Related papers: The solar, exoplanet and cosmological lithium prob…
In the primordial Big Bang nucleosynthesis (BBN), only the lightest nuclides (D, $^3$He, $^4$He, and $^7$Li) were synthesized in appreciable quantities, and these relics provide us a unique window on the early universe. Currently, BBN…
We aim to constrain the mixing processes in low-mass stars by investigating the behaviour of the Li surface abundance after the main sequence. We take advantage of the data from the sixth internal data release of Gaia-ESO, idr6, and from…
To constrain the universe before recombination (380000 years after the Big Bang), we mostly rely on the measurements of the primordial abundances that indicate the first insight into the thermal history of the universe. The first production…
We derive atmospheric parameters and lithium abundances for 671 stars and include our measurements in a literature compilation of 1381 dwarf and subgiant stars. First, a "lithium desert" in the effective temperature (Teff) versus lithium…
The presence of 6Li in the atmospheres of metal-poor halo stars is usually inferred from the detection of a subtle extra depression in the red wing of the 7Li doublet line at 670.8 nm. However, the intrinsic line asymmetry caused by…
We list a few things that we do not understand about stars and that most people ignore. These are all hard problems. We can learn more cosmology by working on them to reduce the systematic errors they introduce than by trying to derive…
Two exotic elements have been introduced into the standard cosmological model: non-baryonic dark matter and dark energy. The success in converting a hypothesis into a solid theory depends strongly on whether we are able to solve the…
This is a report on some highlights of some research on the rare light elements, lithium (Li), beryllium (Be), and boron (B), that I presented in my Henry Norris Russell Lecture in January, 2020. It is not a comprehensive review of work on…
We find that hot jupiter host stars within the T$_\mathrm{eff}$ range 5900-6300K show lower Li abundances, by 0.14 dex, than stars without detected planets. This offset has a significance at the level 7$\sigma$, pointing to a stronger…
The status of the solar neutrino problem is reviewed. Attempts to explain the observed deficit and spectral distortion, both by astrophysical and particle physics methods, are described. It is argued that the comparison of all experiments…
Motivated by the recent report of a high Li6 ``plateau'' extending to low metallicities in Galactic halo stars, we study the energetics of an early production of Li6 through the interaction of energetic particles with the interstellar…
The orders of magnitude variation in lithium abundances of evolved stars have long been a puzzle. Diluted signals, ambiguous evolutionary states and unknown masses have made it challenging to both map the expected lithium signals and…
A short overview is presented of current issues concerning the production and evolution of Li, Be and B in the Milky Way. In particular, the observed "primary-like" evolution of Be is re-assessed in the light of a novel idea: it is argued…
We have derived beryllium abundances in a wide sample of stars hosting planets, with spectral types in the range F7V-K0V, aimed at studying in detail the effects of the presence of planets on the structure and evolution of the associated…
Using very high-resolution (R$\sim$ 125,000) and high quality (S/N $\geq$ 350) spectra, we have searched for $^{6}$Li in stars hosting extra-solar planets. From detailed profile-fitting of the Li {\sc i} resonance line at 6707.7 \AA, we…
We discuss the 6Li abundance evolution within a hierarchical model of Galaxy formation which correctly reproduces the [Fe/H] distribution of metal-poor halo stars. Contrary to previous findings, we find that neither the level…
In the multiple population framework, a number of studies have been accomplished in order to explore the behaviour of lithium with proton-capture element abundances (e.g., Na, O, Al) in globular cluster stars. Lithium offers perhaps one of…
The source of the Galactic Lithium (Li) has long been a puzzle. With the discovery of Li in novae, extensive research has been conducted. However, there still exists a significant disparity between the observed abundance of lithium in novae…
We present a statistical analysis of the ages and metallicities of triple stellar systems that are known to host exoplanets. With controversial cases disregarded, so far 27 of those systems have been identified. Our analysis, based on an…
Of all the light elements, lithium is the most sensitive indicator of stellar evolution. This review discusses current data on the abundance of lithium in the atmospheres of A-, F-, G-, and K-stars of different types, as well as the…