophys. J. Suppl.254(2), 22 (2021) https://doi.org/10.3847/ 1538-4365/abef67 arXiv:2012.01426 [astro-ph.GA]

    work page internal anchor Pith review arXiv 2021

  33. [34]

    Eldridge, J.J., Stanway, E.R., Xiao, L., McClelland, L.A.S., Taylor, G., Ng, M., Greis, S.M.L., Bray, J.C.: Binary population and spectral synthesis version 2.1: Construction, observational verification, and new results. Publ. of the Astr. Soc. Aust.34, 58–61 (2017) https://doi.org/10.1017/pasa.2017.51

    work page Pith review doi:10.1017/pasa.2017.51 2017

  34. [35]

    Conroy, C., Gunn, J.E., White, M.: The propagation of uncertainties in stellar population synthesis modeling. I. The relevance of uncertain aspects of stellar evo- lution and the initial mass function to the derived physical properties of galaxies. Astrophys. J.699(1), 486–506 (2009) https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/699/ 1/486 arXiv:0809.4261 [astro-ph]

    work page internal anchor Pith review Pith/arXiv arXiv doi:10.1088/0004-637x/699/ 2009

  35. [36]

    Possible Population III signatures at z = 10.6 in the halo of GN-z11

    Maiolino, R.,et al.: JADES. Possible Population III signatures at z = 10.6 in the halo of GN-z11. Astron. Astrophys.687, 67 (2024) https://doi.org/10.1051/ 14 0004-6361/202347087 arXiv:2306.00953 [astro-ph.GA]

    work page arXiv 2024

  36. [37]

    Chantavat, T., Chongchitnan, S., Silk, J.: The most massive Population III stars. Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc.522(3), 3256–3262 (2023) https://doi.org/10.1093/ mnras/stad1196

    2023

  37. [38]

    Donnan, C.T.,et al.: The evolution of the galaxy UV luminosity function at redshifts z≈8 – 15 from deep JWST and ground-based near-infrared imaging. Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc.518(4), 6011–6040 (2022) https: //doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stac3472 https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article- pdf/518/4/6011/47887826/stac3472.pdf

    work page doi:10.1093/mnras/stac3472 2022

  38. [39]

    Astronomy and Astrophysics Library

    Matteucci, F.: Chemical Evolution of Galaxies, 1st edn. Astronomy and Astrophysics Library. Springer, Berlin (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/ 978-3-642-22491-1

    2012

  39. [40]

    Hennebelle, P., Grudi´ c, M.Y.: The Physical Origin of the Stellar Initial Mass Function. Ann. Rev. Astron. Astrophys.62(1), 63–111 (2024) https://doi.org/ 10.1146/annurev-astro-052622-031748 arXiv:2404.07301 [astro-ph.GA]

    work page doi:10.1146/annurev-astro-052622-031748 2024

  40. [41]

    Stains,et al., Anatomy of STEM Teaching in American Universities: A Snapshot from a Large-Scale Observation Study.Science359(6383), 1468–1470 (2018), doi:10.1126/science

    Kroupa, P.: The Initial Mass Function of Stars: Evidence for Uniformity in Vari- able Systems. Science295(5552), 82–91 (2002) https://doi.org/10.1126/science. 1067524 arXiv:astro-ph/0201098 [astro-ph]

    work page doi:10.1126/science 2002

  41. [42]

    Astrophys

    Salpeter, E.E.: The rate of star formation in the galaxy. Astrophys. J.129, 608 (1959)

    1959

  42. [43]

    Vangioni, E.,et al.: Cosmological evolution of the nitrogen abundance. Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc.477(1), 56–66 (2018) https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/sty559 https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article-pdf/477/1/56/24615170/sty559.pdf

    work page doi:10.1093/mnras/sty559 2018

  43. [44]

    Bouwens, R.J.,et al.: Evolution of the uv lf from z∼15 to z∼8 using new JWST NIRCam medium-band observations over the HUDF/XDF. Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc.523(1), 1036–1055 (2023) https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stad1145

    work page doi:10.1093/mnras/stad1145 2023

  44. [45]

    , keywords =

    Harikane, Y.,et al.: A comprehensive study of galaxies at z∼9–16 found in the early JWST data: Ultraviolet luminosity functions and cosmic star formation history at the pre-reionization epoch. Astrophys. J. Suppl.265(1), 5 (2023) https: //doi.org/10.3847/1538-4365/acaaa9

    work page doi:10.3847/1538-4365/acaaa9 2023

  45. [46]

    Astrophys

    Katsianis, A., Yang, X., Zheng, X.: The observed cosmic star formation rate density has an evolution that resembles aγ(a, bt) distribution and can be described successfully by only two parameters. Astrophys. J.919(2), 88 (2021) https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ac11f2 arXiv:2107.02733 [astro-ph.GA]

    work page doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ac11f2 2021

  46. [47]

    Gruppioni, C.,et al.: The ALPINE-ALMA [CII] survey: The nature, luminos- ity function, and star formation history of dusty galaxies up to z=6. Astron. 15 Astrophys.643, 8 (2020) https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202038487

    work page doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202038487 2020

  47. [48]

    Astrophys

    Bouwens, R.,et al.: The ALMA spectroscopic survey large program: The infrared excess of z = 1.5-10 UV-selected galaxies and the implied high-redshift star formation history. Astrophys. J.902(2), 112 (2020) https://doi.org/10.3847/ 1538-4357/abb830 arXiv:2009.10727 [astro-ph.GA]

    work page arXiv 2020

  48. [49]

    Driver, S.P.,et al.: GAMA/G10-COSMOS/3D-HST: the 0< z <5 cosmic star formation history, stellar-mass, and dust-mass densities. Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc.475(3), 2891–2935 (2018) https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stx2728

    work page doi:10.1093/mnras/stx2728 2018

  49. [50]

    Rowan-Robinson, M., Oliver, S., Wang, L.,et al.: The star formation rate density fromz= 1 to 6. Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc.461(1), 1100–1111 (2016) https: //doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stw1169 arXiv:1605.03937 [astro-ph.GA]

    work page doi:10.1093/mnras/stw1169 2016

  50. [51]

    Astrophys

    Hopkins, A.M.: On the evolution of star-forming galaxies. Astrophys. J.615(1), 209–221 (2004) https://doi.org/10.1086/424032 arXiv:astro-ph/0407170 [astro- ph]

    work page doi:10.1086/424032 2004

  51. [52]

    IOP ebooks

    Rauscher, T.: Essentials of Nucleosynthesis and Theoretical Nuclear Astro- physics. IOP ebooks. IOP, Bristol, UK (2020). https://doi.org/10.1088/ 978-0-7503-1335-3

    2020

  52. [53]

    Raiteri, C.M., Villata, M., Navarro, J.F.: Simulations of galactic chemical evolu- tion. i. o and fe abundances in a simple collapse model. Astron. Astrophys.315, 105–115 (1996)

    1996

  53. [54]

    Astrophys

    Copi, C.J.: A stochastic approach to chemical evolution. Astrophys. J.487(2), 704 (1997) https://doi.org/10.1086/304627

    work page doi:10.1086/304627 1997

  54. [55]

    Scalo, J.M.: The stellar initial mass function. Fund. Cosmic Phys.11, 1–278 (1986)

    1986

  55. [56]

    Spera, M., Mapelli, M., Bressan, A.: The mass spectrum of compact remnants from the PARSEC stellar evolution tracks. Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc.451(4), 4086–4103 (2015) https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stv1161 arXiv:1505.05201 [astro-ph.SR]

    work page doi:10.1093/mnras/stv1161 2015

  56. [57]

    Welsh, L., Cooke, R., Fumagalli, M.,et al.: A survey of extremely metal-poor gas at cosmic noon: Evidence of elevated [O/Fe]. Astron. Astrophys.691, 285 (2024) https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202451147

    work page doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202451147 2024

  57. [58]

    Klessen, R.S., Glover, S.C.O.: The first stars: Formation, properties, and impact. Ann. Rev. Astron. Astrophys.61(Volume 61, 2023), 65–130 (2023) https://doi. org/10.1146/annurev-astro-071221-053453 arXiv:2303.12500 [astro-ph.CO]

    work page doi:10.1146/annurev-astro-071221-053453 2023

  58. [59]

    Modeling Extragalactic Foregrounds and Secondaries for Un- biased Estimation of Cosmological Parameters from Primary Cosmic Microwave Background Anisotropy

    Heger, A., Woosley, S.E.: Nucleosynthesis and evolution of massive metal-free 16 stars. Astrophys. J.724(1), 341–373 (2010) https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/ 724/1/341 arXiv:0803.3161 [astro-ph]

    work page doi:10.1088/0004-637x/ 2010

  59. [60]

    , keywords =

    Heger, A., Woosley, S.E.: The nucleosynthetic signature of population III. Astro- phys. J.567(1), 532–543 (2002) https://doi.org/10.1086/338487 arXiv:astro- ph/0107037 [astro-ph]

    work page doi:10.1086/338487 2002

  60. [61]

    Astrophys

    Tinsley, B.M.: Analytical approximations to the evolution of galaxies. Astrophys. J.186, 35–49 (1973) https://doi.org/10.1086/152476

    work page doi:10.1086/152476 1973

  61. [62]

    Private communication (2026)

    Macedo, M., Souza, C.A.W., Miranda, O.D., Castro Milone, A.: Investigations into the potential contribution of Population III stars to the chemical enrichment of galaxies at high redshifts. Private communication (2026)

    2026

  62. [64]

    Asplund, M., Amarsi, A.M., Grevesse, N.: The chemical make-up of the sun: A 2020 vision. Astron. Astrophys.653, 141 (2021) https://doi.org/10.1051/ 0004-6361/202140445

    2020

  63. [65]

    Asplund, M., Grevesse, N., Sauval, A.J., Scott, P.: The chemical composition of the sun. Ann. Rev. Astron. Astrophys.47(1), 481–522 (2009) https://doi.org/10. 1146/annurev.astro.46.060407.145222 arXiv:0909.0948 [astro-ph.SR]

    work page arXiv 2009

  64. [66]

    Campbell, S.W., Lattanzio, J.C.: Evolution and nucleosynthesis of extremely metal-poor and metal-free low- and intermediate-mass stars. i. stellar yield tables and the cemps. Astron. Astrophys.490(2), 769–776 (2008) https://doi.org/10. 1051/0004-6361:200809597 arXiv:0901.0799 [astro-ph.SR]

    work page arXiv 2008

  65. [67]

    Astrophys

    Saccardi, A.,et al.: Evidence of first stars-enriched gas in high-redshift absorbers*. Astrophys. J.948(1), 35 (2023) https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/acc39f

    work page doi:10.3847/1538-4357/acc39f 2023

  66. [68]

    Poudel, S., Kulkarni, V.P., Som, D.,et al.: Metals and a search for molecules in the distant Universe: Magellan MIKE observations of sub-DLAs at 2< z <

  67. [69]

    Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc.504(1), 731–743 (2021) https://doi.org/10.1093/ mnras/stab926

    2021

  68. [70]

    De Cia, A., Ledoux, C., Mattsson, L., Petitjean, P., Srianand, R., Gavignaud, I., Jenkins, E.B.: Dust-depletion sequences in damped Lyman-αabsorbers: A unified picture from low-metallicity systems to the Galaxy. Astron. Astrophys.596, 97 (2016) https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201527895

    work page doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201527895 2016

  69. [71]

    Dutta, R., Srianand, R., Rahmani, H., Petitjean, P., Noterdaeme, P., Ledoux, C.: A study of low-metallicity DLAs at high redshift and CII* as a probe of their 17 physical conditions. Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc.440(1), 307–326 (2014) https: //doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stu260

    work page doi:10.1093/mnras/stu260 2014

  70. [72]

    on the deficiency of argon in dla systems

    Zafar, T., Vladilo, G., P´ eroux, C., Molaro, P., Centuri´ on, M., D’Odorico, V., Abbas, K., Popping, A.: The eso uves advanced data products quasar sample – iv. on the deficiency of argon in dla systems. Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc.445(2), 2093–2105 (2014) https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stu1904

    work page doi:10.1093/mnras/stu1904 2093

  71. [73]

    Astrophys

    Kulkarni, V.P., Meiring, J., Som, D., P´ eroux, C., York, D.G., Khare, P., Lau- roesch, J.T.: A Super-damped LyαQuasi-stellar Object Absorber at z = 2.2. Astrophys. J.749(2), 176 (2012) https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/749/2/176

    work page doi:10.1088/0004-637x/749/2/176 2012

  72. [74]

    Astrophys

    Penprase, B.E., Prochaska, J.X., Sargent, W.L.W., Toro-Martinez, I., Beeler, D.J.: Keck Echellette Spectrograph and Imager Observations of Metal-poor Damped LyαSystems. Astrophys. J.721(1), 1–25 (2010) https://doi.org/10. 1088/0004-637X/721/1/1

    2010

  73. [75]

    Petitjean, P., Ledoux, C., Srianand, R.: The nitrogen and oxygen abundances in the neutral gas at high redshift. Astron. Astrophys.480(2), 349–357 (2008) https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20078607

    work page doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20078607 2008

  74. [76]

    S., Shaviv, N

    Dessauges-Zavadsky, M., P´ eroux, C., Kim, T.-S., D’Odorico, S., McMahon, R.G.: A homogeneous sample of sub-damped Lymanαsystems - I. Construction of the sample and chemical abundance measurements. Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc.345(2), 447–479 (2003) https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-8711.2003.06949.x arXiv:astro-ph/0307049 [astro-ph]

    work page doi:10.1046/j.1365-8711.2003.06949.x 2003

  75. [77]

    Dessauges-Zavadsky, M., Prochaska, J.X., D’Odorico, S.: New detections of Mn, Ti and Mg in damped Lyαsystems: Toward reconciling the dust/nucleosynthesis degeneracy. Astron. Astrophys.391(3), 801–807 (2002) https://doi.org/10.1051/ 0004-6361:20020843

    2002

  76. [78]

    Astrophys

    Prochaska, J.X., Wolfe, A.M.: Chemical abundances of the damped Lyαsystems atz >1.5. Astrophys. J. Suppl.121(2), 369–415 (1998) https://doi.org/10.1086/ 313200 arXiv:astro-ph/9810381 [astro-ph]

    work page arXiv 1998

  77. [79]

    Mbarek and D

    Kobayashi, C., Karakas, A.I., Lugaro, M.: The origin of elements from carbon to uranium. Astrophys. J.900(2), 179 (2020) https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ abae65

    work page doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ 2020

  78. [80]

    Nomoto, K., Kobayashi, C., Tominaga, N.: Nucleosynthesis in stars and the chem- ical enrichment of galaxies. Ann. Rev. Astron. Astrophys.51(1), 457–509 (2013) https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-astro-082812-140956

    work page doi:10.1146/annurev-astro-082812-140956 2013

  79. [81]

    (eds.) Chemo- dynamical Evolution of Galaxies, pp

    Kobayashi, C., Taylor, P.: In: Tanihata, I., Toki, H., Kajino, T. (eds.) Chemo- dynamical Evolution of Galaxies, pp. 3211–3259. Springer, Singapore (2023) 18

    2023

  80. [82]

    Pettini, M., Ellison, S.L., Bergeron, J., Petitjean, P.: The abundances of nitrogen and oxygen in damped Lyman-αsystems. Astron. Astrophys. (2002)

    2002

Showing first 80 references.