First Light

A brilliant first foray into a new area of space science that hasn't been covered in the popular press

Emma Chapman is a Royal Society research fellow and fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, based at Imperial College London. She is among the world's leading researchers in search of the first stars to exist in our Universe and has been the recipient of multiple commendations and prizes, including the 2018 Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Research Fellowship and STFC Ernest Rutherford Fellowship, as well as the Institute of Physics Jocelyn Bell Burnell Prize and the Royal Society Athena Medal.Emma is a respected commentator on astrophysical matters and regularly contributes to the Guardian and BBC radio, and speaks at public events. @DrEOChapman

Introduction1: Over the Rainbow2: Where is Population III?3: The Small Bang4: A Lucky Cloud of Gas5: The Dark Ages6: Fragmenting Stars7: Stellar Archaeology8: Galactic Cannibalism9: The Cosmic Dusk10: The Epoch of Reionisation11: Unknown UnknownsReferencesAcknowledgementsIndex

An illuminating-and entertaining-look at the earliest stars of our cosmos. Chapman is a witty and straightforward guide . and her enthusiasm for the chase is infectious. First Light conveys the wonder and mystery of darkness suddenly illuminated by magnificent starlight.
Thoroughly engaging . allows us to see science in the making, chronicles current attempts to reveal this hidden era - what we know and what we don't know. Chapman herself is in the thick of this endeavor and serves as a wonderful guide, whose voice is reminiscent of Carl Sagan's, although with an extra and very welcome dollop of impish humor.
Throughout First Light, Chapman's authenticity and humour shine through. [.] this is a charming book that was as fun to read as it was informative, making it as ideal for the casual reader as for those with an existing understanding of the field.
First Light is a fantastic debut on the popular science scene for Emma Chapman that fleshes out the context around these two key functions. My opinion: come for the state-of-the-art on the first stars, stay for the comprehensive primer on modern cosmology, and revel in the footnotes.
First Light is a dispatch from the frontiers of science, from a brain fizzing with ideas and energy.
Her everyday examples of complex concepts are conversational, witty and elucidating . Chapman manages to effectively convey the gist of most of this most complicated of space sciences . Chapman's most valuable asset here, aside from her obvious expertise, is her enthusiasm ...All of this is astounding, so much so that it almost defies explication, which is why it is such a treat to have someone of Chapman's stature willing to carry us along as she reaches for these ancient stars.
The prose flows smoothly, never seeming to drag . First Light is a fantastic debut on the popular science scene.