Lithium as a probe of stellar and galactic physics

Fuente: arXiv
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Auteurs principaux: Charbonnel, C., Prantzos, N.
Format: Preprint
Publié: 2026
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author Charbonnel, C.
Prantzos, N.
author_facet Charbonnel, C.
Prantzos, N.
contents Lithium plays a unique role in astrophysics, as it is a powerful diagnostic for the physics and evolution of low-mass stars, Galactic archaeology, and cosmology. We review the Li observations in stars at different phases of their evolution, the strengths and the limitations of the current theoretical stellar models to explain the Li abundance data, our understanding of the Li sources and of the evolution of Li through- out the Galactic history. Key takeaways from the current state of the research in the field are: 1) Stellar evolution models accounting for fundamental transport processes of chemical species and angular momentum hold the promise of providing a common stellar Li depletion explanation to the Li abundance patterns observed in all Galactic stellar populations, including the dip and the plateau(s). 2) Novae are most probably the main source of Li in the Galaxy, on observational (but not yet theoretically established) grounds. 3) Radial migration of stars in the Galactic disk holds the key to understand many aspects of the Li evolution in the Milky Way.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2602_17470
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Lithium as a probe of stellar and galactic physics
Charbonnel, C.
Prantzos, N.
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
Astrophysics of Galaxies
Lithium plays a unique role in astrophysics, as it is a powerful diagnostic for the physics and evolution of low-mass stars, Galactic archaeology, and cosmology. We review the Li observations in stars at different phases of their evolution, the strengths and the limitations of the current theoretical stellar models to explain the Li abundance data, our understanding of the Li sources and of the evolution of Li through- out the Galactic history. Key takeaways from the current state of the research in the field are: 1) Stellar evolution models accounting for fundamental transport processes of chemical species and angular momentum hold the promise of providing a common stellar Li depletion explanation to the Li abundance patterns observed in all Galactic stellar populations, including the dip and the plateau(s). 2) Novae are most probably the main source of Li in the Galaxy, on observational (but not yet theoretically established) grounds. 3) Radial migration of stars in the Galactic disk holds the key to understand many aspects of the Li evolution in the Milky Way.
title Lithium as a probe of stellar and galactic physics
topic Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
Astrophysics of Galaxies
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.17470