Light elements in massive single and binary stars

Abstract

We highlight the role of the light elements (Li, Be, B) in the evolution of massive single and binary stars, which is largely restricted to a diagnostic value, and foremost so for the element boron. However, we show that the boron surface abundance in massive early type stars contains key information about their foregoing evolution which is not obtainable otherwise. In particular, it allows to constrain internal mixing processes and potential previous mass transfer event for binary stars (even if the companion has disappeared). It may also help solving the mystery of the slowly rotating nitrogen-rich massive main sequence stars.

10 pages, 8 figures, to appear in proc. IAU-Symp. 268. C. Charbonnel et al., eds.

References in corpus (2)

• The VLT-FLAMES survey of massive stars: rotation and nitrogen enrichment as the key to understanding massive star evolution
• Rotation and massive close binary evolution

Cited by in corpus (4)

• Constraints on rotational mixing from surface evolution of light elements in massive stars
• Boron depletion in Galactic early B-type stars reveals two different main sequence star populations
• A comprehensive grid of massive binary evolution models for the Galaxy - Surface properties of post-mass transfer stars
• Impact of the Tayler magnetic instability on the surface abundance of boron in massive stars