Related papers: The lithium problem, a phenomenologist's perspecti…
We have investigated the abundance anomalies of lithium for stars with planets in the temperature range of 5600--5900 K reported by Israelian and coworkers, as compared to 20 normal stars at the same temperature and metallicity ranges. Our…
Cosmic structure formation leads to large-scale shocked baryonic flows which are expected to produce a cosmological population of structure-formation cosmic rays (SFCRs). Interactions between SFCRs and ambient baryons will produce lithium…
The "stellar" solution to the cosmological lithium problem proposes that surface depletion of lithium in low-mass, metal-poor stars can reconcile the lower abundances found for Galactic halo stars with the primordial prediction. Globular…
The standard model of primordial nucleosynthesis by the Big Bang as selected by the WMAP-based estimate of the baryon density ($\Omega_bh^2$) predicts an abundance of $^7$Li that is a factor of three greater than the generally reported…
We exploit the unique characteristics of a sample of open clusters (OCs) and field stars for which high-precision 7Li abundances and stellar parameters are homogeneously derived by the Gaia-ESO Survey (GES). We derive possibly undepleted…
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 have refined the estimate of the primordial level of $^7$Li abundance to an accuracy better than 10%, based on high-precision Li abundances for metal-poor halo stars, and a recent model of post-BBN (Big Bang Nucleosynthesis) chemical…
Aims. This study aims to determine the level and constancy of the Spite plateau as definitively as possible from homogeneous high-quality VLT-UVES spectra of 19 of the most metal-poor dwarf stars known. Methods. Our high-resolution (R ~…
The discrepancy between the predictions of primordial nucleosynthesis and the observed lithium abundance in Spite plateau stars has been attributed either to a challenge to the standard model of nucleosynthesis or to stellar processes…
The lithium abundance in 62 halo dwarfs is determined from accurate equivalent widths reported in the literature and an improved infrared flux method (IRFM) temperature scale. The Li abundance of 41 plateau stars (those with Teff > 6000 K)…
Thanks to the accurate determination of the baryon density of the universe by the recent cosmic microwave background experiments, updated predictions of the standard model of Big Bang nucleosynthesis now yield the initial abundance of the…
The current status of observational studies of lithium depletion in open clusters is reviewed, concentrating mainly on G and K type stars. I attempt to answer the following questions: Can the lithium depletion patterns seen in open clusters…
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,…
Based on 3D hydrodynamical model atmospheres computed with the CO5BOLD code and 3D non-LTE (NLTE) line formation calculations, we study the effect of the convection-induced line asymmetry on the derived 6Li abundance for a range in…
We briefly describe the cosmological lithium problems followed by a summary of our recent theoretical work on the magnitude of the effects of electron screening, the possible existence of dark matter parallel universes and the use of…
After a brief review of the cosmological lithium problem, we report a few recent attempts to find theoretical solutions by our group at Texas A&M University (Commerce & College Station). We will discuss our studies on the theoretical…
The primordial lithium problem remains a persistent motivation for new-physics modifications of Big Bang nucleosynthesis, yet the precision of the observed deuterium abundance now places strong constraints on such attempts. This indicates…
We examine outstanding issues in the analysis and interpretation of the halo Li plateau. We show that the majority of very Li-poor halo Li-plateau stars (5 out of 8) have high projected rotation velocities vsini between 4.7 and 10.4 km…
Since 7Li is easily destroyed in low temperatures, the surface lithium abundance decreases as stars evolve. This is supported by the lithium depletion observed in the atmosphere of most red giants. However, recent studies show that almost…
A search for lithium is performed on seven metal poor dwarfs with metallicities ranging from [Fe/H]=-1.5 down to [Fe/H]=-3.0 but showing disk-like kinematics. These stars belong to the metal poor tail of the Galactic thick disk and they may…