The ups and downs of inferred cosmological lithium

Abstract

I summarize the stellar side of the cosmological lithium problem(s). Evidence from independent studies is accumulating and indicates that stars may very well be fully responsible for lowering their surface lithium from the predicted primordial value to observed levels through internal element-transport mechanisms collectively referred to as atomic diffusion. While atomic diffusion can be modelled from first principles, stellar evolution uses a parametrized representation of convection making it impossible to predict convective-boundary mixing as a vital stellar process moderating atomic diffusion. More work is clearly needed here for a fully quantitative picture of lithium (and metallicity) evolution as stars age. Lastly, note that inferred stellar lithium-6 abundances have all but disappeared.

arXiv comment5 pages, in: Proceedings of the International Symposium on Nuclear Astrophysics (ISNA 2023) held at Manipal, India (Oct 30 - Nov 2, 2023)

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Cited by in corpus (3)

• The CosmoVerse White Paper: Addressing observational tensions in cosmology with systematics and fundamental physics
• A coherent view of Li depletion and angular momentum transport to explain the Li plateau -- from Population II to Population I stars
• Nuclear astrophysics