Empirical Constraints on Core-collapse Supernova Yields Using Very Metal-poor Damped Lyα Absorbers

Abstract We place empirical constraints on the yields from zero- and low-metallicity core-collapse supernovae (CCSNe) using abundances measured in very metal-poor (VMP; [Fe/H] ≤ −2) damped Ly α absorbers (DLAs). For some abundance ratios ([N,Al,S/Fe]), VMP DLAs constrain metal of first SNe more reliably than stars. compile a large sample high-S/N over 30 yr literature, most with high-resolution spectral measurements. infer initial-mass-function-averaged CCSNe yield median values DLA C, N, O, Al, Si, S, Fe (over O). assume that are enough they represent galaxies their earliest stages evolution, when only nucleosynthetic sources metals we analyze. compare five sets theoretical to derived this work. find models agree for containing Si S. Only one model (Heger & Woosley 2010, hereafter HW10) reproduced other (Limongi Chieffi 2018, LC18) [N/O]. found little change adoption an SN explosion landscape (where certain progenitor masses collapse into black holes, contributing no yields) onto HW10, but fixing energy mass results wide disagreements between predictions abundances. investigate simple, observationally motivated initial distribution rotational velocities LC18 slight improvement.