A pregalactic Population III; primordial helium and heavy elements and the microwave background

The helium, heavy elements and dark remnants produced by a pregalactic generation of stars, Population III, are discussed quantitatively for three scenarios: 1. Population III is responsible for the distortion of the microwave background spectrum measured by Woody and Richards (Phys. Rev. Lett.; 42: 925 (1979) and Astrophys. J.; 248: 18 (1981)); 2. Population III objects generate the whole of the microwave background; 3. Population III provides the oldest metals found in our Galaxy today. (author)