English

The Primordial Abundance of $^6$Li and $^9$be

Astrophysics 2009-10-22 v1

Abstract

Light element (6^6Li, 7^7Li and 9^9Be) depletion isochrones for halo stars have been calculated with standard stellar evolution models. These models include the latest available opacities and are computed through the sub-giant branch. If 6^6Li is not produced in appreciable amounts by stellar flares, then the detection of 6^6Li in HD 84937 by Smith, Lambert \& Nissen (1993) is compatible with standard stellar evolution and standard big bang nucleosynthesis only if HD 84937 is a sub-giant. The present parallax is inconsistent with HD 84937 being a sub-giant star at the 2.5σ2.5\, \sigma level. The most metal poor star with a measured 9^9Be abundance is HD 140283, which is a relatively cool sub-giant. Standard stellar evolution predict that 9^9Be will have been depleted in this star by 0.3\sim 0.3 dex (for Teff=5640{\rm T_{eff}} = 5640 K). Revising the abundance upward changes the oxygen-beryllium relation, suggesting incompatible with standard comic ray production models, and hence, standard big bang nucleosynthesis. However, an increase in the derived temperature of HD 140283 to 5740 K would result in no depletion of 9^9Be and agreement with standard big bang nucleosynthesis.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.astro-ph/9405073,
  title  = {The Primordial Abundance of $^6$Li and $^9$be},
  author = {Brian Chaboyer},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:astro-ph/9405073},
  year   = {2009}
}

Comments

6 pages, AAS LaTeX, complete postscript file available via anonymous ftp from: ftp.cita.utoronto.ca in /cita/brian/papers/primord.ps