Colloquia

Recent progress in our ability to follow numerically the formation of the first objects in the universe predict the first stars to massive and to form in isolation. They are copious producers of UV radiation and begin to reionize the intergalactic medium. The single currently allowed model for structure formation turns out to be able to match all aspects of the most recent accurate measurements of the cosmic microwave background radiation. In this talk we highlight our new understanding of the physics of the formation of the first stars, their lifes, their remnants and their impact on subsequent structure formation.