Stellar evolution at low metallicity

Abstract

Massive stars played a key role in the early evolution of the Universe. They formed with the first halos and started the re-ionisation. It is therefore very important to understand their evolution. In this review, we first recall the effect of metallicity (Z) on the evolution of massive stars. We then describe the strong impact of rotation induced mixing and mass loss at very low Z. The strong mixing leads to a significant production of primary 14N, 13C and 22Ne. Mass loss during the red supergiant stage allows the production of Wolf-Rayet stars, type Ib,c supernovae and possibly gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) down to almost Z = 0 for stars more massive than 60 M⊙. Galactic chemical evolution models calculated with models of rotating stars better reproduce the early evolution of N/O, C/O and 12C/13C. Finally, the impact of magnetic fields is discussed in the context of GRBs. © 2008 Copyright International Astronomical Union 2008.