Related papers: Intriguing Revelations from Lithium, Beryllium, an…
The measurement of the cosmic microwave background has strongly constrained the cosmological parameters of the Universe. When the measured density of baryons (ordinary matter) is combined with standard Big Bang nucleosynthesis calculations,…
During its hot, dense, early evolution the Universe was a primordial nuclear reactor, synthesizing the light nuclides D, 3He, 4He and 7Li in the first thousand seconds. The presently observed abundances of these relic nuclides provide a…
A short overview is presented of current issues concerning the production and evolution of Li, Be and B in the Milky Way. It is argued that the currently popular idea that Galactic cosmic rays are accelerated inside metal-rich superbubbles…
The ground state hyperfine splitting of light muon-electron ions of lithium, beryllium, boron and helium is calculated on the basis of analytical perturbation theory in terms of small parameters of the fine structure constant and…
We present a detailed analysis of 26 barium stars, including dwarf barium stars, providing their atmospheric parameters (Teff, log g, [Fe/H], vt) and elemental abundances. We aim at deriving gravities and luminosity classes of the sample…
While theoretical computations of the lithium abundances in Pop II stars predict variations from star to star, the most recent observations confirm the existence of a "lithium plateau" with no abundance dispersion. This apparent paradox has…
Lithium is one of the few primordially produced elements. The value of the primordial Li is taken to be that observed in metal--poor dwarfs, where it is not contaminated by stellar Li sources which act on longer time scales. The atmospheric…
We present a chemical abundance study of giant stars in the Galactic open cluster NGC 5822, which hosts two barium stars (#002 and #201) and three lithium-enriched giants (#006, #102, and #240). Using high-resolution optical and…
Ground- and space-based observations of stellar heavy element abundances are providing a clearer picture of the chemical evolution of the Galaxy. A large number of (r)apid and (s)low neutron capture process elements, including the first…
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,…
We present the analysis of FEROS commissioning spectra of 3 giants in the metal poor cluster Be 21. One of the giants has an exceptionally high Li content, comparable to the original Li in the solar system. These objects are very rare (only…
The non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (NLTE) line formation of neutral boron in the atmospheres of cool stars are investigated. Our results confirm that NLTE effects for the B I resonance lines, which are due to a combination of…
We discuss the nature of non-LTE effects affecting abundance analysis of cool stars. The departures from LTE of importance for the B I lines in solar-type stars are described and some new results are presented. Boron abundances derived…
The simultaneous investigation of Li and Be in stars is a powerful tool in the study of the evolutionary mixing processes. Here, we present beryllium abundances in stars along the whole evolutionary sequence of the open cluster IC 4651.…
Context: The stellar production of the light element lithium is still a matter of debate. Aims: We report the detection of low-mass, Li-rich Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars located in the Galactic bulge. Methods: A homogeneous and…
The cosmological abundance of nucleons determined from considerations of Big Bang nucleosynthesis allegedly provides compelling evidence for non-nucleonic dark matter. Recent developments in measurements of primordial light element…
The primordial Lithium Problem is intimately connected to the assumption that ${}^{7}{\rm Li}$ observed in metal-poor halo stars retains its primordial abundance, which lies significantly below the predictions of standard big-bang…
We have derived new abundances of the rare-earth elements Pr, Dy, Tm, Yb, and Lu for the solar photosphere and for five very metal-poor, neutron-capture r-process-rich giant stars. The photospheric values for all five elements are in good…
The nuclei of the lithium isotopes are fragile, easily destroyed, so that, at variance with most of the other elements, they cannot be formed in stars through steady hydrostatic nucleosynthesis. The 7Li isotope is synthesized during…
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…