Characteristic Mass Function of First Generation of Stars Investigated by Extremely Metal-Poor ([Fe/H] < -3.0) Stars

Even though the initial mass function (IMF) of the first generation of stars played important roles in reionization of the universe, subsequent star formation, and chemical enrichment of the universe, it is still very uncertain. In this study, among the several indirect ways of estimating the IMF of the population III (Pop III) stars, we make use of extremely metal-poor (EMP; [Fe/H] < -3.0) stars in the Milky Way, in order to infer the characteristic mass range of Pop III stars. As the progenitors of many of the EMP stars are known to be Pop III stars, we attempt to construct the characteristic mass range of the progenitors (e.g., Pop III stars) of the EMP stares by comparing their observed abundance pattern of various chemical elements with chemical yields from supernova models.