AbstractConstraints on the chemical yields of the first stars and supernova can be derived by examining the abundance patterns of different types of metal-poor stars. We show how metal-poor stars are employed to derive constraints of the formation of the first low-mass stars by testing a fine-structure line cooling theory. The concept of stellar archaeology, that stellar abundances truly reflect the chemical composition of the earliest times, is then addressed. The accretion history of a sample

more »

... of metal-poor stars is examined in detail in a cosmological context, and found to have no impact on the observed abundances. Predictions are made for the lowest possible Fe and Mg abundances observable in the Galaxy, [Fe/H]min= −7.5 and [Mg/H]min= −5.5. The absence of stars below these values is so far consistent with a top-heavy IMF. These predictions are directly relevant for future surveys and the next generation of telescopes.