Seminar: Ultraviolet spectroscopy of metal-poor stars: new advances and new opportunities

Understanding the origin of the elements remains one of the major challenges of modern astrophysics. Ultraviolet (UV) spectroscopy of metal-poor stars provides access to hundreds of absorption lines of elements and species that are otherwise undetectable in optical or infrared spectra. I will show how these lines have the potential to provide new calibrations for NLTE radiative transfer calculations. I will present one example of a new advance enabled by UV spectroscopy, the first detection of elements produced by transuranic fission fragments in stars. This example demonstrates the potential of UV spectroscopy to help shape the experiments carried out by the Extremely Large Telescope and future space flagship missions in the 2030s and 2040s to further shape our understanding of our own cosmic origins.