The lithium problem, a phenomenologist's perspective
Abstract
Thirty years after the first observation of the 7Li isotope in the atmosphere of metal-poor halo stars, the puzzle about its origin persists. Do current observations still support the existence of a "plateau": a single value of lithium abundance, constant over several orders of magnitude in the metallicity of the target star? If this plateau exists, is it universal in terms of observational loci of target stars? Is it possible to explain such observations with known astrophysical processes? Can yet poorly explored astrophysical mechanisms explain the observations or do we need to invoke physics beyond the standard model of Cosmology and/or the standard model of Particle Physics to explain them? Is there a 6Li problem, and is it connected to the 7Li one? These questions have been discussed at the Paris workshop Lithium in the Cosmos, and I summarize here its contents, providing an overview from the perspective of a phenomenologist.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.1206.2396,
title = {The lithium problem, a phenomenologist's perspective},
author = {Fabio Iocco},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1206.2396},
year = {2012}
}
Comments
Proceedings of the workshop "Lithium in the Cosmos"; held at Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris in February 27-29, 2012. To appear in Mem.S.A.It. Suppl., Vol 22