Explosive lithium production in the classical nova V339 Del (Nova Delphini 2013)

Abstract

The origin of lithium (Li) and its production process have long been an unsettled question in cosmology and astrophysics. Candidates environments of Li production events or sites suggested by previous studies include big bang nucleosynthesis, interactions of energetic cosmic rays with interstellar matter, evolved low mass stars, novae, and supernova explosions. Chemical evolution models and observed stellar Li abundances suggest that at least half of the present Li abundance may have been produced in red giants, asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars, and novae. However, no direct evidence for the supply of Li from stellar objects to the Galactic medium has yet been found. Here we report on the detection of highly blue-shifted resonance lines of the singly ionized radioactive isotope of beryllium, ${}^7$Be, in the near ultraviolet (UV) spectra of the classical nova V339 Del (Nova Delphini 2013). Spectra were obtained 38 to 48 days after the explosion. ${}^7$Be decays to form ${}^7$Li within a short time (half-life 53.22 days). The spectroscopic detection of this fragile isotope implies that it has been created during the nova explosion via the reaction $^{3}\mbox{He}(α,γ)^{7}\mbox{Be}$, and supports the theoretical prediction that a significant amount of ${}^7$Li could be produced in classical nova explosions. This finding opens a new way to explore ${}^7$Li production in classical novae and provides a clue to the mystery of the Galactic evolution of lithium.

28 pages, 6 figures, published in Nature

References in corpus (4)

• Fermi Establishes Classical Novae as a Distinct Class of Gamma-Ray Sources
• Transient Heavy Element Absorption Systems in Novae: Episodic Mass Ejection from the Secondary Star
• The Expanding Fireball of Nova Delphini 2013
• Early evolution of the extraordinary Nova Del 2013 (V339 Del)

Cited by in corpus (30)

• Primordial nucleosynthesis
• Observations of Galactic and Extragalactic Novae
• The AMBRE Project: Constraining the lithium evolution in the Milky Way
• Highly Enriched 7Be in the ejecta of Nova Sagittarii 2015 No. 2 (V5668 Sgr) and the Galactic Lithium origin
• The Gaia-ESO Survey: Galactic evolution of lithium from iDR6
• Enormous Li-enhancement preceding red giant phases in low-mass stars in the Milky Way halo
• Study of Lithium Rich Giants with the GALAH Spectroscopic Survey
• Light Elements in the Universe
• The AMBRE project: a study of Li evolution in the Galactic thin and thick discs
• Lithium and Beryllium in the Gaia-Enceladus Galaxy
• The Gaia-ESO Survey: Galactic evolution of lithium at high metallicity
• Organic molecules, ions, and rare isotopologues in the remnant of the stellar-merger candidate, CK Vulpeculae (Nova 1670)
• Search for 7Be in the outburst of four recent novae
• On the observational characteristics of lithium-enhanced giant stars in comparison with normal red giants
• The Galactic Nova Rate: Estimates from the ASAS-SN and Gaia Surveys
• The Lithium Abundances from the Large Sky Area Multi-object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope Medium-resolution Survey. I. The Method
• Cosmic-Ray Lithium Production at the Nova Eruption Followed by a Type Ia Supernova
• 7Be detection in the 2021 outburst of RS Oph
• Detection of ${}^7$Be II in the Classical Nova V5669 Sgr (Nova Sagittarii 2015 No.3)
• An evidence-based assumption that helps to reduce the discrepancy between the observed and predicted ${}^7$Be abundances in novae
• Discovery of Nine Super Li-rich Unevolved Stars from the LAMOST Survey
• Detection of ${}^7$Be II in the Small Magellanic Cloud
• Novae: An Important Source of Lithium in the Galaxy
• Progress in Nuclear Astrophysics of East and Southeast Asia
• Multi-wavelength Observations of the 2015 Nova in the Local Group Irregular Dwarf Galaxy IC 1613
• Direct measurements of cosmic rays and their possible interpretations
• Modelling the chemical evolution of the Milky Way
• The CUBES Science Case
• Viability of novae as sources of Galactic lithium
• Editorial: Special Issue on the Atomic and Molecular Processes in the Ultracold Regime, the Chemical Regime, and Astrophysics