The secret lives of stars

COPYRIGHT 2004 SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, INC. contents2004 42 SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN Volume 14, Number 4 The Secret Lives of Stars 3 Letter from the Editor YOUTH 4 The First Stars in the Universe BY RICHARD B. LARSON AND VOLKER BROMM Exceptionally massive and bright, the earliest stars changed the course of cosmic history. 12 Fountains of Youth: Early Days in the Life of a Star BY THOMAS P. RAY To make a star, gas and dust must fall inward. So why do astronomers see stuff streaming outward? 18 Companions to Young Stars BY ALAN P. BOSS The surprising finding that even the youn