The mystery behind the high abundance of Lithium in some evolved stars traced

What is the News?

Scientists have found out the reason behind the high abundance of Lithium in some evolved stars.

Note: Lithium is found in trace amounts on Earth. It is also a key component of rechargeable batteries.

What did the Astronomers know so far about Lithium in Stars?

Astronomers have known that a class of stars have an anomalous amount of Lithium on their surface. 

The reason and processes behind the high abundance of Lithium have remained a puzzle, since the models of how stars evolve predict the Lithium must have been destroyed in the hot plasma of the star.

What did the scientists find out in their study?

Scientists have found that the production of lithium is related to the burning of helium in the core of these stars.

Source: This post is based on the article “The mystery behind the high abundance of Lithium in some evolved stars traced” published in PIB on 30th November 2021.