Cosmological lithium problem: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 16:59, 21 December 2020

Revision as of 02:16, 11 January 2021

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==Observed abundance of lithium==

Despite the low theoretical abundance of lithium, the actual observable amount is less than the calculated amount by a factor of 3-43–4.<ref name=fields11>{{cite journal |last=Fields |first=B. D. |date=2011 |title=The primordial lithium problem |journal=[[Annual Review of Nuclear and Particle Science]] |volume=61 |pages=47–68 |doi=10.1146/annurev-nucl-102010-130445| doi-access=free |arxiv=1203.3551 |bibcode=2011ARNPS..61...47F}}</ref> This contrasts with the observed abundance of isotopes of [[hydrogen]] (¹H and [[deuterium|²H]]) and [[helium]] ([[helium-3|³He]] and [[helium-4|⁴He]]) that are consistent with predictions.<ref name=HouStats/>

[[Image:SolarSystemAbundances.svg|thumb|center|800px|Abundances of the chemical elements in the Solar System. Hydrogen and helium are most common, residuals within the paradigm of the Big Bang.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Stiavelli |first1=M. |year=2009 |title=From First Light to Reionization the End of the Dark Ages |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iCLNBElRTS4C&pg=PA8 |page=8 |publisher=[[Wiley-VCH]] |___location=Weinheim, Germany |isbn=9783527627370|bibcode=2009fflr.book.....S }}</ref> Li, Be and B are rare because they are poorly synthesized in the Big Bang and also in stars; the main source of these elements is [[cosmic ray spallation]].]]

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[[File:Nova Centauri 2013 ESO.jpg|thumb|[[Nova Centauri 2013]] is the first in which evidence of lithium has been found.<ref>{{cite web|title=First Detection of Lithium from an Exploding Star|url=http://www.eso.org/public/news/eso1531/|accessdate=29 July 2015|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150801001700/http://www.eso.org/public/news/eso1531/|archivedate=1 August 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref>]]

Lithium is also found in [[brown dwarf]] substellar objects and certain anomalous orange stars. Because lithium is present in cooler, less- massive brown dwarfs, but is destroyed in hotter [[red dwarf]] stars, its presence in the stars' spectra can be used in the "lithium test" to differentiate the two, as both are smaller than the Sun.<ref name=emsley/><ref name="Cain"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www-int.stsci.edu/~inr/ldwarf3.html |archive-url=https://archive.is/20130521055905/http://www-int.stsci.edu/~inr/ldwarf3.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=21 May 2013 |title=L Dwarf Classification|accessdate=6 March 2013 | first =N. | last = Reid | date = 10 March 2002}}</ref>

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Lithium is also found in [[brown dwarf]] substellar objects and certain anomalous orange stars. Because lithium is present in cooler, less-massive brown dwarfs, but is destroyed in hotter [[red dwarf]] stars, its presence in the stars' spectra can be used in the "lithium test" to differentiate the two, as both are smaller than the Sun.<ref name=emsley/><ref name="Cain"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www-int.stsci.edu/~inr/ldwarf3.html |archive-url=https://archive.is/20130521055905/http://www-int.stsci.edu/~inr/ldwarf3.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=21 May 2013 |title=L Dwarf Classification|accessdate=6 March 2013 | first =N. | last = Reid | date = 10 March 2002}}</ref>

===Less lithium in Sun-like stars with planets===